Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Rating:
2 stars
Warning: spoilers

*sighs* I really expected this book to be better than that.

This novel is about Hannah who decided before committing suicide that she wanted everyone who ever hurt her to get a message so that they would know that they were a part of why she decided to kill herself. So, she records every single reason sends the tapes to the first person on her list demanding that after they listen to it they send it to the next person.

And that is my problem with this book.

The whole idea behind this books is to show the huge impact on a person’s life anyone can be, how the smallest of actions can make. And the Hannah does the exact same thing.

She sends messages to 13 people and basically tells them that they are the reason she committed suicide. What a nice thing to do, right?

Some of them didn’t even do anything except the usual mean thing we all see teenagers  do. One of them was a girl called Jessica who was her friend but they had a stupid fight and Jessica slapped her. Another was someone who stole her poem. Two of the recipients didn’t even do anything. Does she not realise the effect her accusations are going to have on everyone? Because those tapes that will make them feel miserable for the rest of their lives, knowing that they were one of the reasons that she killed herself. Some of them deserve it but and most of what these people did were nothing to make them feel shitty about for the rest of their lives. One of them actually tried to help her. Did she even think about that one before she sent the tapes?

Anyway, I get that people go through a lot of shit out there and I don’t think that suicide is a lame act of giving up but her reasons were just unconvincing. I really expected a lot of this book and it just didn’t deliver.

Book Review: Bad Company by K.A. Mitchell (Bad in Baltimore, #1)

Some things are sweeter than revenge.

“I need a boyfriend.”

Hearing those words from the mouth of his very straight ex-friend is enough to make columnist and editor Nate Gray choke on his Corona. It’s been thirteen years since Kellan Brooks’s father crushed Nate’s family on his climb to wealth and power. Even longer since he entrusted Kellan with the confession that he might be gay—only to have his best friend out and humiliate him to their entire high school. The last thing Nate expects is Kellan begging for his help.

Breaking off his engagement to a senator’s daughter was the last straw for Kellan’s CEO father. Frustrated at being cut off, his father’s stinging words—that he wishes Kellan had never been born—still ringing in his ears, Kellan turns to Nate. In a move worthy of a corporate raider, Kellan plans the ultimate revenge. Come out as the boyfriend of the man his homophobic father betrayed.

Convincing Nate to play along isn’t easy. It’s even harder to figure out why the lie feels so close to the truth.

RATING:
2 STARS

Meeh. Okay, I guess.
The premise sounded really promising but unfortunately this wasn’t as good as I thought.

Some of the scenes were good. The interactions between the characters were hilarious but
I just couldn’t bring myself to feel anything towards them rather than mild curiosity sometimes and irritation. Kellan was a funny at times, but Nate was too passive. Even Eli was a typical one-denominational character that I couldn’t bring myself to care about him.

Also, I didn’t believe how Nate forgave Kellan. It was too easy and Kellan didn’t redeem himself enough. Hell, by the time he was explaining why he did what he did, Nate didn’t want to listen.

Also, The ending was rushed, and unsatisfying. It didn’t really bring any conclusion.

Gah, this story is just frustrating because it is missing things all over. I went from being interested in the first 30% of it to rolling my eyes by the time I reached the middle of the book.

So.. *shrugs* I will probably give book 2 a chance, since I heard it is better than this once, but I’m don’t have any high expectations.

Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny – one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Rating:
2.5 stars
Warning: this review is full of spoilers. No major spoilers, but there are some quotes who has some minor ones.

Yet another book with great potential that is ruined by a stupid MC.

I have mixed feelings so I will try and list them all, starting with the things I liked then I’m going to rant. A lot. You have been warned.

Things I liked:

1. Puck.
He is really fun, even when he is fighting. I love his sense of humor, his confidence, his saracasm. I am quite fond of him and I want to see him more in the sequel.

“Oh, we’re playing nice now? Shall we have tea first? Brew up a nice pot of kiss-my-ass?”
“Ladies and Felines,” he stated grandly, grasping the doorknob, “Welcome to Tir Na Nog. Land of endless winter and shitloads of snow.”

