The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Blurb: 

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

From Goodreads.

My Review:

This is a difficult review to write, because I LOVED THIS BOOK so much, it's hard to be objective. In fact, when a book is this
thought-provoking, this well written, and this emotionally satisfying,
I kind of froth at the mouth a bit and squee like a total fangirl.

Right from the first sentence, I was gripped by Hazel's view of the world. She looks at life with the view of someone who knows she could die, thus giving her a sense of universality, of courage and poignancy, that most adults don't even have.

Augustus, for all his looks and ironic charm, is still a boy. He's a beautifully crafted, fragile, multi-dimensional, and unforgettable character.

These two young adults fall in love in the most sensitive and beautiful way. It's a delightfully tragic love story, one which readers-young and old- will never forget.

I can't believe it took me so long to read this book. My only complaint is that it's taking forvever to come out in paperback, so I can afford to buy a copy!

My Rating: 5/5 Stars!
Reviewed by: Lisa

Review: Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness

Story Synopsis

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought? (from Goodreads)

My Review

I'm cheating a little today. I'm going to review the trilogy as a whole. I know, I know, that's three books at once, so each book gets only a third of the attention, but it had to be done this way. I read through the trilogy so fast, there was no stopping between books to do something so down-to-earth as a review. These books transported me to another world - one that was at times beautiful, at times heart-wrenching, and at times infuriating - but always fascinating.

I won't say much about the plot, because I'd much rather let you discover it for yourself, but it's fantastic. Like all good sci-fi, the futuristic setting is disguises contemporary themes, so that what you get is a thought-provoking reflection of our world...but with spaceships. It's a fast and fun read, and when the characters drove me crazy, they did it in a good way, because I had to keep turning pages to find out what would happen.

The first book is told from a single POV, the second from two, and the third from three. All first person. Oh eff, was my thought, as soon as I hit that second POV in the second book. (Except, as the main character would say, I didn't think, "eff".) Not now, not when I'm so into it. My least favorite POV is multiple first-person. I find it confusing. I don't like the way I have to twist my brain to accommodate several different voices, all calling themselves "I". But I was in for a surprise. Ness did such an excellent job of creating unique voices for his three POV characters that I had no problems slipping into the different mind-sets. It probably helped that each voice was in a different font. My un-twisted brain thanks whoever had that brilliant idea.

I loved these books. Think Hunger Games, or Harry Potter. I read them with that level of page-turning obsession. I can see why it won loads of awards. When my cousins are old enough, I'm buying them these books. They're that good.

Rating: 5 stars

Rated by: Blair

Review: UnLunDun by China Melville

Synopsis

‘UnLondon is at war. We’re under attack. And it’s been written, for centuries, that you – you – will come and save us.’

Stumbling through a secret entrance, Zanna and Deeba emerge in the strange wonderland of UnLondon. Here all the lost and broken things of London end up, and some of its people, too – including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas and Hemi the half-ghost boy. UnLondon is a place where Routemaster buses have legs, where Librarians are ‘bookaneers’, intrepid adventurers dedicated to hunting down lost books, and postmen spend years tracking the mobile addresses of the ever changing Puzzleborough. But the girls have arrived at a dangerous time – UnLondon is under siege by the sinister Smog; it’s a city awaiting its hero.

China makes extraordinary use of the ordinary is this wildly inventive fantasy adventure. (  From Goodreads)

Review

UnLunDun or 'UnLondon,' is a young adult fantasy named after the alternate realm where the book is set. I read this book because my niece told me that “I had to read it!” All the while I was reading she would come up to me every few hours and hover over my shoulder saying, “what part are you on?” “couldn’t you just die?” “and then he... and isn’t it so amazing?” That alone would make me give this book five stars seeing the excitement and joy from her but the book also stands on its own.

Un Lun Dun is a fabulous, fast-paced story of an unexpected hero who comes into her own. It’s filled with loveable yet strange characters who take you on a journey of discovery and adventure where you meet even stranger characters and situations. The main characters compassion and genuine concern for those around her gives her the ability to problem-solve in unique and practical ways, showing that sometime the best solution is usually the simplest.

The writing is impeccable and the languaging flows so well that you are fully engulfed in the book. I was quite surprised several times when I looked up and was not in UnLondon.

My rating on this book is five stars, definitely one that is not to be missed.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Rated by: Jessica