Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Sci-Fi

Published:  September 2009

Pages: 472

My rating:

The Blurb: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. The Capitol is very, very angry ... and wants revenge.

So… after dying to find out what would happen next to Katniss, Peeta, Gale and the others I threw myself into ‘Catching Fire’, practically starved. In some ways the book satisfied me, in other ways not even remotely. In retrospective, it was somewhat disappointing even. Which is why I kept postponing this review.

The structure of this book is almost similar to the one of the first book, where the first part is merely an introduction of sorts. At first, things develop slowly. Very slowly. Nothing seems to have changed, even when everything has. Katniss and Peeta still live their lives separately and despite Katniss’ riches, she still hunts whenever she can. Not to provide for her own family though, but for Gale’s family, since he won’t accept her money.

The strongly written characters are interesting enough. Even the new side-characters are interesting and developed sufficiently to be more than just background noise. Katniss definitely grew further in this instalment but surprised me by still being insecure (maybe even dimwitted) about so many things. Like her feelings regarding Peeta and Gale. It’s refreshing to read a book not entirely focused on romance, but on real emotions and doubts. Not the standard formula.

I love Katniss’ (self-)wits and her interactions with Peeta, for example. The humour is a welcome change in the (mostly) heavy story.

The consequences of Katniss’ actions during The Hunger Games -and the sign she gave off with those actions- dawn on Katniss. At first she’s convinced she will have to keep up the charade of the romance she and Peeta have, up until the point of marriage even. Soon she realises it’s not about her own future or happiness, it’s about the lives of everyone she loves. It’s about the entire country even. It takes a LOT of time until she realises her true worth though. 

‘I am the Mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol’s plans. The symbol of rebellion.’

I like the artistic way Peeta deals with the events that happened, the way he tries to right his wrongs, not aware that his good deeds will backfire. I love how Katniss starts developing feelings for him once again because of his kindness. How he’s the one person whose presence helps her sleep when every single night she is haunted by nightmares. But Gale feels so right for her, according to her own thoughts and feelings. She and Gale trust each other with their lives, and I know this sounds weird: in a totally different way than Katniss and Peeta do. Born from something entirely different, not forced in any way, naturally.

Everyday life gets more gruesome in ‘Catching Fire’. Punishments had been lacking until now, starvation was the District 12 inhabitant’s greatest enemy, instead of whippings when one was caught hunting. How heart wrenching it was to read this cruel scene. But the realisation Katniss has then, is kind of worth it. Sadly this incident is only the beginning of a totally reinforced District 12 where nothing illegal is tolerated anymore, making life so much harder for everyone. Which only makes the people eager to revolt more.

Of course the question that must be playing on many people’s minds is whether or not District 13, once brutally destroyed by the government to stop its rebellion, still exists or not.

I was as shocked as Katniss herself was at the turn the story took at the announcement of the third Quarter Quell rules. Shocked at the cruel, too coincidental, concocted crime conveniently cooked up by the Capitol. I had not seen this coming at all and kept thinking maybe it wouldn’t happen. But it did. Obviously, since there is still another sequel, it was clear Katniss would survive once more, but whose lives would have to end this time?

Actually, after finding out this twist, the disappointment part kicked in. It felt less creative and original, because I had been there already. No matter how different the surroundings were this time. It felt like a break in the actual story, the actual plot. I wanted to get ON with the rest of the story and not be stuck in this part again!

Which is why this book appealed less to me than its predecessor. Also, I assume it is why I haven’t yearned to read ‘Mockingjay’ yet. I will though, soon. Don’t get me wrong. This was still a very good read, yet not quite what I had expected. I guess it’s hard to be the middle book in a trilogy.

The pace of this book is something Suzanne Collins seems to struggle with. There are pages full of information only covering hours, then months are skimmed over just as easily within mere paragraphs. Overall it was written very well again though, very vivid. I will leave you with some of my favourite quotes, powerful words in my opinion, expressing feelings with heavy mental imagery.

‘I breath in the smell of snow-dampened leather and smoke and apples, the smell of all those wintry days we shared before the Games.’ 

 ‘And I’m left staring out of the window, watching District 12 disappear, with all my goodbyes still hanging on my lips.’ 

