Book Review: Vitro

Title: Vitro

Author: Jessica Khoury

Publication Date: January 14, 2014

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Science fiction

Pages: 384

Age Rating: Readers over 14

My Opinion: 5/10

Hi, Readers!

       If you happened to read my last post about Origin, you would have discovered how excited I was to read Vitro next.  Now that I've read it... boy, am I disappointed.  Jessica Khoury did such a phenomenal job making Origin a thrilling novel with unique and interesting characters, and I was expecting the same level of writing in the next novel of the Corpus series.  Sadly, Vitro was not up to the same standards.

       Sophie Crue has lived with her dad her entire life while her mother is on Skin Island, in Guam, doing scientific research.  However, out of the blue, Sophie gets a mysterious e-mail from her mother begging her to come to Skin Island ASAP due to an emergency.  Of course, Sophie leaps at the opportunity to visit, and she convinces her childhood friend, Jim, to fly her there on his airplane.  When the two arrive, they instantly realize that there is something mysterious happening on Skin Island.  They encounter a strand of genetically enhanced humans, named Vitros, who imprint on a single person as slaves.  A few of the prototype Vitros have went off the deep end, and they capture Sophie as a ransom to free themselves.  Worst of all, one of the Vitros, Lux, looks exactly like Sophie.  Sophie has to face a number of heart wrenching decisions, and must manage to survive her time on the island of horrors if she wishes to save the lives of the Vitros and herself.

What I would imagine Skin Island looks like

       As you may be able to tell from my summary above, Vitro was a pretty confusing novel.  What I noticed early on was that Khoury tried so hard to make the novel mysterious that she withheld too much information from the readers.  She relied too much on fast-paced action scenes, violence, and evil characters, and she did not put enough focus on the background of Skin Island and its inhabitants.  It seemed as though every chapter was filled with airplane crashes, explosions, guns, and kidnapping scenes.  In my opinion, Khoury should have focused a little bit more on the characters of the novel and their emotions, and less on the action.

Up next... Hopefully I saved
the best for last!

       The characters in Vitro were certainly much less developed than those in Origin.  Khoury attempted to create a backstory between Sophie and Jim where they were childhood friends, but the whole thing seemed pretty implausible.  I found it too unlikely that they would grow up together on a tropical island, get seperated for ten years, and then just happen to meet up again out of the blue.  Guess I need to work on my suspension of disbelief.  Also, I was not particularly fond of most of the characters in the novel, Jim in particular.  They were not very likeable or relatable, and I didn't form an emotional connection with them at all.  One character that I did enjoy reading about was the psychopathic Nicholas, who had a lot of potential to be a deep and unique character, but I felt let down when Khoury only developed him on the surface and made him fairly stereotypical.  

       I wish that Vitro was on the same level stylistically and content-wise as Origin, but it had a completely different vibe.  If you've already read Origin, spare yourself the time and don't bother checking out Vitro.  All problems aside, I am still planning on reading Khoury's third book in the series, Kalahari.  Fingers crossed that Khoury sticks with her guns and has written it comparably to Origin!

Happy reading!

Book Review: Origin

Title: Origin

Author: Jessica Khoury

Publication Date: September 4, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Science fiction

Pages: 394

Age Rating: Readers over 11

My Opinion: 9/10

Hi, Readers!

       Each year, my public library has an annual book sale.  The books I usually purchase here are hit or miss, because all I know about them comes from the short blurb on the back.  Luckily, when I bought Origin at the book sale, I came into possession of a real gem.  I was enthralled with the characters, plot line, and themes of the novel, and it kept me reading late into the night.

Pia's jungle boy, Eio

       Pia's genes have been genetically bred over five lifetimes so that she is born immortal.  Her skin is impenetrable, her immune system is unbreakable, and she is... perfect.  However, Pia has never been outside of her small compound, Little Cam, located in the middle of a vast jungle.  Although Pia knows everything there is to know about science and math, she has never even heard of New York City, or even cities in general.  The scientists, especially Uncle Paolo, keep Pia on a strict regimen of learning and exercising in order to turn her into a superhuman who will eventually reproduce and be the start of a new, immortal population.  One day, Pia notices a hole in the electric fence surrounding Little Cam.  When she enters the jungle and the real world for the first time, Pia's life is completely changed.  She meets Eio, a local native boy, who shows her that there is more to life than test tubes and immortality.  Torn between two worlds, Pia must now decide where she belongs - future or present, science or emotion, and civilization or jungle.

 

       Just recently, in English class, we discussed the idea of perspective.  Seeing things from a different point of view can show readers that there is not just one way of living.  My favorite part about Origin is the first-person perspective of Pia, because she is relatable and yet entirely unrelatable at the same time.  Of course, being immortal, Pia lives life much differently than the average human.  However, she still feels happiness, sadness, and, most importantly, love.  The dilemma that Pia must face, although not realistic in the real world, creates a sort of empathy between her and the reader.  We go along the journey with her, finding out more of the truth as the plot line progresses.  

Up next... Vitro!

