GUEST REVIEW: Cracks - Caroline Green

GENRE: Dystopia
PAGES: 224
PUBLISHER: Piccadilly Press
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 3 Stars

SUMMARY

Cal Conway thinks it's his mind that's breaking when cracks start appearing that no one else can see. He discovers that, far from leading an ordinary life in a northern town in 2010 as he thought, he has spent his whole life so far in a research facility, suspended in a deliberately induced coma state.

REVIEW

I received a free copy of this book from Piccadilly Press in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my review/opinions in any way. Thank you Piccadilly Press!

Cracks is one of those books I'm in the middle with. I didn't really love it, but I didn't hate it by any stretch of the imagination.

The blurb doesn't give too much away (the Goodreads one does, so I've used the book one here) so I didn't know what to expect from this. I requested it on a recommendation from Jack, who loves it. So, I'm not going to talk about what happens in this book because I think it ruins the story.

The plotline was interesting and I had questions from the start. However, as it went on, I found it became kind of complicated. I thought the original live was good but then a huge plot twist came in, and I think that that is what put me off this book.

As a character, Cal was okay. I had no particular interest in him, nor a hate of him (much like the entire book, in fact).

Also, the ending annoyed me. Now, I know there is a sequel, but I saw no need for the cliffhanger. Just another couple of sentences would have done it for me.

I can't really comment on the romance, because of the plotline twists. But, it was really sweet and I did like it as a sub-plot within the book.

So overall, I am quite indifferent about this book. It was neither good or bad, and the aspect that really decided my rating was definitely the plotline.

- Charli.

GUEST POST: My Experience of 'The Fault In Our Stars'

I read the Fault in Our Stars by John Green around a year ago and I recently realised that I had yet to write a review for it.

(I’ve tried to make it as non spoilery as possible, but if you haven’t read the book and don’t me want to ruin anything, then go and buy a copy now and come back when you’re done)

So here it goes:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is my favourite book by a mile.

I have this weird thing with favourite books. I sometimes find myself getting weirdly jealous of people who have a favourite book that is obscure and that not many people know about, because I wish my special book could be something special to me and not something I hear about everywhere I go. TFIOS (The Fault in Our Stars) certainly does not fit that description. And for that reason, I sometimes (rather selfishly) wish that TFIOS wasn’t so huge and famous.

Now don’t get me wrong, John Green is a totally amazing person who totally deserves to be so insanely successful, and if The Fault in Our Stars wasn’t so successful, I’d probably never have discovered more of the beautiful collection of John Green books (such as Paper Towns and Will Grayson, Will Grayson) or have been introduced to the Vlogbrothers and the amazing community that is Nerdfighteria! I wouldn’t be able to see my favourite book on screen and I wouldn’t have such a vast community of fans that I can talk to about the book. At school everyone has their thing. You have the girl that’s obsessed with Niall Horan, the Tom Hiddleston stalker, the girl who fangirls every week about Teen Wolf and the ones who rave about Korean music.

And I am the TFIOS girl.

I’m the one that tells everyone to read the book, who informs them about the rest of John Green’s books after they are left longing for more, I’m the one who surprises them by telling them John Green also vlogs with his brother or who updates them on movie news. And it’s great to be the TFIOS girl.

But still I wish that TFIOS could be my special thing.

It’s kind of hard to explain why, so I’m using a quote to do so. In the book, Hazel says:

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal”

Which sums up my view of TFIOS!

Now you’re either going to completely understand where I am coming from, or you’re going to think I’m ranging from selfish to insane. But one day you’ll find your thing and you’ll understand.

GUEST REVIEW: Paper Towns by John Green

PAGES: 320
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4.5 Stars

SUMMARY

From the bestselling author of The Fault in our Stars. Quentin has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, for Margo (and her adventures) are the stuff of legend at their high school. So when she one day climbs through his window and summons him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow. But the next day Margo doesn't come to school and a week later she is still missing. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance ...and they are for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery - culminating in another awesome road trip across America - he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for. Masterfully written by John Green, this is a thoughtful, insightful and hilarious coming-of-age story.

REVIEW

So I know this may not be well written or in amazing detail but here goes...

I thought Paper Towns by John Green was an interesting book. I must say it wasn't what i expected it to be as a book and had a ending i did not see coming. I enjoyed the journey the book as took me on to find Margo and even if at some points I thought the journey that Quentin was taking was pointless and that he was never going to find her. 

This book is filled (in a John Green fashion) with metaphors and clever writing skill and it made me think about the way in which other people think and about the journey we are all making in life. I can see from the different characters point of views even though the book is only written in one and I think this takes amazing talent for writing which can not be taught. 

My only problem with this book is the same as my problem was with The Fault In Our Stars and that is in the way it was finished with the question of what happened to the rest of their lives but in the same instance I enjoy the mystery of thinking the journey is not over with the end of the book even though I know in my heart that the story of Quentin and Margo is over. 

Overall I enjoyed the book immensely even if sometimes I had to sit back and think about what was happening but this, for me, made it more likeable as it got me thinking that maybe we are all just paper boys and paper girls living in a paper town. 

I would give this book a 4.5/ 5 (just because i can never give a book 5 as after that other books would go off the scale) 

I highly recommend this book.

- Eleanor.