Review: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Sci-Fi

Published:  January 2008

Pages: 454

My rating: 

The Blurb: Sometime in the future after the destruction of North America in a nation known as Panem, the 74th Hunger Games begins. As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol, every year, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by lottery and forced to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised event in which the participants, or "tributes," must fight to the death in a dangerous, outdoor arena, controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains. The difference this year is District 12 has had its first volunteer probably in the whole history of the District... Katniss Everdeen, who volunteered to take the place of her younger sister, Prim; and she's already making an impression.

Yes, I’m late. Very late even. How late? I’m so late the first movie’s already showing in cinemas! Which, ironically, is what made me decide to read this book after all.

Yes, I loved the movie. Very much. Which isn’t helping when it comes to writing a review for the book, because there’s no denying the similarities, as there is no escaping the omitted -as well as added-  flavour.

Despite my reading the occasional dystopian book – I do not dislike dystopian books at all- the theme of ‘The Hunger Games’ did not appeal to me. Ever. No matter how many raving reviews it got. I simply felt it wasn’t my cup of tea, reading about so much grim violence. However, I was up to seeing the movie. And the movie did a good job convincing me to finally read the series: the weirdly dressed/groomed citizens of the Capitol, the surreal beauty of that same Capitol, the contradictions between everyday life in some districts and the Hunger Games, the harshness of the society, but most importantly Katniss Everdeen. Katniss really got under my skin and I wanted to explore her more, wanted to know what she was really about, what her true feelings regarding Peeta and Gale were and… how things would continue for her and her family from now on.

From the first sentence of the book, I was drawn in. Which means quite a lot considering it’s written not only in present tense but also in the first person. For the life of me I cannot figure out why so many writers use present tense nowadays. As of late stories written in the first person are slowly but steadily creeping up my skin-crawling-list as well. However, the beautiful prose and images planted immediately in my head (I am about to contradict myself on this subject a little further down, but I hope you understand my explanation) made me forget all about my list. Or should I say Katniss made me forget about my minor irritations? The unconditional love she feels for her little sister Prim (and those projected feelings onto Rue), the responsibility she takes for keeping her mother, sister and herself alive since the day her dad got killed, her vulnerabilities, her strengths, her doubts, her fears, her physical pain even. The way she is so very human.

So you see, there’s definitely  nothing wrong with the characters. They’re not cut-outs, they’re real. Actually Katniss’ point of view adds more depth and interest to them. You get to know people from her perspective, rather than know everything there is to know at once. You get to feel her confusion of what’s real and not.

Some people call the romance awkward and I agree. But only because it has been written to be awkward. Imagine being in Katniss’ shoes, trapped with almost no future prospects, and finding safety with someone. The world turns to a very weird place, as does your mind. Imagine having to play out a romance between you and the guy who could end up having to kill you, or the other way around. Imagine his presence as the only one you can rely on – and not rely on at the same time. Imagine the confusion when you feel you want to be near him because you actually desire it and not because you’re expected to. I am all for reading about romance but the ‘lack’ thereof in this book came very natural. It’s been done just right, not too much focus on romantic feelings when survival is the main issue. No clear feelings when the world isn’t clear.

After seeing the movie it’s hard not be biased. But if I had to judge the book without having seen the movie, I’d say it lacks some description. The movie put better images in my head than the book ever could have. (Don’t get me wrong, everything came across the way it was supposed to be. The writing was vivid enough and even poetic at times. Quote-worthy lines throughout the book.)

I don’t think the moviemakers were too liberal regarding the images, I think they had the possibility to be that liberal because the book left many things open. The world building could have been better, I guess. As well as the descriptions of people. Yet it seems that lately many books I have read are written  that way, a bit ‘open’. Maybe it’s just my personal opinion though, wishing things to be thoroughly described. Maybe, had I read the book before watching the movie, I would not have agreed with the images I saw. Maybe I would have though. No telling now…

As far as plots go, this one is an original. Yes, I am old enough to know ‘The Running Man’ movie. Yes, I have read other peoples’ reviews comparing the plot to that of ‘Battle Royale’. Since I haven’t read that book I can’t state my opinion on the similarities. I do propose this: point me to a book with an original plot, something NEVER before written about and I’ll be convinced it is possible to truly write the unwritten. Everything has been done before. Before ‘Twilight’ was even thought of, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ had fallen  hard for a vampire already. And before Buffy there have been others as well. I’m just saying.

