The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

Time to read- 3 days!
Pages- 384

SYNOPSIS: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.
Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 
Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

REVIEW:

CHARACTERS: 5/5

wow! I loved the characters in this book! From loveable Chuck to Minho to our protagonist Thomas. Thomas was the perfect main character, he was mysterious and smart. He interacted well with other characters and loved his relationship with Teresa. I loved their Relationship <3  I also loved that their names were based on scientists !

PLOT: 4.5/5

I loved the plot . I thought it was very fast- paced filled with twist and turns that kept me guessing all the way through the novel! It was a little slow in the begining and i wasn't sure i was gonna like the book but it got better so quickly.This was definitley an awesome plot . I read it when i was off school for two days sick and i loved being tucked up in bed with this book <3

WRITING STYLE: 4.5/5

Now, this is where it fell down for me. The maze lingo was a little hard to understand at first and the book was  a little slow at the start.. :L#

OVERALL RATING: 14/15 

*****

AMAZING BOOK- CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SECOND ONE!

Kurt Vonnegut <3

You Against Me - Jenny Downham.

You Against Me   by Jenny Downham. 

SYNOPSIS: 

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another

PAGES:  413 pages

TIME TO READ: 6 or 7 days.

REVIEW:

CHARACTERS:

How do i describe my love for the characters of this novel? 

Firstly, i'll talk about Ellie. My first impressions of Ellie were not good. I felt a need to hate her for what her brother did to Karyn and for her family's behaviour. But once I met Ellie properly i realised that she cannot control her family anymore than a normal teenager can. When i seen the real insecure , normal side to her i felt instantly more connected to her . She was a sweet girl. I loved her development and growth as a character . She was very strong willed individual and this was evident when she stood up to her father and brother in the final pages of the book. I loved her romance with Mikey and I also liked the way she could be herself with him. 

OH MIKEY! Where does one begin? I loved his fury to get revenge on the boy who hurt his sister. I felt excited along with him at every chance that arose for him to get revenge. I also loved his relationship with Ellie that blossomed into something real over the course of the novel. He was always sweet and caring and i loved his contribution to the plot . My book was dogeared with many of his swoon-worthy quotes underlined and commited to memory. He was a Charming , sweet , protective brother and a funny and loyal friend and boyfriend. Who doesn't want that?

Another thing i loved in this book was that every character was unbelievably realistic! Because of this i could easily dive into this book and not re-surface for hours.

5/5

PLOT:

The plot was just amazing. Though the book deals with a serious issue of sexual assalt, it does contain more of a romance theme without forgetting the court case or its seriouness. 

The plot had me reading for long periods of time and although i didn't have a lot of free time to read it, due to school work, i found myself fully submerged in the plot when i did have time. 

5/5

 

WRITING STYLE:

Jenny Downham's writing in this book cannot be faulted. I have not one bad thing to say about her writing. She created realistic characters and a perfect plot line that will stay with the reader long after the final page. Her writing is so good that I am eager to read her other book, "Before I die", which I hope to read before the movie version comes out! Another example of how good this book is; One day i was reading This book in my sitting room and unknown to me, my mother had started to read over my shoulder. When I got up to change the channel my mum asked me if she could borrow it after me ! She is currently reading it now. 

5/5

OVERALL RATING:

15/15 

Five Stars - * * * * *

Possibly the BEST YA book i have ever read!! :)

Sara's Face by Melvin Burgess

Sara's Face by Melvin Burgess.

SYNOPSIS:  Sara may only be 16, but she knows her own mind. Unfortunately this means that she has decided that her face is not her own. And now she is in the clutches of unscrupulous psychiatrists who say she has “Karel’s Syndrome,” and that the only cure is to have a new face. Enter the infamous aging singer Jonathan Heat, who has had so much plastic surgery on his face that it is now irredeemably unpleasant. He will pay for an operation that will give him Sara’s face: and Sara will get a transplant.

PAGES:  272 pages.

TIME TAKEN:  2 days.

REVIEW:

CHARACTERS:   4/5

Hmm... the characters. I liked them but i also disliked them . I disliked sara for her selfishness and her constant ability to undermine herself. I also found her annoying and her acts of self harm really disturbing... especially the "mirror scene".

