Monday, November 30, 2015

Meeting Sarah Dessen

Hey guys! I filmed this video way back in May, but had trouble uploading until now! Now that I finally have more time, I will be posting more videos and reviews more frequently.


 

Friday, November 27, 2015

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns 
by John Green


Released: October 16, 2008
Publisher: Speak
Page Amount: 305, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Quentin)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-18/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-17/20
Writing-17/20
Pace-8/10
Ending-7/10
=85/100 B
/5






SUMMARY:
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...-Goodreads.com


REViEW:
I, like almost EVERYONE in the YA book blogging world, love John Green. So naturally, I had to read Paper Towns before the movie came out. Sadly, I ended up loving the movie far more than the book. When I first began reading, I enjoyed the comical remarks and dynamic of Quentin, Radar, and Ben. However, very very quickly it started to feel very similar to the humor in An Abundance of Katherines, another John Green book I absolutely adored. Normally, that wouldn't bother me too much, however, I have read many reviews that even the plot is very similar to Looking for Alaska, which I have yet to read. That being said, I feel as if this book is something we have seen from Green before. It was not unique, and it was lacking in the intrigue department. This book would have been my favorite book ever if it had just centered around Margo and Q's escapades the night that she comes to his window, because let's be real that was the only good part about this book. The scenes with Margo and Q were so fun and hilarious without it seeming like Green was orchestrating the events. However, as soon as she disappears, the book became a little dull. Nothing really happened for 75% of the book and that really bugged me. I felt as if Green was trying to hard to add a lot of symbolism with the "paper towns" and with the "strings" and it was just too much for this YA book. Maybe if the symbolism would have been executed more fluidly and did not seem so abrupt and forces, it could have been successful. But alas, it was not. It made the book seem weirdly philosophical, which does not sit well with most YA readers looking for a fun read.

Q was an interesting character. I can't say I loved having him as the protagonist, but it worked for this book and for this message. He really wasn't anything special, but his devotion to Margo was adorable and I loved watching him interact with her. The best characters of this novel were Radar and Ben. I loved their goofy personalities and their quips. They were a lot of fun to read about. Margo was also a very cool character. Although we don't get to see much of her, her scavenger hunt does give us hints about her personality. She seems like the kind of girl I would want to have as a friend just to go on adventures with. I really enjoyed the characters in this novel, but I feel as if their dynamic personalities were shielded by the mundane plot. 

I must admit that once I read Green's intended meaning of this book, I liked the ending more. Well, I made more peace with the ending so to say. I always wanted to read a book that ended this book, but in this case, the ending made the book feel incomplete. The ending was abrupt and rushed. I felt as if nothing really was tied up, which upset me. I at least wanted an ounce of closure. That being said, if you watched the movie, you might know that the ending of the movie added a couple scenes and summed up what happened next. I loved that, if the theme of senior year and moving on was conveyed in the book's ending, I would have loved it. The movie gave me the closure that I needed, and I'm thankful for that. All in all, I did enjoy the book, but I didn't love it. If you don't want to read the book, fine. But at least watch the movie, because it perfectly depicts what this book had the potential to be.

My Favorite Part: Q's adventure with Margo! 



ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, I do recommend the movie more though. I know, that's like scandalous to say as a book lover.


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGiViNG!
Seeing that it is Thanksgiving today, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who follow my blog on here, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! You guys are wonderful and make the book blogging community so incredibly special. I hope all are able to spend some time with family and with a good book this Thanksgiving! (I know I'll be reading Life and Death after I go into a food coma!) 


SOME THiNGS I'M THANKFUL FOR
1. My wonderful family, whom I love dearly
2. My amazing friends, who are always there when I need them
 (including a terrific boyfriend, who rocks
my world)
3. My awesome school and professors
4. Everything that I am blessed with
(including mountains of books)
5. All of my followers 

Monday, November 23, 2015

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye 
by J.D. Salinger



Released: January 30, 2001
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Page Amount: 277, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Holden)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-17/20
Characters-17/20
Creativity-17/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-7/10
=86/100 B
/5






SUMMARY:
Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.-Goodreads.com


REViEW:
I began reading this book after one of English professors recommended it. Therefore, I was in the thick of essays and tests when I began reading it. However, this book, through revered as a "classic," did not add extra stress as I originally thought. Instead, this book was a super fast and fun read. I must say that this book has no defined plot, but this book did not need it. This book chronicles Holden as he treks around New York trying to find his place in the world. This is not a unique premise and, to be honest, this book wasn't spectacular. However, this book did have something that not that many books have: hilarity. Numerous times throughout the novel, I laughed out loud because Holden says some hilariously stupid and witty things. Plus some of the scenes in this book are just gold in the laugh department (like when Holden hired a prostitute, I just about died laughing). Basically, the best thing about this book is that it is straight up funny. However, I do believe that this book is much funnier the younger you are and the more able you are to relate to Holden's confusion on life. 

Moving on, Holden is the leading man of this book. Many critics think Holden is annoying and whiny, and while I can't say they're completely wrong, to me it added to the hilarity of the novel. This is most likely because I, like most college kids, have felt lost and confused about my future and my life. I did especially like how Holden is not just a crazy, stupid kid that dropped out of school. On the contrary, his character goes a little deeper than that. The most moving scenes in this book occurred when Holden talked about his brother, Allie, or interacted with his sister, Phoebe. I absolutely adored Phoebe and Holden's dynamic and even just the characterization of Phoebe. She is just like the little sister I always wanted. Quite honestly though, if you pick up this book, you're either going to laugh out loud and enjoy Holden's spontaneity, like me, or abhor this novel, like most of my friends.

I personally believe you should give this book a chance. It is a quick, easy read and is easy to dive into. This may not be the most emotional or deep book you've ever read, but Salinger did not fail to meet his goal of entertaining the reader. This novel encompasses a feeling of confusion that everyone faces in their life. Sure, the events of this novel are a tad outlandish, but what fun would a novel be without a little bit of adventure? 


My Favorite Part: The hilarity of this novel.



ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, however, I do believe it is best suited for adolescents. As one of my English professors put it "If you want to have a chance to enjoy this book, you have to read it while you're young, because once you get older you miss your opportunity to relate to the confused Holden."



Thanks for reading! If you read this book, comment below if you loved or hated Holden!


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥
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