The idea of ‘The Hunger Games’ seems somewhat preposterous, what government would allow such things to happen? Although… more gruesome truths have existed throughout history, and still do. And in the light of the story it works. Suzanne Collins made me believe in the possibility of this reality.

The story has slower passages intermitted with action-packed blood-spattering scenes, not for the faint-hearted. But it is constantly the story itself (the emotions) that prevails. There’s not a single uninteresting moment, no matter how small the events may seem.

The almost-ending was nothing short of heart-wrenching. I don’t understand why they changed it so much in the movie. Did they run out of time? The book-ending was more fitting and especially more satisfying. From the chaos back to the sterile environment, Katniss unaware in all areas: Peeta, her feelings, the future. The weirdness that is Panem to its full extent.

Thankfully, that weirdness is not finished. Katniss is not finished. Her life, her feelings, her future: everything needs sorting out. And you bet your @ss I’m sorting them out in the sequences ‘Catching Fire’ and ‘Mockingjay’!

Maybe I was late in joining the craziness that is ‘The Hunger Games’, but I’m here now and I won’t go away until I’m satisfied! If you haven’t joined the bandwagon I suggest you do so, you won’t be disappointed.

In My Mailbox (14)

'In My Mailbox' 

is a weekly recurring meme hosted by The Story Siren. 

Every Sunday, Kristi shares her mailbox contents 

and gives us bloggers the opportunity to leave a link 

sharing our own mail!
~

Hey everyone!

Last weekend hubby and I went to see 'The Hunger Games' movie in the cinema. 

Guess what? Even though the theme of this trilogy never appealed to me -despite its many lyrical reviews and despite my liking the occasional dystopian novel- I was hooked instantly! Ask me and I'll go see the movie again, it's that bad! There were so many details I would love to explore further. 

And Katniss... she really got under my skin. Jennifer Lawrence is a damn fine actress in my opinion. She convincingly made me believe Katniss was human, not a flat character. She's such a strong and wise girl, with a good heart. Righteous, standing up for her beliefs, self-sacrificial, but still filled with insecurity. I need to get to know her better, find out what her true feelings towards Peeta and Gale are. I need to know she'll be okay. 

Which is why I ordered the 'The Hunger Games' Trilogy. And yesterday the mailman delivered it. I was hooked after reading the first few sentences already! Which is a compliment because I normally strongly dislike books written in the present tense (and lately the first person gets on my nerves as well). However, the prose was so beautiful I hardly noticed. 

So, did the mailman spoil you too this week? Do share with a comment, and I'll come and stop by your mailbox as well!

Happy reading! :)

2011 Fav Five

Hey there,

Since the year 2012 is already scratching at the door -begging to be let in, howling and yammering increasingly loud- I thought it would be nice to leave you with my 2011 Favorite Five Reads. 

So yeah, I only started reading in July, leaving me a measly 20 books to choose from, but still! All books  are the 1st part of a series, except for 'Passion', which is already the 3rd installment. Of course I am really looking forward to the sequels, but that's another list! ;)

Here she is, my 2011 Fav Five!

5. Passion 
(Fallen #3) by Lauren Kate

4. The Girl in the Steel Corset 

(The Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross

3. Delirium 

(Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

2. The Iron Thorn 

(Iron Codex #1) by Caitlin Kittredge

1. Clockwork Angel 

(The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Do you have a Fav 5 you'd like to share with me? 

Go ahead, leave me a link and I'll pay you a visit as well! Pinky Swear! ;)

Have a good day! :)

Book Review: When Copper Suns Fall

When Copper Suns Fall, by KaSonndra Leigh (e-ARC provided by the author)

Series: Copper Suns book 1

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal, Dystopia

Published:  November 2011

Pages: 381

My rating: 

In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.

Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

After eyeballing this book for its gorgeous cover and appealing contents, becoming Facebook-buddies to KaSonndra Leigh and shamelessly offering her my review in return for a free copy of ‘When Copper Suns Fall’, KaSonndra was kind enough to indulge me with an e-version of her book! THANK YOU once more for that, KaSonndra. And good luck on the book sales!

