It seems that paranormal romance is in the cards for me lately! I'm working my way through two right now. The first is the 5th installment in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare: City of Lost Souls. The second is the conclusion to Alexandra Adornetto's Halo trilogy, Heaven. I plan to make some head way on both of those today. Hopefully I'll have awesome things to say about both!
Claire's characters capture me for some reason. The immortal warlock whose lover questions the issues his own mortality poses in their relationship. The young artist whose long-hidden past causes her to enter into a word beyond her imagining. An intense romance that blinds both parties to reason. A best friend cursed with the Mark of Cain after his transformation into a vampire. The inner workings of a group charged with keeping the forces of evil at bay. The rights of the law-abiding "downworlders" whose more ambitious counterparts are often the ones being punished by the Clave. Claire's world-building and character development are enviable in my opinion. I curl up with her books when I want to escape from reality, while away the hours with familiar friends.
Adornetto first drew me in with her writing style rather than her story. The romance that is at the forefront of the Halo trilogy is a bit overdone. Still, the premise is intriguing. The idea of angels having to adjust to a mortal world is entertaining. The idea that a newer angel is closer to humanity felt novel to me. There is also the sense of something greater happening behind the scenes. A desire to know what that is and what it might mean for the central characters makes me intent on finishing the trilogy. The word choice, flow, and pacing are what first stuck out to me while reading the first book in the series though!
More reflections to come as I have more to offer!
Showing posts with label Great Reads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Reads. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
★★★☆☆
Cassandra Clare breathes life into each and every sentence she constructs, transporting the reader to a world that both mirrors our reality and turns it on its head.
★★★☆☆ City of Bones introduces us to Clary Fray, whose mother has attempted to protect her from the dangers of a parallel world by setting up quarters in "Mundane" New York. Unfortunately, the forces of evil never sleep, and the pretense under which Clary has been living is shattered when her home is attacked by demons and a sleeping spell cast upon her mother. Slowly, Clary begins to unravel the truth about her shadow hunter lineage.
Assisted by the charming and mysterious Jace, whose fierce beauty,solitary nature, and martial prowess are reminiscent of a lion, Clary enters a world that has long haunted her dreams. Clary's mundane best friend Simon,and fellow shadow-hunters Alec and Isabelle join the two on the quest for the mortal cup, one of the three legendary mortal instruments sought by Valentine, the seductive, dark lord responsible for the attack of Clary's now-comatose mother.
As the story unfolds, Clary finds it more difficult to resist Jace's charm, and soon finds herself falling in love with him. Meanwhile,Simon also professes his love for the heroine, who feels herself torn between two worlds.
★★★☆☆ City of Ashes delves deeper into Jace's mysterious past, and reveals that the evil Valentine is, in fact, his father. The Clave, which is responsible for maintaining order in the Shadow Hunter world, begins to take an interest in the former, and there are whispered rumors of Jace's allegiance to Valentine. The dark lord has used the mortal cup he obtained in the first novel to summon a greater demon and collect the blood of downworlder children: the children of vampires, werewolves, fairies, and warlocks. Their combined blood is required for a ritual that will further solidify his power.
Meanwhile, unforeseen circumstances cause both Jace and Simon to individually question the extent to which each is capable of loving Clary in the way she deserves.
★★★☆☆ City of Glass follows Clary and her mentor Luke to Alicante. Although she was denied entry through the portal her friend the warlock Magnus Bane created, Clary finds that she can create portals of her own. The ability she exhibited toward the end of City of Ashes is pursued in greater detail. The heroine seeks out the warlock Ragnor Fell per the instructions of an old friend of her mother's who approaches her early in the novel. Assumed truths are reexamined, allegiances and motivations are scrutinized, and downworlders and shadow-hunters are united in the task of fighting Valentine's demon forces and creating a new, better world. No one is left unchanged; even Valentine's resolve wavers before the angel he summons with the united mortal instruments. The effect on the reader is immediate-she feels good and evil as relative to the choices we all make.
★★★☆☆ City of Fallen Angels examines the complicated relationships developed between and among the characters central to the series. As drawn as he is to Clary Fray, Jace also questions his ability to protect and love her. Dark memories of his past threaten to unhinge his mind, and a series of nightmares endanger his sanity. Again and again, he dreams of driving a blade through his beloved. His imposed isolation causes a rift between the two. Meanwhile, Clary's best friend Simon, now transformed into a vampire bearing the Mark of Cain, struggles to keep two girls he's dating from learning of one another's existence. The first is the fierce shadowhunter, Isabelle, sister to Alec and adoptive sister to Jace. The other is the brave Maia, a werewolf belonging to Clary's mother's fiance's New York-based wolf pack.