2. Grimalkin
I love that cat. I love his wicked sense of humor, and most of the time he seemed to be the only one actually using his brain.
Oh I can’t wait to see what he is planning for Meg.

3. The World
I really like the world and the courts. I am fascinated by everything, the mythology, the courts, the creatures, the politics. Just all in all amazing.

“A warm breeze blew into the closet, carrying with it a shocking assortment of smells—smells that should not be together in one place. Crushed leaves and cinnamon, smoke and apples, fresh earth, lavender, and the faint, cloying scent of rot and decay. For a moment, I caught a tang of something metallic and coppery, wrapped around the smell of rot, but it was gone in the next breath.”

“In the scattered moonlight, faeries danced and sang and laughed, calling out to me from a distance. Satyrs whistled tunes on their pipes, piskies buzzed through the air on gossamer wings, and willowy dryads danced through the trees, their slender bodies waving like grass in the wind.”

What I didn’t like:

1. Insta-love
When Meg and Ash had that dance, I liked it. I saw the chemistry. I could see the potential. I liked how they were starting off slow, but then out of nowhere, they are fallen for each other. And then this happen:

““Are you crazy? I couldn’t leave you to that thing. Now, come on.” I took his hand, tugging him off the post while glancing nervously at the frozen dragon. “Let’s get out of here. I think that thing just blinked at us.” His fingers tightened on mine and pulled me forward. Startled and overbalanced, I looked up at him, and then he was kissing me. I froze in shock, but only for a moment. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I rose on my tiptoes to meet him, kissing him back with a hunger that surprised us both.”

Uhhh, guys? May I remind you that anyone might come and kill you right now? that you are IN DANGER? COULDN’T YOU FIND A BETTER TIME?

But you know what? Never mind. Just kiss her while you are supposed to be running. No big deal. It is not like the whole freaking faery world is in danger or anything. Nah it is cool.

*sighs* I hate when any writer uses that. Everyone is like “Awww” and I’m like “NO. You should RUN, not kiss! What the hell?”

2. Meghan
Such a freaking idiot. Good God, I can’t deal with her. This book was fun, nothing special but I liked it. I liked Meg in the beginning, she is strong, patient, she obviously loved her brother, and I didn’t get why people called her stupid, but after a while I was painfully aware of the reason.

“I have been thinking,” Grimalkin announced, leaping onto a rock. I glared and bit down a sigh, cursing his timing. The cat plowed on without notice. “Perhaps we should rethink our strategy,” he said, looking at each of us. “It occurs to me that charging headlong into Machina’s realm is a singularly bad idea.”

Oh, really? Why, I never thought of that!

“Well.” The cat sat down and licked his back toes. “Given that he keeps sending his officers after us, I would guess that he probably knows we are coming. Why did he kidnap your brother in the first place? He must have known you would come after him.”
“Overconfident?” I guessed. Grimalkin shook his head.”

WHY CAN’T SEE IT IS A TRAP?

“I have a theory.” Grimalkin stood, waving his tail. “I think I might know another way into Machina’s realm. You are welcome to join me.”
“A theory?” Ash crossed his arms. “We can’t break plan on a hunch, Cait Sith.”
“Even if the way you are going leads straight into a trap?”
I shook my head. “We have to risk it. We’re so close, Grim. We can’t turn back now.”

Yes you can. For God’s sake, listen to him.

“I knelt to face Grimalkin eye to eye. “Come with us. We need you. You’ve always pointed us in the right direction.”

If he does, THEN WHY DON’T YOU LISTEN TO HIM?
God, I can’t believe that Ash and Puck went with you in the first place. It was a stupid plan from the beginning.

*takes a deep breath*

Okay, now that I think I’m done ranting, I just want to point out that I actually liked the book, it wasn’t that bad, when I wasn’t rolling my eyes because of Meg I actually enjoyed, so I will try the next book because this series does look like it has potential to be awesome.

One last thing: If you read this book, you would notice that I didn’t include Ash in any of the lists and that’s because I don’t care for him either way. I haven’t got to know a lot about him in this book.
So, so far I’m Team Puck.