       One of the most brilliant aspects of Origin is that author Jessica Khoury was able to create a science fiction novel with a unique plot line.  Although I did pick up some hints of popular dystopian and science fiction books thrown in, the work of literature was about a new topic and had undiscovered characters.  In the age of mass-produced literature, I applaud Khoury's distinct style of writing and original ideas.  The Young Adult genre is filled with many "fake" novels that try to replicate the well-known ones in order to sell more copies, and I am happy to say that Origin is not one of those books.

       I would recommend Origin to anyone who enjoys The Hunger Games or Divergent.  Although Origin is a less extreme and hard-hitting version of those popular novels, it explores much more of the emotional impacts of dramatic events.  Now, I can't wait to get my hands on Khoury's next novel, Vitro, to see if it is just as good as Origin. 

Happy reading!

Six Reasons Why The Sixth Harry Potter Book Is The Best

Hi, Readers!

After a brief hiatus, I have returned to the blogging world.  Where have I gone, you ask?  Well, I was inspired by a friend to re-read the entire Harry Potter series for the third time.  I've just finished the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, after a few weeks of steady reading.  The fourth book has always been my favorite, but recently I've had a change of heart and I now prefer the sixth book.  Therefore, inspired by my recent Harry Potter obsession, I have created this list of the six reasons why the sixth Harry Potter book is actually the best out of the entire series.  Enjoy!  (Spoiler alert: if you for some reason haven't read the HP series yet, do not read any further)


1. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
After a dramatic exit from Hogwarts the previous year, Fred and George finally open their shop in Diagon Alley, and it is a huge success.  From love potions to Pygmy Puffs to Skiving Snackboxes, the joke shop sells everything imaginable to troublemaking Hogwarts students.  They are able to spread joy and laughter through Diagon Alley, even while You Know Who plagues the whole of Europe.  Best of all, Fred and George show their cheek when they create a spoof trick of You Know Who, named "U-NO-POO".

2. Fleur, or should I say, "Phlegm"
Now that Fleur and Bill are engaged, the part-veela is always hanging around the Burrow.  Aside from adding another body to the already-full household, Fleur manages to get on everybody's last nerve.  She enchants the boys and enrages the girls, Ginny in particular, and is nicknamed "Phlegm".  However, by the end of the novel, Fleur and Mrs. Weasley finally begin to get along, and she is hesitantly welcomed into the family.

3. Luna's Quidditch Commentary
"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle... He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley flew into him, I think probably on purpose, it looked like it."  Like always, Luna Lovegood's brutal and uncanny honesty never ceases to draw laughs.  When combined with the wizarding world's most famous sport, Luna's loony antics are heightened to a whole new level.  The only thing better than her commentary is her enchanted Gryffindor hat.

4. Harry and Dumbledore's pensieve adventures
One part of the magic of the novels that is lost along the making of the movies is Harry's private lessons with Professor Dumbledore.  Over the course of these few lessons, Harry and Dumbledore delve deep into Lord Voldemort's past, starting even before the Dark Lord was born, by using a pensieve to relive memories.  I absolutely love getting more background on He Who Must Not Be Named, and he becomes a much more complex, and even sometimes relatable, character.  Plus, Harry gets to infiltrate Slughorn's deepest memories using the revered potion, Felix Felicis, for a little luck.

5. Ron's many tragedies
First came his budding, and then failing, relationship with Lavender Brown.  Next, his poisoning by Cauldron Cakes spiked with love potion meant to be for Harry from Romilda Vane.  After that, his sister's relationship with fellow Gryffindor, Dean Thomas.  Finally, his fights with Hermione that resulted in his being attacked by transfigured birds.  In The Half-Blood Prince, Ron cannot catch a break.  And each and every mishap is more and more hilarious!

6. Harry and Ginny
FINALLY!  Harry Potter's inner "beast" awakes when he sees Ginny and Dean together, and he realizes that he likes Ron's little sister.  And best of all, Ginny is no longer the shy, clumsy little girl who was afraid to talk in front of the famous Harry Potter.  The few short weeks that Harry and Ginny are dating are the happiest weeks of the entire series.

I hope that this list has brought back the best of your memories about the Harry Potter series.  If you have any other thoughts about the series, I would love to read your comments.

Happy reading!

Book Review: The Spectacular Now

Title: The Spectacular Now

Author: Tim Tharp

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: Realistic fiction

Pages: 304

Age Rating: Readers over 13 due to substance abuse

My Opinion: 8/10

Hi, Readers!

Have you ever come across a character that you love to hate?  Well, I found one when I was reading The Spectacular Now, by Tim Tharp.  I don't think I've ever read a book where I was so intrigued by the main character but still managed to hate every decision he made.  And I'm not exaggerating.  I still can't believe that I liked this book as much as I did, because the character that Tharp created is terribly skewed in his way of thinking.