Larger problems surface when several attempts are made on Simon's life. The Mark of Cain obliterates any who attempt to touch him, a fact that is reminiscent of God's promise to exact vengeance upon any soul who would raise his hand to Cain. Still, the mystery of his assailant's identity tugs at the fabric of Simon's mind--as does the business proposition of the powerful vampire Camille, who has asked him to join her clan. Despite his isolation among his human friends, Simon resists his nature, a truth which the ancient vampiress gleans with ease.
When the bodies of shadow hunters that are part of "The Circle" of The Clave are found murdered in the four "downworlder" territories, suspicion turns to Camille. As Clare's tale unfolds however, it becomes evident that a greater evil is at work.
The novel ends on a cliffhanger, as an evil thought defeated resurfaces and threatens to overturn the tenuous victory of those who would stand against it.
Cassandra Clare breathes life into each and every sentence she constructs, transporting the reader to a world that both mirrors our reality and turns it on its head.
★★★☆☆ City of Bones introduces us to Clary Fray, whose mother has attempted to protect her from the dangers of a parallel world by setting up quarters in "Mundane" New York. Unfortunately, the forces of evil never sleep, and the pretense under which Clary has been living is shattered when her home is attacked by demons and a sleeping spell cast upon her mother. Slowly, Clary begins to unravel the truth about her shadow hunter lineage.
Assisted by the charming and mysterious Jace, whose fierce beauty,solitary nature, and martial prowess are reminiscent of a lion, Clary enters a world that has long haunted her dreams. Clary's mundane best friend Simon,and fellow shadow-hunters Alec and Isabelle join the two on the quest for the mortal cup, one of the three legendary mortal instruments sought by Valentine, the seductive, dark lord responsible for the attack of Clary's now-comatose mother.
As the story unfolds, Clary finds it more difficult to resist Jace's charm, and soon finds herself falling in love with him. Meanwhile,Simon also professes his love for the heroine, who feels herself torn between two worlds.
★★★☆☆ City of Ashes delves deeper into Jace's mysterious past, and reveals that the evil Valentine is, in fact, his father. The Clave, which is responsible for maintaining order in the Shadow Hunter world, begins to take an interest in the former, and there are whispered rumors of Jace's allegiance to Valentine. The dark lord has used the mortal cup he obtained in the first novel to summon a greater demon and collect the blood of downworlder children: the children of vampires, werewolves, fairies, and warlocks. Their combined blood is required for a ritual that will further solidify his power.
Meanwhile, unforeseen circumstances cause both Jace and Simon to individually question the extent to which each is capable of loving Clary in the way she deserves.
★★★☆☆ City of Glass follows Clary and her mentor Luke to Alicante. Although she was denied entry through the portal her friend the warlock Magnus Bane created, Clary finds that she can create portals of her own. The ability she exhibited toward the end of City of Ashes is pursued in greater detail. The heroine seeks out the warlock Ragnor Fell per the instructions of an old friend of her mother's who approaches her early in the novel. Assumed truths are reexamined, allegiances and motivations are scrutinized, and downworlders and shadow-hunters are united in the task of fighting Valentine's demon forces and creating a new, better world. No one is left unchanged; even Valentine's resolve wavers before the angel he summons with the united mortal instruments. The effect on the reader is immediate-she feels good and evil as relative to the choices we all make.
★★★☆☆ City of Fallen Angels examines the complicated relationships developed between and among the characters central to the series. As drawn as he is to Clary Fray, Jace also questions his ability to protect and love her. Dark memories of his past threaten to unhinge his mind, and a series of nightmares endanger his sanity. Again and again, he dreams of driving a blade through his beloved. His imposed isolation causes a rift between the two. Meanwhile, Clary's best friend Simon, now transformed into a vampire bearing the Mark of Cain, struggles to keep two girls he's dating from learning of one another's existence. The first is the fierce shadowhunter, Isabelle, sister to Alec and adoptive sister to Jace. The other is the brave Maia, a werewolf belonging to Clary's mother's fiance's New York-based wolf pack.
