Right of Way by Lauren BarnholdtMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
I was so excited to get my hands on this book after having read One Night That Changes Everything Two-Way Street especially the former one...and Before I Fall. I didn't really pay attention to other characters in Two way street so I wasn't really sure who Peyton was but the prequel was interesting and likeable so Right of Way seemed to find it's way in my to-read list. So you wanna know if I recommend this to you? The answer is a resounding and huge NO. Period. No matter if you are such a Barnholdt fan, skip this one. I have absolutely no idea exactly what she has done to this one! After some 10 pages I started screaming inside but I didn't wanna leave this book so fisting my palms I continued the torture . *defeated sigh* I'm really truly sorry that I couldn't like this book but that's not on me this time... I hated the disconnected feeling between the past memories (which seem absolutely pointless!) and the present 'trip' (JEEZ it was hardly even a trip!!!) I was frustrated from hoping for some redeeming qualities, exasperated I couldn't find any and disappointed. Eye- rolling so many times made my eyes ache! Phew... I didn't even wanna peel the layers of the story (there weren't very many anyway...) and even after they had been pulled off the core was a vacuum! There was no earthly reason for anything to happen the way it did! There was no reason for Jace to stop talking with Peyton at all... Tell me if you were getting to know a person and they didn't tell you that (view spoiler) would you stop calling them suddenly? Wouldn't you wanna confront them or atleast try to talk about it? this was obviously not done because Jace is a selfish and stupid bastard. Plain and simple. Why is it always all right to keep any characters together just because of their physical appearances? I'm just so tired of that and I tried to like the book but there was nothing that made me even consider it. Ah, I hope she writs better next time.
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
INTENSE!!!! That's what I felt after reading this one. I read it back to back after Divergent and feel it's better to have done that. It's already been established Roth's a rockstar in writing action. Insurgent is a whole new world though! We go deeper to understand Roth's world as Beatrice continues her journey. I thought it was curious as to why she chose only five 'virtues' to expand on from thousands of others but hmmm, I shouldn't really complain. Insurgent starts with Beatrice, Tobias and his father, Peter, heading towards Amity and Dauntless in a divided state - Erudite traitors and non traitors with the war still on. Beatrice has experienced enormous loss and is an a state of crippling crushing guilt. She's on the brink of emotional instability and I gotta say even though she has her reasons, Beatrice made me sad, angry, troubled and agitated as she spiralled down to the pits of guilt and grief. Both of them are such a lethal combination on anyone. I did expect her to be a leeetle bit tougher but she had PTSD so that's fine. I completely understand her descent but that didn't mean I liked it... The action seems racketed upto a 100 times more than in Divergent . Roth handles the old characters and develops with the same ease as with new ones like Johanna.
This book is so very different from the prequel that it's not even funny! Grief and guilt all embellished and embossed almost forcefully in relief but this goes hand-in-hand with the action and unfolding of the plot as too much of those negative emotions could have put off the readers. Because of the constant fast motion Beatrice doesn't get enough time to let them grow, tear at her enough and then begin to fade away so she can settle. They fester and cripple her to the point of impairing her judgements. This made the book heavier than Divergent. I think, unlike Divergent, Roth appeared to be a little more commercially satisfying in this one. In no way does she let the heaviness weigh down the pace and evolution of the plot. There are so many revelations going on at break-neck pace that you don't have time to even breathe! Even though it's dystopia Roth doesn't lean on the technological aspects of her world which disgruntled me a bit... The moral facet of this story is a main highlight for me... Roth (or nay Dystopian writer for that matter) points out that no matter how hard you try to create the seemingly perfect (morally, in this case) society there will always be a war. There're so many hidden agendas in it for the sake of the plot. Roth gives hints aplenty to understand it (yes, they're a bit obvious !!) Surprises peek through every chapter. It amazes me that every Dystopian is so scarily yet reassuringly similar to real times.
Generally authors mess up the middle book and end up with a boring final one but Insurgent was quite different even though there's the heaviness. I did expect the bomb at the end of the climax but maybe in the third book but we'll see where she takes it from here. The relationship between Tobias and Beatrice was played out with so many ups and downs and each time they seemed to grow apart (I dunno but a war-time romance should be even stronger than this, shouldn't it?) Both of them are so similar in some ways and their difference either threaten to keep them apart or tie them together. Their relationship weighs more in this book and defines Beatrice and her decisions in some way. The end was interesting and I look forward to the final book and hope that it isn't predictable.