Let me start off by saying that digital reading and I will never, ever become friends. I find it harder to feel a connection with characters, kind of like the same way chatting to someone on your computer makes you feel. You know it’s them you’re talking to, but it’s not as good as the real thing. Something personal is seriously lacking.

Maybe that’s why it took me a little time to get into the story, but once I did, I really did! KaSonndra’s writing strengths truly lie with action sequences, because these happen fluently and believable. Her story-telling skills are great. Exciting plot turns, fencing scenes which made me hold by breath (unbeknownst to me) and mysterious boys slowly being unravelled. The plot has been given much thought and the story has a good build-up towards the climax. Great potential exists to develop this whole world even more in further books. I was confused many times though, about who the good guys were, and the bad guys. Which in my opinion does make things even more realistic: in real life there (usually) isn’t ‘just’ good or evil, there are so many shades of grey in between!

For the biggest part this a very fluently written story, it reads away easily in an agreeable, but sort of poetic prose. Some beautifully written, poetic comparisons are easily woven throughout the entire story:

Or maybe they thought I was a little bird waiting to be given an award for staying quiet.

Feelings however, are kind of suppressed -or get repeated in words (‘telling rather than showing’) several times. Also, sometimes there are (tiny) jumps leaving me confused and wondering whether I missed a bit. Then there were times descriptions of some things were lacking, like the depiction of the other world beyond the graveyard. Also, I stumbled across some wrongly written referrals which made me wonder who edited the book before it was published.

The romance between Chela and Faris, much like the time they spend in the other world, evolves rather quickly. Too quickly. They share some time and memories together and somehow out of the blue, a kiss happens. Without really reading about Chela’s change in feelings. It felt shallow somehow. 

Overall Chela is an easy-to-sympathize-with-character, as are the other characters. There’s some growth, some struggle. They’re not cardboard cut-outs, but they’re not the best-written characters I’ve encountered either.

I realize how hard it is to write something original, something nobody has thought off yet. Everything has been done already. And most of this story was very original in its plot, setting and time. But there were many details that felt familiar to me (you can play a guess-game if you’d like), like the fencing, body-tattoos, paintings that come to live, the mansion where kids with special abilities are being trained, the other world not susceptible to normal persons’ eyes, etc.  

Of course, no author owns the rights to any setting unless it’s a world they created themselves, so there’s nothing actually wrong with KaSonndra’s choice of having an important part of this book take place in an amusement park… So what if it happened to play a big role in the 'Hush, Hush' books too? (Which, by the way, dealt with angels also...) Mind you: since ‘When Copper Suns Fall’ trumps ‘Hush, Hush’ on various levels, there’s no loss here, only gain.

All in all I enjoyed the story in itself, but it felt like a draft version, still rough around the edges. It definitely has potential, it’s a promising story, but it needs some more editing and tweaking. ‘When Copper Suns Fall’ deserves those extra pages to improve the story, in my opinion! So it can truly shine like a copper sun, not fall...

~Have a nice 2nd day of X-Mas (and nice Holidays maybe?)~

P.S. By finishing this book, I finished my Goodreads Reading Challenge! I read 20 books this year. It may not seem much, but I only started counting from July, so... ;) How about your 2011 reading list, and 2012 Reading Challenge?

Release Day Blitz 'When Copper Suns Fall'

As promised, I'm sharing the cover of the upcoming novel 'When Copper Suns Fall', by KaSonndra Leigh. I for one can't wait to get my hands on this book, because it sounds very promising!

In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.  
Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories? 
With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease. 
In this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world as intriguing as The Mortal Instruments and a story as chilling as Enclave. Full of celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.

Have a good day! :)

Review: Delirium

Delirium, by Lauren Oliver

Series: Delirium Trilogy 1

Genre: YA, Sci-fi, Dystopia, Romance

Published: February 2011

Pages: 441

My rating:  

When I read about this book and its intriguing plot, I knew I HAD to read it! A world where love is considered a disease you can be cured from (at the age of 18), is definitely original, and makes sense somehow -in a very scary way. Is it really for the best, to live a steady life without the dangers of falling in love and having your heart broken?