Larger problems surface when several attempts are made on Simon's life. The Mark of Cain obliterates any who attempt to touch him, a fact that is reminiscent of God's promise to exact vengeance upon any soul who would raise his hand to Cain. Still, the mystery of his assailant's identity tugs at the fabric of Simon's mind--as does the business proposition of the powerful vampire Camille, who has asked him to join her clan. Despite his isolation among his human friends, Simon resists his nature, a truth which the ancient vampiress gleans with ease.
When the bodies of shadow hunters that are part of "The Circle" of The Clave are found murdered in the four "downworlder" territories, suspicion turns to Camille. As Clare's tale unfolds however, it becomes evident that a greater evil is at work.
The novel ends on a cliffhanger, as an evil thought defeated resurfaces and threatens to overturn the tenuous victory of those who would stand against it.
Med Head by James Patterson
★★★★☆
Med Head is heartbreaking and uplifting in equal parts. Patterson and Friedman portray Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder through the first-person reflections of Corey Friedman, whose daily challenges seem to be more than he can bear. While Corey's specific afflictions may be foreign to the majority of readers, his introspection, desire for acceptance, and attempts to define himself will be understood by anyone who has ever had the joy of being a teenager.
Diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder early in his life, Corey often finds himself taking dozens of pills each day. The combination of certain medications is painful, often causing insomnia, inducing rage, or leading to a proliferation of the involuntary verbal and physical "tics" that make normalcy so difficult. The Friedman family is urged to continue each new regimen however, with the assurance that, eventually, some combination will successfully treat the conditions from which Corey suffers.
The reader is drawn into the day-to-day challenges of Corey's life through reflections on things as commonplace as doing homework, making friends, and trying new things. To Corey, each of these activities is a mountain to be climbed. His tics often earn him ridicule from classmates and exhausted expressions from the adults charged with insuring his success. The reader cringes ever so slightly when an excited Corey decides to write a curse word on the blackboard rather than the word of the day. His acknowledgment that alcohol brings the peace that his huge list of medications cannot tears at our hearts. Corey's athletic accomplishments have the opposite reaction, causing our hearts to sing with glee.
Most amazing of all is Corey's eventual recovery through self-imposed exposure to the elements via a wilderness camp and several therapy sessions at a local mental health facility. As he leaves the nightmare behind, Corey comes to sense the truth of what his dependence on psychiatric medication (and other substances) has done to him. Ironically, he must be forced into a situation where his brain doesn't have the option to misfire in order to break free of the prison where he has spent the majority of his life.
The book concludes with a series of instructive interviews in addition to information on Corey's various afflictions, the dangers of alcoholism, the nuanced definitions of various mental heath care professionals, and a list of additional resources.
Med Head is both engaging and enlightening, and might be used to initiate a variety of discussions on such issues as the mysteries of the human brain and the medical industry's failed attempts to treat every disorder, the importance of family and faith, the daunting struggles of adolescence, and the positive effects of patience and kindness.
Med Head is heartbreaking and uplifting in equal parts. Patterson and Friedman portray Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder through the first-person reflections of Corey Friedman, whose daily challenges seem to be more than he can bear. While Corey's specific afflictions may be foreign to the majority of readers, his introspection, desire for acceptance, and attempts to define himself will be understood by anyone who has ever had the joy of being a teenager.
Diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder early in his life, Corey often finds himself taking dozens of pills each day. The combination of certain medications is painful, often causing insomnia, inducing rage, or leading to a proliferation of the involuntary verbal and physical "tics" that make normalcy so difficult. The Friedman family is urged to continue each new regimen however, with the assurance that, eventually, some combination will successfully treat the conditions from which Corey suffers.
The reader is drawn into the day-to-day challenges of Corey's life through reflections on things as commonplace as doing homework, making friends, and trying new things. To Corey, each of these activities is a mountain to be climbed. His tics often earn him ridicule from classmates and exhausted expressions from the adults charged with insuring his success. The reader cringes ever so slightly when an excited Corey decides to write a curse word on the blackboard rather than the word of the day. His acknowledgment that alcohol brings the peace that his huge list of medications cannot tears at our hearts. Corey's athletic accomplishments have the opposite reaction, causing our hearts to sing with glee.