Jonathan Heat... hmmm i seen some similarities between Mr. Heat and michael jackson throughout this book. I found heat's behaviour toward sara, especially towards the latter part of the book, quite disturbing . He was a very unhinged character, who swore to innocence , which i find unlikley. I found him a very frightening character.

PLOT: 3/5

I enjoyed the plot and found the book hard to put down, which i was forced to do between meals and classes. I liked the twists and turns in the novels plot, from the apparitions and the lab door . I also enjoyed the ending of the novel which , as i closed the book, left me with no questions - only a sense of satisfaction of reading a good book.

WRITING STYLE:  4/5

I enjoyed Burgess' writing style alot in this novel, so much so that i have purchased his novel "Junk" which i hope to read in summer. His descriptions of sara's ghosts and apparition's had me glancing nervously over my shoulder at every bump or creak in my house ! His writing was easy to visualize and was easy to read. He did a good job on building the world of celebrity Jonathon Heat and on making it seem like a novel about a real event. Overall i enjoyed the novel and found it a quick and fast paced read. I would recommend it to people who enjoy Horror without the blood & guts and thrill seekers.

RATING:  11/15

Four Stars.

****

by Melvin Burgess

How I Rate And Review My Books

How I Rate My Books:

Title:

Author:

Time to read: 

Synopsis:

Review:
 Characters: ___/5 score. 

 Plot: ___/5 score. 
 Writing style: ___/5 score. 

Rating: ___/15 total

Star System:
13-15 score = 5 Stars 
10-12 score = 4 Stars 
7-9 score = 3 Stars
4-6 score = 2 Stars 
1-3 score = 1 Stars
No score = No Stars

The Angel Experiment - James Patterson.

The Angel Experiment 

(Maximum Ride #1)

by James patterson.

SYNOPSIS:   

 Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

PAGES: 424 pages.

Took 5 days to Read .

REVIEW:

Characters:  5/5

I really liked the characters in this book. James Patterson created realistic characters that were easy to relate to. I also liked the development of these characters throughout the novel. 

I really liked the protagonist of this novel, which is rare for me. Maximum Ride, or Max, is a fourteen year old girl who, along with the five other children, is 98% human and 2% bird. I really enjoyed her character development, from her sense of loss, her desire to be normal and her struggle with feelings for fang in the latter part of the novel.I loved her mother-like relationship with Angel. The only thing i didn't like about her was the fact that she didn't share her problems concerning  "The Voice" with the rest of the flock.

Fang! He was another character I really liked. He was mysterious and quiet at the begining, but we seen the caring side shining throught with angel, nudge and with his concern and affection for Max. I don't think there is anything i disliked about his character.

I also liked the rest of the flock, Angel, Nudge, Iggy,and Gasman and felt empathy towards their desire to have a family. I hated the erasers and the Whitecoats. ugh.

PLOT : 4/5

I enjoyed the plot a whole lot! It was a pageturner from the very begining till the final page, the cliff hanger style ending made me desperate to read the second one!I really enjoyed the fight scenes and the flight scenes were so ah-mazing. I cant wait to get my hands on the rest of the series!!!

I recommend this book to not only teens, but anyone who enjoys sci-fi thrillers and a fast paced read from a best selling author James Patternson. 

WRITING STYLE:  2.5/5

Hmm.... This is where it fell down for me quality wise. Something i have noticed is that James Patternson likes to divide his books up into short chapters, which i sometimes find very annoying, especially at the begining. Later on in the book I just had to ignored it. 

I did like his world and character building . His world and characters were believable and realistic. I felt myself fall into the characters world everytime i picked up this book . 

James Patternson's way of describing Max's feelings for Fang realistic and compelling. 

Overall Rating of: 

11.5/15

Four star book - *  *  *  *

Hi Readers!

Hullo readers, I have loved reading from a very young age,back then i was reading Roald Dahl mostly, and I have never stopped enjoying books since. I love reading fantasy, paranormal, YA , romance and lots of other book genres. I thought it would be a good idea to make a blog where I do book reviews and post's about books I enjoy! Well, I hope you all enjoy this . :)