The Uglies Series

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld may very well be one of my favorite book series ever. First of all, the world he creates is disturbingly possible to what our world could someday become. His descriptions of landscapes are amazing, it makes you feel as if you are there with the characters the entire time. I love all of the scifi inventions that he creates, and again, it is very possible that these things will be created in our world in no time at all.

I think what is most spectacular about this series is the strong female lead. Tally Youngblood is a very firey young woman who voices her opinions. Throughout the novel, every challenge she faces strengthens her, and she pulls through every time. Though bad stuff happens to her, she never lets it get her down. Any girl that reads this series will be inspired by Tally.

I recommend this series to anyone who wants to read a good female role, and anyone who is interested in the possible future of our world. Keep in mind, this series is not only for girls, because there is fire and fighting and acid as well as a strong female lead.

Until Gwen: By Dennis Lehane

This may very well be one of my favorite short stories. Unlike most, it is written through second person point of view. Strange as this is, Lehane actually pulls it off. I think the relationship between Bobby. the main character, and Bobby's father is unique, filled with hatred and distrust. Gwen is a wonderful addition to the story, making it a tad bit less depressing than it has every right to be. In the end, the twist that Lehane adds is chilling and severely sad at the same time.

The imagery that Lehane uses, along with his use of second person point of view, clearly allows the reader to understand what is happening and see it as they would a movie. His use of second person point of view gives the reader a chance to throw themselves into the story, because it is written as if you are in the story. As if it is your story. At the end of this post, there is a link to an interview with Lehane, where he speaks of how he chose to write the book, and why he did it in second person.

I would say that anyone who is up for a surprising and slightly depressing yet unique and atypical story, this short story is for them.

Interview With Dennis Lehane

Inheritance: By Christopher Paolini

The book Inheritance wraps up the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini. (Beware, there may be spoilers) Personally, it was an ending that I totally expected, but liked nonetheless. The book (like the other three) was written well, and the characters Paolini created had much more added to their personalities throughout the course of the story. A fair amount of the last book has to do about politics and war, and that got a bit tiring after a while. Some events during the story were surprising and good additions to the story to move it along, but the ending was completely and totally predictable.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the book, and the book is amazing, but it had it's quirks. I also am enraged that Eragon and Arya never got together. It set it up throughout the whole seris that they would become a couple, but alas, by the end of the book, not even one kiss had passed between them. For that I am angry, because Eragon will never see her again. They were meant to be together and they never will be. Though the ending was, indeed, predictable, that is not to say that it was not a really good ending for the story. Other than the complete lack of a love life, I think what Eragon chose to do was wise.

Christopher Paolini is a terrific writer, and his books were particularly fun to read. They presented a fantasy world that is hard to come by these days. One well thought out, and one well written. With him it is not one or the other (like some books I have read and will not mention) but rather both combined in the best ways possible. I definatly reccomend this entire series to any reader.

Heir Apparent

And so, I am back once again, and it is thanksgiving day. Today I shall review a book called Heir Apparent by Vivian Van Velde. It is a good book, well written and it has an interesting plotline. A girl gets stuck in a virtual game and has to beat it before the game crashes. There is a lot, and I mean, a lot of repitition in it, but the book has a good feel. It has the tone and feel of a medieval story, almost like Camelot or Lord Of The Rings. The main character is well written, and the other characters are as well. The setting fits perfectly with the story, and again, the reader gets a very well toned image of the world the novel takes place in. Overall, I liked it, but it was not the best book ever. Still, I would recommend this novel to any reader, though it tends to fall under the fantasy genre.

The Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison

This novel was very...pessimistic. It is written through several different characters voices, yet the main protagonist never speaks. The novel centers around the idea of what is beautiful. The protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, is African-American but believes herself ugly. She wants blue eyes because she believes that is all beauty is. I, for one, understand how, in Pecola's situation (a truly sad one), she would end up going crazy. Yet that does not mean that I do not believe Pecola is weak. She lets her situation take hold of her and she does not fight back.

Her parents, on the other hand, are not weak. Her father is twisted yet the author manages to have the reader feel sympathy towards him. His past was painful, but that still does not justify what he does during the course of the novel. Pecola's mother stops loving her family because she wants to be "white-skinned". She pretends that the rich persons house she cleans is her house, and that their kids are her kids. She gets lost in a fantasy and in turn, forgets about her own children and husband.

Throughout this book, much pain takes place, and yet the authors voice is beautiful. The way the novel is written is purely ecstatic. There are good things to learn and take away from this novel, underneath all the pain and suffering within it.