Most amazing of all is Corey's eventual recovery through self-imposed exposure to the elements via a wilderness camp and several therapy sessions at a local mental health facility. As he leaves the nightmare behind, Corey comes to sense the truth of what his dependence on psychiatric medication (and other substances) has done to him. Ironically, he must be forced into a situation where his brain doesn't have the option to misfire in order to break free of the prison where he has spent the majority of his life.
The book concludes with a series of instructive interviews in addition to information on Corey's various afflictions, the dangers of alcoholism, the nuanced definitions of various mental heath care professionals, and a list of additional resources.
Med Head is both engaging and enlightening, and might be used to initiate a variety of discussions on such issues as the mysteries of the human brain and the medical industry's failed attempts to treat every disorder, the importance of family and faith, the daunting struggles of adolescence, and the positive effects of patience and kindness.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Maze Runner by James Dashner
★★★★☆
Maze Runner by James Dashner is the first in a trilogy whose trajectory is both strange and delightful. Thomas awakens one day to find himself struggling to remember his whole name, along with details of his life that should be easily accessible, but aren't. A lift delivers him to a place called The Glade. It is a walled-in community where work is assigned according to ability. Without knowing the origin of the desire, Tom knows he wants to be a runner. Runners leave the Glade daily to explore the maze that waits on the other side of it, all in the hope that the puzzle can be solved. Gladers look upon runners with a sense of awe, knowing perhaps that their destinies lie in the hands of these dedicated few.
But who would want to return to a life he can't recall? A handful of Gladers have had the misfortune of being stung by the wicked "Grievers" that haunt the maze. "The Makers" kindly send a serum along with the supplies with which they provide the Gladers, and while its application insures survival, those who have been stung must also pass through the Changing. Memories of a dark world and an unhappy existence filter through.
But when a girl arrives in the Glade when no one new was expected to show up for several weeks, suspicious eyes turn to Tom, who seemed to show up out of nowhere too. When the new Glader says his name, there is no escaping the fact that, in another life, Tom knew the strange girl called Teresa, whose words pierce into his mind. What is their connection? What does it mean for the others? Is it possible to escape the Maze after searching for clues for two years? Is escape even wise considering the memories The Changing has brought to light?
The Maze is character driven. It is mysterious and touching. Dashner's words make us simultaneously want to know more and fear where the truth might take us. The turns the story takes will anger you, delight you, thrill you...all in turn. Just when it seems there's nowhere left to go, the plot deepens. As it does so, the Gladers must learn the true meaning of concepts such as cooperation, trust, faith. The Maze Runner is fast-paced adventure writing at its best. I recommend it to anyone who's wondered who they were, what it all meant, and what might lie beyond.
Maze Runner by James Dashner is the first in a trilogy whose trajectory is both strange and delightful. Thomas awakens one day to find himself struggling to remember his whole name, along with details of his life that should be easily accessible, but aren't. A lift delivers him to a place called The Glade. It is a walled-in community where work is assigned according to ability. Without knowing the origin of the desire, Tom knows he wants to be a runner. Runners leave the Glade daily to explore the maze that waits on the other side of it, all in the hope that the puzzle can be solved. Gladers look upon runners with a sense of awe, knowing perhaps that their destinies lie in the hands of these dedicated few.
But who would want to return to a life he can't recall? A handful of Gladers have had the misfortune of being stung by the wicked "Grievers" that haunt the maze. "The Makers" kindly send a serum along with the supplies with which they provide the Gladers, and while its application insures survival, those who have been stung must also pass through the Changing. Memories of a dark world and an unhappy existence filter through.
But when a girl arrives in the Glade when no one new was expected to show up for several weeks, suspicious eyes turn to Tom, who seemed to show up out of nowhere too. When the new Glader says his name, there is no escaping the fact that, in another life, Tom knew the strange girl called Teresa, whose words pierce into his mind. What is their connection? What does it mean for the others? Is it possible to escape the Maze after searching for clues for two years? Is escape even wise considering the memories The Changing has brought to light?
The Maze is character driven. It is mysterious and touching. Dashner's words make us simultaneously want to know more and fear where the truth might take us. The turns the story takes will anger you, delight you, thrill you...all in turn. Just when it seems there's nowhere left to go, the plot deepens. As it does so, the Gladers must learn the true meaning of concepts such as cooperation, trust, faith. The Maze Runner is fast-paced adventure writing at its best. I recommend it to anyone who's wondered who they were, what it all meant, and what might lie beyond.
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