What speed do you read?

I came across this little test after visiting Goodreads and basically it gives you a general idea of how quickly you read and tells you, based on your score, how long it would take you to read various novels  and how many novels you could get through on your e-reader before it needs recharging.

Here it is:

Source: Staples eReader Department

I managed to score 427 points which isn't too shabby, if I do say so myself. But I wouldn't take it too literally as it seems more like a bit of lighthearted fun than anything particulary serious.

How did you do?

One book I'm waiting for this year: Finale, Becca Fitpatrick

I’ll admit, when I heard she was writing a fourth book (which is obvious at the end of Silence) I wasn’t happy. I’m a fan of the series but I felt it should have been rounded off as a neat trilogy.

Well obviously that didn’t happen.  A few months later and we end up in August and I realise we’re approaching autumn and the release of the final book in the series. A quick search later and I find the cover of the book I’d been patiently waiting for.

Now, I know they say don’t judge a book but… it’s hard not to wonder what exactly I’ve been waiting for. I'm not yet sure whether I like the cover yet but it does strike a few questions. Why is Nora running away from Patch again? Why is Patch's shirt off... again? (We'll see if it's plausible) Is that the book title? From here it seems a little anti-climactic, I was expecting something big and with a title a title as obvious Finale, I’m a little worried about what's waiting round the corner. Is this forth book really necessary or could the loose ends have been tied up in the last book? There’s only one person who can answer this (well two if you count her agent) but it isn’t fair to review a book that I haven’t read.

I’m still somewhat excited to read this and finally have an ending. Roll on October.

What do you think?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Page Count: 374

Publication Date: October 31st 2008

Synopsis:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

What I Thought:

Through the eyes of 16 year old Katniss Everdeen, we learn about a land called Panem – formerly known as North America. A country set in a dystopian world in the not-too-distant future where we learn how the past and future generations have failed to be civil.

One boy; one girl, selected at random from each of the twelve districts are pitted against each other in arenas to fight to the death until there’s only one left standing. An event created purely for the enjoyment of the Capitol... and to keep the districts in their place.

The drama, the brutality, the romance, what’s not to like? There isn’t much that Collins failed to write. If anything there is moderate lack of humour, not entirely lost from the book but when it is present most of it can hardly be described as anything except sombre. Although considering the serious storyline a touch of light-hearted humour here and there might go amiss as we delve further into the story. We are instantly launched into Katniss’ life as she find out how her sister Prim will be their district’s female tribute that year in the Hunger Games. Knowing that the twelve year old was effectively being sent to her death due to her small, wiry stature and wouldn’t stand a chance Katniss steps up to the challenge.

This is everything you could ask for in a book, seriously if you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for.

Rating: 5/5

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Title: I am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Page Count: 452

Publication Date: December 8^th 2009

Synopsis:

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

What I Thought:

I came across this book after a trip to Waterstones and put it back on the shelf after reading the blurb because it reminded me of The Hunger Games (which I’d read just a few weeks before). Six months later when the Collin’s series had settled a bit I realised I’d probably been a little unfair and decided to give it a chance after re-reading the blurb. I was so wrong. This is nothing like The Hunger Games.

‘John Smith is not your average teenager.’ Cool, I carry on…

‘If he stops moving those who hunt him will find him and kill him. But you can’t run forever.’ The problem is irritatingly even when situations become dire, he hardly tries.

Everything about this book was too… convenient. John and Henri find Paradise in Ohio, literally. The estate agents daughter is beautiful, kind, and intelligent and is for some reason which is never explained, attracted to John who is as equally obsessed with her. Convenient. He’s followed by a dog oddly named Bernie Kosar who John doesn’t question when he can keep up with him travelling a 100 miles per hour. Really? Remember John is an alien and is being hunted by the trench coat wearing Mogadorians, you’d think he’d be a little more suspicious than that wouldn’t you?

‘Oh Bernie Kosar, you’re a strange little dog.’ John said with a smile. (Forgive me if this quote isn’t completely accurate.)

It took about two weeks for John and Sarah to get together after he beats up Mark James (pretty Sarah’s quarterback ex) and his cronies with his super strength and hand lights, so much for staying under the radar. He develops a ‘legacy’ which prevents him from being burned by heat or fire. Good thing too because the whole school gets invited to Mark James’s (it’s okay he’s nice now) house party which ends in a fire which everyone except Sarah and two dogs manage to escape. Our dashing hero saves his damsel in distress and realises while stood in front of her with all but his pants singed away (convenient) that he’s going to have to come clean.

‘I’m an alien. Do you still love me?’ he says. Did he even need to ask?

Yes. Because Sarah has no personality what so ever, even John doesn’t know how she would react. All he knows is she likes to take pretty pictures. If they weren’t kissing then he was too busy throwing someone’s night vision goggles into the next state.