Because it’s not just a loveless marriage that lies ahead. Passions for all kinds of hobbies vanish, friendship suffers due to lack of feeling and memories, even having children (which in some cases may lead to detachment) is merely a sense of duty.

Details like the passages and psalms from the ‘Book of Shhh’ and old children’s rhymes that were adapted to this society’s view on LOVE, give the story more depth. These aspects were funny in a gruesome way, realistic in completing the rules many of us live by through the Bible.

From the start, the author convincingly conveys the detached, loveless feel that radiates from the society Lena Holoway lives in. A steady and predictable life where nothing is left to chance, awaits Lena in just a couple of months. I totally believed the importance of the BIG, defining test day; no matter how ridiculous the idea of an entire civilization based on test results playing matchmaker might seem.

Although… the idea isn’t that quaint at all. Don’t many people nowadays find their match by means of personality tests on dating sites through the internet? Apparently chemistry doesn’t play a big part anymore after a certain age, whereas compatible character traits do.

Back to the book though ;)

The narrating in the first person is very realistic and makes you feel like you are Lena completely. My first fear of reading yet another book in the first person subsided swiftly though, because it’s finally used proper here. For example: flashbacks are written in tense past, which gives the book natural feel. Lauren Oliver has a way of describing thoughts and feelings impeccably: you experience Lena’s confusion, the moments her brain turns into a big blur are excruciatingly vivid, the doubts she has are comprehendible, as well as the shock she experiences when things happen she never even knew existed (and have been taught to be literally deadly wrong). You become Lena with all her hopes, doubts and fears.

Lena certainly isn’t a flat character, as is her best friend Hana. The way Lena and Hana change, the way Lena sees Hana, the way it affects their friendship… Extremely well written, real, recognizable and relatable. I don’t think I’ve encountered any character lately I felt so close to as I do to Lena.

Normally I love my books to be as descriptive as possible, with character depth as well. Where this book lacks descriptiveness in the ‘exterior’ department (surroundings, houses, people), it makes up for emotions. I can honestly say I didn’t miss the descriptiveness. The story reads away easily and totally envelopes you, on the other hand it sure takes its sweet time to develop... Some passages drag on with minor details, unimportant to the story. Other details of Lena’s life make the story so much more alive: the way Lena feels when running for example with the happiness washing over her and the connection she shares with Hana in those moments, they all made me feel like I was there. They made me want to go out running myself, whereas I LOATHE running! (Lauren Oliver would be very good at writing subliminal messages, LOL…)

Here’s an example of the beautiful, descriptive staccato writing Lauren Oliver uses sometimes. SO recognizable how one thought triggers another! (Although I have to admit she lost me entirely with some sentences, going on and on, comma after comma, until I lost track...)

‘Snapshots, moments, mere seconds: as fragile and beautiful and hopeless as a single butterfly, flapping on against a gathering wind.’

It took over 100 pages for the romance to even begin -be it VERY modest- at the second (accidental) meeting Lena has with Alex, which was a far too lengthy and unnecessary time to do the world building and preparations in my opinion. But Alex was worth the wait. The author doesn’t fill in many gaps with background info, she makes you find out things through Lena. Very naturally their romance develops, Lena resisting at first because it feels wrong to her. I admire her strength for being able to withstand the temptation, her desire to hold on to what she’s been taught to be the right thing to do. Perhaps logical because she also fears what’s happening to her, and what will become of her. But when the truth turns out to be a huge lie, and the lies turn out to be the truth, it’s like Lena turns around completely. Her character growth feels natural, as well as understandable. Once she finds out what really happened to her mother, her last step to becoming one of the ‘sympathizers’ of LOVE, is made.

The city surrounded by heavily guarded electrified borders to keep ‘infected’ people from ‘The Wilds’ entering  (’Invalids’ they’re called, though their existence is denied and silenced by the people in charge); ‘The Crypts’ where sympathizers, infected people and everyone else endangering society are literally left to rot and die; the raids sweeping over the city once every while: all gruesome details of the story bringing it to life. People trying to escape by climbing the borders, while big men with guns and dogs chase after them, helicopters circle around them, chaos breaking loose: very strong reminders of actual escape-images regarding the border separating East- from West Germany for many years. Terrifyingly realistic. Very exciting. Movie-worthy even...