Sutter and Aimee from the movie

       Sutter Keely is always the life of the party.  Any high schooler who wants to have a good time knows to seek out Sutter.  Although the ladies seem to love him at parties and at school, Sutter can't manage to keep a girlfriend.  They all break up with him after a couple of months, and he can't figure out why.  Weirdest of all, every single one of Sutter's ex-girlfriends wants to stay friends with him.  When his dream girl breaks up with him, Sutter wonders if he has to make a change to his lifestyle.  After a rough night of partying, he wakes up on a girl named Aimee's front lawn and decides to make the shy, intelligent girl his "project".  He believes that if he helps Aimee to climb the social ladder, he will be doing some good in the world and his life will return to normalcy.  However, as Sutter grows closer to Aimee, he becomes even more confused about his feelings, and it will take a lot more than parties and alcohol to solve his problems.

       Let me make this very clear before you decide to read this book - take everything Sutter says with a grain of salt.  He claims that he's not an alcoholic.  LIES.  Sutter is drunk throughout every page of the book.  I can't believe he gets away with it - he's drunk at work, during school, while driving... You'd think somebody would stage an intervention.  Sadly, Sutter doesn't have a strong support system.  Tim Tharp does a wonderful job of incorporating Sutter's broken family as a subplot while keeping the emphasis on Sutter's relationships.

       I am so frustrated at how likeable a character Sutter is, because I want to hate him.  (Be prepared for a rant here.)  He is drunk all the time, turns Aimee into a lush, doesn't care at all about those around him, and thinks the world revolves around him.  He breaks the law on a regular basis, he skips school, and he disregards authority.  And trust me, I could keep this list going.  But, Sutter's friendly attitude, hilarious anecdotes, and overall warm character makes him irresistible.  I'm sure that, although he has many, many flaws, Sutter would be a very fun friend to have in real life.

       Once I finished reading The Spectacular Now, I thought for a good five minutes about what the point of the book was.  I felt impacted, but I did not know how.  I was very disappointed at how the book ended, but only because I NEEDED to know what happened to all of the characters because I felt so emotionally attached to them.  I would highly recommend that any high schooler, especially boys, would read The Spectacular Now, but trust me when I say it leaves you questioning and wanting more.  My next step is to watch the movie adaptation, and I'm hoping that Miles Teller will portray Sutter to his full extent of awesomeness.

Happy reading!

Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Title: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Publication Date: April 15, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Realistic fiction

Pages: 288

Age Rating: Readers over 13

My Opinion: 9/10

Hi, Readers!

       Sometimes good books come from unexpected sources.  I was reading a Seventeen magazine (don't judge me!!!!), and I saw an ad for To All The Boys I've Loved Before.  After looking at the adorable cover and reading the short summary of the book, I took a picture of the cover with my phone and then forgot about it.  Finally, three months later, I got around to checking it out from the library, and boy, am I glad that I did.  This is possibly because I just finished reading an extremely boring book, but I was absolutely entranced by Jenny Han's light and funny style of writing.  I would highly recommend To All The Boys I've Loved Before to any high school girl.

       When Lara Jean's mother was still alive, she gave her a teal hat box and told her to put her most prized possessions inside.  Lara Jean takes her mom's advice and fills the box with five love letters.  However, these are no normal love letters - she writes each one when she is done being in love with a different boy and wants to move on.  She never expects anybody to read them.  So when the letters are accidentally mailed, well, things get a little crazy.  Each of the five boys reacts in a different way, and Lara Jean ends up in a love triangle that she never thought was possible.  She has to navigate these difficult relationships while taking care of her family at the same time, a feat that is practically impossible.

       My favorite part of the novel is that Jenny Han created characters that I fell in love with.  They are all so lifelike that when I was reading, I felt like I was actually hanging out with Lara Jean and her family.  My favorite character would probably be Lara Jean's little sister, Kitty.  She's a stereotypical younger sibling, always getting on everybody's nerves, but she is extremely intelligent and witty.  I also love the relationships between the characters.  Of course, Han focuses on the relationships between Lara Jean and the boys, but she also incorporates Lara Jean's relationship with her two sisters and her father into the plot.  Lara Jean's mourning of her mother is extremely realistic - she obviously misses her mother greatly, but she is not hung up on it and this seems to free up the story.  I'm so impressed with how Han incorporated a few major social issues into the book while keeping it so upbeat and positive.

       Lara Jean is just such a fantastic character that I could go on and on about her forever.  She is everything that a female protagonist should be - strong but caring, smart, and passionate.  Although she has a few flaws, they are flaws that the majority of high school girls can relate to.  Reading about Lara Jean falling in love for the first time made me feel butterflies in my stomach alongside her, and I was rooting for her relationship to work out the whole time.  I truly wanted Lara Jean to be happy, which is quite a feat considering she is a fictional character.

       Just to clarify, though, To All The Boys I've Loved Before is only for a female audience.  Male readers definitely wouldn't enjoy it as much as I did.  I think that grown-ups would enjoy reading it and find it to be a cute book, but it is perfect for high school and even college-aged girls.  Now, every time one of my friends asks for a book suggestion, I am totally telling them to read To All The Boys I've Loved Before.

Happy reading!

P.S. I just found out there's a sequel coming out on my birthday next year!!!!!  I can't wait!  (P.S. I Still Love You, being released on April 21, 2015)