This book is so very different from the prequel that it's not even funny! Grief and guilt all embellished and embossed almost forcefully in relief but this goes hand-in-hand with the action and unfolding of the plot as too much of those negative emotions could have put off the readers. Because of the constant fast motion Beatrice doesn't get enough time to let them grow, tear at her enough and then begin to fade away so she can settle. They fester and cripple her to the point of impairing her judgements. This made the book heavier than Divergent. I think, unlike Divergent, Roth appeared to be a little more commercially satisfying in this one. In no way does she let the heaviness weigh down the pace and evolution of the plot. There are so many revelations going on at break-neck pace that you don't have time to even breathe! Even though it's dystopia Roth doesn't lean on the technological aspects of her world which disgruntled me a bit... The moral facet of this story is a main highlight for me... Roth (or nay Dystopian writer for that matter) points out that no matter how hard you try to create the seemingly perfect (morally, in this case) society there will always be a war. There're so many hidden agendas in it for the sake of the plot. Roth gives hints aplenty to understand it (yes, they're a bit obvious !!) Surprises peek through every chapter. It amazes me that every Dystopian is so scarily yet reassuringly similar to real times.
Generally authors mess up the middle book and end up with a boring final one but Insurgent was quite different even though there's the heaviness. I did expect the bomb at the end of the climax but maybe in the third book but we'll see where she takes it from here. The relationship between Tobias and Beatrice was played out with so many ups and downs and each time they seemed to grow apart (I dunno but a war-time romance should be even stronger than this, shouldn't it?) Both of them are so similar in some ways and their difference either threaten to keep them apart or tie them together. Their relationship weighs more in this book and defines Beatrice and her decisions in some way. The end was interesting and I look forward to the final book and hope that it isn't predictable.
My rating: 4.7 of 5 stars
WOW! I've never ever read a book like this! My thoughts are scrambled and I'm speechless and confused over how to put my thoughts out. When I read the synopsis of this book it seemed centred around identity crisis in a school. Then I started reading it & I knew I would be hooked right from the first sentence!! see, on that first page itself, you get that Arnold Spirit 'junior' is fucking HILARIOUS! - witty, smart with some cynicism thrown in. On top of this great character, there's his drawing! I LOVED them and they made an already great story even better! Arnold/Junior starts in a self-deprecating (or maybe/and yet realistic) funny and whip smart style. He describes (more like converses about) his reservation, the whole atmosphere of it, and the people so so very realistically yet in a cynical teenage voice that leaps out of the pages right at you. The main theme, atleast what I kept on feeling while reading it, was despair (in the 1st quarter) and sadness and pain (in the rest of the book) but Junior coloured them with his dry sharp sense of humour. I was smiling and laughing even through the heavy feelings. Sometimes there's just plain hilarity and other times, there's an underlying painful sadness. It hurt a lot while reading.Then there's the time after he transfers to the 'white' school to forge his own path. That was some of the best character development I've ever seen in YA which is mainly because of his voice & actions. That was the moment when those seeds of doubt regarding his identity took root. Then there's the huge event of deaths in his family (including the other people of the rez) ; these changed his perspective so much- in the end he was more comfortable in his own skin.This is one hell of a coming of age story. I wanted to word out by point because there's so much in such a tiny book.
Why You Should Read This Book:
1. I LOVED the title of the book even though it's a mouthful. It's lucid and real and 'absolutely true'! *grins*
2. I agree with Junior that no matter what your language a picture can communicate with practically anyone and everyone. I think Junior had such a mindset because of the racism (nasty, deep and too much) they suffer. I had no idea that Indians are impacted so much by racism- they're hit almost everywhere. Culture is how you live & if it's dead then you're just as dead inside...
3. This huge point in the identity crisis of Junior is how he feels 'white' on his own rez and amongst his own people (even though he simply decided to go to a 'white' school) though at Reardan High, he feels 'Indian'. Even through all that he faces, by being himself, he gains popularity in the High school hierarchy. He gets to be a normal kid which is why he doesn't let anyone on that he's poor. (but they still know about it...)
4. Junior's disparate views of his home are normal and real.I liked that scene when Rowdy and Junior climb that huge pine tree and discover a beautiful moment while watching their home. It's a small town- not important or happy at all with people having problems left, right and centre especially with alcohol ( I didn't know that so many people could be alcoholics and in various degrees even!) but there are so many good things like his love for his land, family the people on his rez...
5. Junior describes things as they are and doesn't sugar-coat or romanticize.
6. There's insight on different types of addictions like alcohol and Bulimia & how ethnicity or class don't really come into consideration when people are actually living their lives -that they have problems no matter who they are.
7. I don't know very many Indian stereotypes but they seem to be wrong. Indians have history and culture and tradition. There's beauty in it and I feel really sad that it's been near-to destroyed just for some handful people who're inebriated with power and greed. I loved the sense of community in their culture. It's ironic that the ideas that were trying to be squashed yesterday are the same ones that are respected and valued the most today. I loved the comparison between the white town society and the Indian rez community.
Blunt, factual, ironic, loving, sensitive, all of Junior's qualities help him find himself even through despair, pain, rage (they all make him intense). These in themselves are what drew me to love the book so much!
I'm gonna read more of him now! Keep on writing Mr. Alexie!!!