Without wanting to give away too much about the ending, I still want to share my thoughts with you. The turn the book took towards the ending, was the way I hoped it would go. It simply had to be that way, otherwise there wouldn’t be a happy ending for Lena. Unfortunately the book didn’t end then… Lena got her wish, or did she?

‘Delirium’ has left me desperate to know what happened and is going to happen. Love is the drug, but it’s also the cure. But is love enough to survive? Are memories enough, once reality hits?

I will most definitely be reading the sequel ‘Pandemonium’, because I’m not ready to abandon Lena and Alex. How can I, when I’ve actually become Lena?

Review: The Iron Thorn (Iron Codex #1)

The Iron Thorn, by Caitlin Kittredge
Series: The Iron Codex, book 1
Genre: YA, Sci-fi, Steampunk, Dystopia
Published: February 2011
Pages: 492
My Rating: 

This book is a Must-Read! It’s got something for everyone: steampunk, romance, adventure, dystopia, secrets, mysteries, great characters, monsters, strange worlds, faeries, a beautiful written story, a plot with unexpected twists…

Here’s the short(ish) version of the review:
* The cover seems very fitting, it projects the grim feeling of dark fantasy in the story, while bringing across the lonely feeling Aoife must have had many times, surrounded by those grey skies and spying Ravens. 5/5 stars
* Caitlin Kittredge has a very poetic writing style, beautiful sentences string the pages of this book together. However, the story wasn’t overwritten: I found every word interesting, every word was where it needed to be and added only to the plot and story. The style and use of prose enhances and complements the feel of the story completely. 5/5 stars
*The characters are very interesting and very real. They have good and bad qualities, they doubt themselves, they grow, they make mistakes, their relationships change. They’re actual humans, not just stereotypes, and you really care what happens to them. 5/5 stars
*The story itself has many different elements: steampunk, adventure, dystopian, mystery, romance, dark fantasy...
One minute you find yourself in the middle of an Indiana Jones movie with all the secret chambers and flying airships, the next minute you’ve landed in a grim, alien-like Fairytale world. Madness and alternate worlds battle over one another, which one is the actual reality? Never a dull moment, but all is blended together perfectly with some unexpected twists. The action is not too overwhelming, or at cost of the story/feelings/characters. The story puts quality over quantity (despite it being sizable enough with almost 500 pages) and lacks no depth, thankfully. The ending is not disappointing, it is truly epic in proportions. 5/5 stars
*The plot and the alternate worlds built here were immensely thought through and well described with many details. The whole thing has a dystopian feel to it and steampunk it definitely is. Slowly the story develops, with surprising twists that keep you interested the entire time. It’s kind of like reading an old-school adventure, with secret chambers, traps, airship-travels, and so on. Until the story takes a turn one did not see coming, seemingly unfitting the steampunk elements. Until the author made it fit, logically and extremely well. Convincing us of the strange reality of this strange world where time ticks to a different clock. Where there is darkness, there is light. Where there is reason, there is magic. 5/5 stars
*All in all I find it a very original idea, an original world. The real world, the ‘Iron’ world, is scary with its rules and demands. Dictatorial, cold, scientific; medieval even in the sense of punishing so-called heretics who do not accept their truth as the only truth. The ‘Thorn Land’ may even be scarier with its unpredictability; inhabited by corpse-drinking Mists, the treacherous ‘Folk’ and trees that could swallow you whole and turn you into part of them. 5/5 stars

Here's an even longer review:
Already in the first chapter, a dizzying amount of info is being dropped on the reader. Necessary info, for building the world our main character ‘Aoife’ lives in. The story is being told from Aoife’s point of view (in the first person). The city of ‘Lovecraft’, Massachusetts, is a grim place, with its 17 asylums due to the immensely consuming ‘necrovirus’ which has infected many people. One of those infected people is Aoife’s mother Nerissa, whom she visits her every week in the asylum where she is committed as a charity case. Aoife never knew her father.
The necrovirus slowly consumes ones brain until its victim becomes a ‘nightjar’: a ghastly creature who in turn can infect someone, after biting them.