But wait! I’ve forgotten someone. Sam Goode. By far the most interesting character in the book and also the least predictable (he pulls a gun on John) but still he falls flat. Why? Because Pittacus Lore decided Sam had to be a geek that wears NASA t-shirts but never moves beyond that apart from on the fortunate occasion wear we learn why he is so obsessed with aliens. He also spouts a never ending stream of vital information. Convenient.


My problem with this book is that John is an idiot. There is no way he would have even made that far with that stupidity. But don’t blame him, blame the author, or should I say authors, James Frey and Jobie Hughes. The book is written by two people and wow can you tell. Neither is terribly good but after you read about Lorien in great detail, you are later given patronising descriptions.

'The sky looked blue today…' '…It was a great house, classic family home…' Thank you?

The writing is so repetative that I’m sure it made me roll my eyes more times than any of the characters ‘writhed’ in pain, a word so over used that by about the tenth time I read it I writhed at how I was tricked and deceived by The Observer and The Times who told me that this would be ‘Tense and exciting’ and ‘Relentlessly readable.’

That being said I can understand why someone would enjoy this book, because underneath the questionable grammar and occassionally lacklustre descriptions there is a decent story that, while suspending disbelief, can be enjoyed. Just don’t think about how poor Number One never got the benefit of the charm, or how the story is written in the first person but the pseudonym used by the authors’ is the name of a dead character in the book…

The worst thing is that when I bought this book I also bought its sequel, The Power of Six. Next time I’m going to the library.

Rating: 2/5

The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel

Series Title: The Immortals Series
Author: Alyson Noel

This is a review of the overall series.

I have to admit, as soon as I'd read Evermore I was hooked. This was a book was interestingly original while still maintaining a comforting familiarity. The protagonist, Ever, wasn't overpowering or whiny and didn't take long to explain why she acted so strangely. Her relationship with Damen and her friend's, Miles and Haven was sincere and the way she dealt with High School enemies was more or less ordinary. Though she seemed a bit desensitized from the memory of her family her family with whom she'd recently parted. The overall plot of the first book was clear and consice. Which is more than I can say for the rest of the series.
Rating: 4/5

Blue Moon. Ever is now an immortal and is spending more time with her new found love, Damen, in a place called Summerland. Here she learns to manifest items at will. As the book progresses we see Ever grow stronger and in turn Damen grow weaker. In the end she is tricked by a rogue immortal named Roman into giving Damen a cure containing her blood. This helps him regain his strength but mean's that if they ever touched, Ever's DNA would kill Damen. In my opinion, she completely acted out of character.
Rating: 3/5

Shadowland. In this book Ever and Damen learn of the Shadowland, the place where those without a soul lay to rest. Jude, an ordinary mortal with knowledge of the mystical beings of the world. Though how he knows so much confuses me as his only information source is his carer Lina. As nice as his chaacter is, I feel that his existence is a little pointless. It seems Noel wrote him to give the series a 'love triangle' of sort's. But Ever only lets Jude think he has a chance with her when she never loved him as anything more than a friend. In the end he almost kills Haven (a character which I didn't like anyway) but surprise, surprise give's Ever the option to save her and turn her into an immortal. Not only a selfish move but it lands her in heaps of trouble in the next book.
Rating: 2/5

Dark Flame. This was basically pages and pages of nothing. Suddenly Damen and Ever grow apart and she thinks she loves Roman, because she accidently binds herself to him when a spell she performs goes wrong, I actually went back a few chapters to make sure I did't miss anything. Ever seemed like she hated Roman and his smarmy ways. But now it seems that this was what she loved about him. Haven also becomes obsessed with him. In the end Jude ruins Ever's chance to get the antidote by killing roman. Haven walks in and blames Ever for his death and plans to get her revenge.
Rating: 1/5

Night Star. At this point I thought this series was a lost cause but I continued to read it to see how it ended. Haven's vendetta against Ever proves to be a problem for everyone. So Ever brakes up with Damen to see if she love's Jude more (she doesn't) and Damen tells Miles about everything. Haven turns super evil and tries and fails to kill Ever because she is 'unkillable' (not my words) then she tries to kill Miles just after she throws a shirt with the antidote stained on it, into a fireplace. Ever realises she must be stopped and sends her to the Shadowland with a mighty punch to her weakest chakra. Can't say I missed her, but she did make this book a decent read.
Rating: 3/5

Everlasting. Couldn't really get into this book because of the boring start. It seemed quite rushed like Noel was trying to quickly find a solution to everyone's problems. She gives ever a floating oracle called lotus to send Ever on countless journeys to put right all her wrongs. In the end she releases Drina, Roman and Haven from the Shadowland so they can move on, at which point Roman gives her the antidote in list form. Then she, being 'the chosen one' has to find a tree with bear's fruit that can reverse the immortal spell. She and Damen decide to become mortals and be together for the rest of their natural lives. Not exactly what I'd expected but, an ending no less.
Rating: 2/5

Rating Overall: 3/5