My rating: 3.65 of 5 stars
I think it would be obvious when I say that Eleanor & Park brought me here. The synopsis seemed promising although there's something weirdly stalkerish about reading someone's e-mail (though it's cute and heartfelt in the book!) I've to warn you that you've gotta like office romances or atleast know about them to read this book. The pace is slow and you've to concentrate and hold on somwhat atleast in the beginning. There's a lot to focus on in this. I didn't expect the male lead- Lincoln to dominate the POV- this seemed like a breath of fresh air. The atmosphere is '99 and 2000; you've gotta acquaint yourself or be familiar with the culture at that time to understand cetain references. For me, e-mails, even personal ones to BFs, don't really fulfill the requirement to portray a character so I was expecting atleast some of Beth's POV. Characters put together through e-mail compilation are superficial and one-dimensional. Their actions/words throughout days, weeks and months that form them. So Lincoln (that amazing man!!) feels so tangible and I just wanna rave about him!!
His mother, sister and friends get more character than Beth!!But I've gotta say Lincoln made me forget about everyone else. In the middle of it, I didn't even realize I fell for him in a BBF way until after the end! He was a slow burn... this felt like a real romance!
Rowell has approached an office romance from a guy's perspective and this in itself is enough of a reason to get started on reading it. the book moves like real life- all situations and characters felt alive and breathing. Special ones caught at my heart like Doris and Christine. I wish Rowell would have tweaked the character of Lincoln's mother a little and developed it. As for Lincoln himself, you can't label him with just one quality- he's several good ones loaded into one lethal character.I mean do they make 'em like that anymore? Cuz I ain't seen any! Even with all these qualities, you realize at some points/ the end of the book that he's human and makes mistakes, is hurt and still tries to move forward. You don't (or more like 'can't'!) place him on a pedestal or anything and come to love him with his imperfections (might be corny but it's true!) I loved the fact that Lincoln fell in love way before even glimpsing at Beth. It would have been so much better if Rowell would've cut down the e-mail banter and thrown in more encounters between Beth and Lincoln. The romance did not convince me but I got so lost in Lincoln that by the end I found myslef rooting for him! Lincoln is such a geek and still lives with his mother at the beginning of the book. He has multiple educational degrees and is 'old-world charm'. I'm quite old-fashioned myself in some ways and this is why I loved this book as much as I did.if Lincoln wouldn't have been in the book then I would leave the read in the first few pages...Lincoln develops desirably but way too fast in my opinion because in these change/ developmental scenes the pace seems faster than normal. The ending appeared rushed to me and inevitable, extremely strange and coincidental. But i would love to read more from Rowell because she immerses herself in her characters and books completely, their voices are real and she gets 'em right everytime without unnecessary melodrama.
Coming-of age and a light romance read- contemporary romance fans might like it better.
My rating: 3.45 of 5 stars
When I picked this up, I was excited to read it cuz a) it has a male author b) the synopsis was interesting with this huge age gap, the woman being older (it reminded me of Tramps Like Us, Volume 1) Then I opened the first page and it felt like someone had smacked me on the face! That first sentence was not how novels usually start! I mean what're you supposed to feel when the first thing you know about the book is death? I went into this without expectations but then I began to have mixed feelings as the pages jumped one after the other. When things progressed with Jane after her daughter's funeral I assumed this loss would come into acount with her relationships in the immediate future but it didn't really affect as much. Winfeild could've written an amazing story forgoing on the contemporary romance shit like the taken-for-granted 'attractiveness' of Jane or Caleb, Janes insecurity about her looks (and yet everyone says she's gorgeous...) and many other points. Even through that usual play, Winfield managed to inject a sense o f reality into the situations and his character. I loved his portrayal of the atmosphere int he island town, those endearing characters of Grace and Mrs. Hawthorne, the ferry rides, geographical beauty, even Jane's house.Winfield's prose confirms he's a poet and Caleb's songs are simply uniquely beautiful. Jane is more two dimensional than real because, maybe I expected more adult behaviour or even bitterness ( due to her age) from her but I liked her better in the second part of her book. Caleb (hmmm...) is, I'm not sure how to say it, he's... too good to be true...I liked how Winfield made him appear to be real by making him lie to Jane in the 1st part but after that he becomes this 'perfect' guy, like a cardboard-cutout!!!! I like individual quirks in a character as a) everyone has them b) they make any character come alive. The pace felt like a normal con-rom: just when things settle after the guy n girl get together things keep happening to shake them up and at last one of them gives up and breaks it. It's, like, expected or something!!For all it's similarities to other books of it's genre, the prose, characters and some of the story (in the 3rd part) is extremely catching, and some parts; heart-rending. The other con-rom parts made me feel detached & sometimes the words blurred into each other. With all it's shortcomings, there are still reasons enough to read this book. I feel Winfield can do better and would love to read more from him...
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