Lovecraft runs on a big machine at the heart of the city, built by the ‘Master Builder’ who has become the ‘God’ of Lovecraft. There are strict rules provided by the government concerning what ‘aether tubes broadcastings’ inhabitants are allowed to listen to, where they can and can’t go, what they can read and what ‘religion’ they must have. Heretics are people who do not believe in science and reality, but practice magic instead. Therefore, they are severely punished (old style, by partial or whole burning rituals) for their ‘lack of ignorance’, when caught by the ’Proctors’. Ravens (mechanically engineered ravens who have the ability to recreate an image which can be seen my a magic lantern of some sorts) are the Proctors’ little flying spies.

Aoife and her best friend Calvin Daulton both go the Academy of Engines, Aoife as a charity case or 'ward of the state'. As a young girl she is not afraid to admit when she’s scared, especially now her 16th birthday is coming up. The necrovirus is latent in her family; Aoife’s brother Conrad has already been infected and was committed to an asylum after trying to kill his sister. However, he escaped. About 4 times a year he secretly writes her a letter to let her know he is still alive and ‘well’. When he sends her a letter telling her to go to ‘Greystone’ (their biological fathers house) in order to save herself and help him, Calvin and Aoife go on a secret mission. Will she find Conrad in time, or has he been lost for good? Maybe even dead?

After seemingly saving Aoife and Cal from becoming ghoul dinner because of their initially chosen guide, the attractive but illusive Dean Harrison leads them out of the city. Dean is somewhat of a mystery, a heretic in his own way, but very loyal when it comes to standing at Aoife’s side. Aoife is not sure what to make of him at first, a liar, or not? Here’s a quote from Dean that illustrates both Aoife’s doubts as well as Deans perspective on life: "A touch of truth makes a lie worth believing." Their journey involves places Aoife has only heard rumours about, such as the Nightfall Market, the ghost of a bridge that supposedly crashed years ago (taking 21 victims along with it…) and an eventful flight in an actual airship. Encounters with deadly mud-like monsters called Shoggoths, causing one of the characters serious (possibly lethal) injury by injecting them with the virus. The ‘mad’ flashes and visions are beautifully written; truly painful, poetical craziness.

The evolving relationships are written very believable and natural, the characters seem very real.
Aoife discovers and unravels more and more about her father; his strange, secretive clockwork driven house and her lost brother. When she learns of the ‘Land of Thorn’ she doubts herself even more at first. Could she really possess a power, a ‘Weird’, like her father before her? Or are these the first signs of madness, seeing how Nerissa spoke of the Land of Thorns as well? Aoife’s self-confidence and fear keep altering, the hope to find her brother keeps her going, even though the fear for the lurking necrovirus stays with her. Learning the truth, discovering who really is the bad guy, experiencing her father’s memories, realising nothing and no one is what it/they seem(s); all these things only seem to make Aoife stronger. She intends to fulfil the destiny which has been forced upon her in order to protect her loved ones.

The author really takes you along the journey of feelings Aoife develops for Dean, slowly but steadily. Since Aoife is afraid she has no future besides the one in the madhouse, she doesn’t allow herself to get involved with anyone at first, not even Dean. She doesn’t need distractions from her quest either, after all. But Dean is the first person who does not judge her for her family’s burden en believes her without a doubt. He’s an outcast, like herself. More than once he risks his life to save hers, mind you despite the fact Aoife is not your typical damsel in distress! (She’s independent, smart, brave, not afraid to speak her mind, good with machinery and doesn’t act the way a ‘properly brought up young lady’ should.)

Calvin finds it hard to believe in anything besides the Proctors’ truth and is convinced that everything happening to Aoife is just another sign of her upcoming madness. The way he looks down upon the ‘common’ people, even if Aoife is one of them too, is not a nice personality trait. The way he feels towards women’s behaviour and future may be considered ‘normal’ during the fifties, I find Calvins expectations degrading. I actually didn’t understand why he befriended someone like Aoife at first, because associating with heretics (Nerissa) is punishable and he keeps throwing that knowledge in Aoife’s face in one way or the other, practically saying she should be thankful to have him. I find him quite nasty and unbearable and cannot comprehend why he sticks to Aoife’s side. Until things finally become clear... He’s the guy you expect to turn on his friends in the end, because of his allegiance to his country/beliefs/so-called righteousness/whatever. (You know the type…) But maybe he is not what he seems after all…

I did not expect what was happening in the end. At all. Some important things turned out right, other things spiralled out of control into a huge, epic disaster.
The only downside I can see? The book ENDED. With a major cliff-hanger! I am seriously DYING to know what will happen to Aoife, Dean, Cal and even Bethina. What will happen to Thorn and Iron, though we saw disturbing glances already. I’m not ready to leave this world yet, to leave Aoife and Dean behind. I wanna go along with them on their journey and I certainly will, once the sequel is out. Which hopefully will be soon. Yesterday, if possible. Pretty Please, Caitlin Kittredge????

About me...

Hello readers out there! The woman behind this 'Blythes & Books' Blog goes by the name of Mandy.

I'm a 30-something woman living with her husband (for over 6 years) in their humble home, which is situated in the eastern part of The Netherlands. This house of ours is filled to the brim with my hobbies: I have a scrapbooking room and a room where my Blythe dolls (9 of them) are sort of living in their still-not-finished homes surrounded with tiny shoes, outfits and vintage Skipper clothing.
As of lately I have seriously started collecting books as well. By that I don't mean special books or editions, simply great amounts of books I need to have ;) Real books, that is, not e-books. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I love the weighty feel of a book in my hands! I love the way books smell, I love the sometimes beautifully embellished pages, the endlessness of the print on the pages. I don't like E-books because books shouldn't be 'lit up' and read from a desk chair. Books should be enjoyed in a comfortable manner, preferably in silence, but always with a cup of tea and some chocolates. Always ;)

For as long as I can remember, I've been in love with books. I used to move around the house with my eyes glued to the pages, to many people's annoyance. Unfortunately, the high-school-reading-list killed my passion for reading. There were too many of them to read in too short a time, they went too deep with their messages, sometimes they were too smutty  -even though they were supposedly 'literature' one could learn from.

When the movies 'Harry Potter' and 'Twilight' came along, I became interested in reading again. (Sort of embarrassing to admit with all the controversy surrounding the franchise, LOL.) Carefully I re-entered the world that had patiently waited for me, the world of fantasy. I love how you can be curled up on the couch when it's cold outside, accompanied by a book, tea and chocolates and be in another world all at once. I love how you can bask in the sunlight while reading about a place the exact opposite and feel chilly somehow. I love how you become someone else without having to face the consequences. Anything and everything is possible. That's why sometimes I actually DREAD beginning a new book, when the one I just finished was so good I'm still living in it. It really feels like betraying a friend when I leave, or betraying myself even.

Yes, the power of words. I envy those who posses the talent to enchant readers, to create new worlds, to write with poetic beauty. Like many others I aspire to write my own book someday. Until then I'll read to find out what I like, to separate the right from the wrong. My favorite genres are: fantasy, paranormal romance, supernatural stories, steampunk, sci-fi, historic, dystopian; YA in general.

Like so many others out there, I decided to start a blog about books (and maybe some Blythe stuff as well). It'll mostly be about the ones I've read and reviewed, but I intend to extend my blog to cover reveals, books I'm anxiously awaiting and maybe some book trailers as well. My goal is to keep readers informed by writing well-argumented reviews. Someday I hope to be able to review ARCs as well. It would be a great honour to read and review a book before it has hit the shelves. Consider this an invitation if you have anything to offer ;)

I joined 'Goodreads' (http://www.goodreads.com/) this year and I love keeping track of my books there, reviewing them, being on the prowl for interesting new reads, discussing books and finding more reviews on a book if I'm not sure about it. I read in English, mostly because I find the atmosphere is somehow lost once the book is translated into Dutch. Also because there aren't many great Dutch YA books.

In my next post I'll leave you with one of the first reviews I did since I joined Goodreads. It's not much, but I started doing more extensive reviews after a while, so bare with me. I will re-write these reviews some day, but for now they will have to do. Whilst reading I already keep track of many things now, and some of the early reviews on Goodreads were done some time after reading.

If you want to contact me, you can email me at: blythesandbooks at hotmail dot com  (Hopefully you understand what I mean and the link still works, I adjusted the text a bit in hope of avoiding spam...)


Have a nice day and leave me a comment here, it's much appreciated!

Hugs!