New Release Book Review: Four

Title: Four: A Divergent Story Collection

Author: Veronica Roth

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Dystopian, science fiction

Pages: 208

Age Rating: Readers over 13 due to some violence

My Opinion: 6/10

Hi, Readers!

       My first ever blog post was about Divergent, by Veronica Roth.  I loved the book's thrilling and mysterious plot line and fantastically developed characters.  When I heard that Veronica Roth had written a prequel of sorts to the series, I had to get my hands on it.  Four is a collection of mini-stories that tell the tale of Tobias Eaton's transformation from Erudite to Dauntless to Divergent.  Although it is not the most loquacious or descriptive novel, it stayed true to the Divergent series and will certainly please fans of Four and Tris.

       The Divergent series is written completely in the point of view of Tris Prior.  However, author Veronica Roth completely changed up the perspective of many memorable events from the novel and compiled them in a collection, titled Four.  It takes place over a time period of about three years, starting from Tobias's betrayal of his previous faction and ending with the upcoming revolution (which is at the beginning of Insurgent).  Four gives readers insight to his relationships with his faction members and his thoughts on Dauntless in general.

       One of the downsides of Four is that it seems like an afterthought to such a brilliantly written trilogy.  The novel includes minimal description, and it reads more like a play-by-play of events than a novel.  Veronica Roth missed out on the "show, not tell" idea, and she stated what happened over time instead of focusing in on specific moments.  However, I will take what I can get because I love how Roth still had enough ideas left in her Divergent toolbox to craft another book.  If only J.K. Rowling would do the same with Harry Potter!

Theo James, who plays Four
in the Divergent movies

       Reading about about certain events from Four's perspective instead of Tris's was interesting.  He had a different viewpoint about his own fear landscape, and reading about how he fell for Tris from the male perspective was enlightening.  I wish that Roth would have focused more on Four's relationship with his father because nothing was ever resolved.  Also, I kept waiting for a different ending to the novel, and it seemed like it was cut short.  It should have taken place over the span of all three Divergent books instead of disjointedly covering one and a half of them.

       I would certainly recommend Four to any die-hard Divergent fans because they will not be disappointed.  On the other hand, if you haven't read the series, stay far away from Four.  You will be completely confused by the characters and events in the novel.  Some events are alluded to but never explained, such as when Edward was stabbed in the eye.  I repeat - if you haven't read Divergent, or at least seen the movie, DO NOT read Four.  If you have read Divergent and enjoyed it, though, definitely check out Roth's addition to the series.

Happy reading!

Book Review: Paper Towns

Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

Publisher: Speak

Genre: Realistic fiction, mystery

Pages: 305

Age Rating: Readers over 12

My Opinion: 8/10

Hi, Readers!

       Don't worry, my obsession with reading every John Green book on the planet is almost over.  And that's not just because there are only a couple of his books left that I haven't read yet.  John Green is such an amazing author that reading too much of his works at one time makes other books seem insignificant.  I would recommend that anybody else who becomes obsessed with John Green should read his books once or twice a year so that they have more impact.  Paper Towns is probably one of my least favorite John Green books, but it still deserves an 8/10 because it is a phenomenal and realistic mystery story. 

       Quentin Jacobson, also known as Q, is a fairly average, if not a little bit nerdy, high schooler.  He plays video games with his friends, complains about prom, and is about to graduate.  Ever since he was a little boy, Q has had an enormous crush on his next-door neighbor, Margo Roth Speigelman. When she shows up outside of his bedroom window in the middle of the night, Q follows her and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.  However, the next morning at school, everything seems to go back to normal.  Q cannot figure out Margo's intentions, and when she mysteriously goes missing, he is more puzzled than ever.  He decides that it is up to him to find his missing neighbor, and Q's search helps him to discover just as much about himself as he does about Margo.

       Paper Towns is a mystery book in disguise.  In reality, it is all about Q's search for Margo, but John Green makes it seem like a coming of age story instead of a search.  He creates excellent characters who made me want to read more.  They were willing to follow Q on his road trip journey to find Margo, no matter what their parents said about the matter.  Q had some fantastic friends that always had his back, which is one aspect of the novel that is different than other John Green books.  Although the story has some spooky parts, it is overall a heartwarming road trip journey.

Nat Wolff, who will play Q

       As I mentioned before, all of John Green's books are so good that they cannot be read in a row.  All of his novels share similar plot lines and characters.  They are all great books and I would highly recommend them to anybody and everybody.  That being said, Paper Towns seemed to lack a little something that the other books had.  The whole time, I struggled to understand why Q loved Margo so much, when she constantly ignored him to be higher up the social ladder.  Margo's attitude at first reminded me of Into The Wild, but by the end of the book she seemed like a stuck up teenager looking for attention.  My tip is that when you are reading Paper Towns, use your judgement - going on a wild goose chase to find a missing girl isn't always the best idea.

       A movie adaptation based on Paper Towns is due to come out on July 31, 2015.  Nat Wolff, who played a side role in the John Green-based movie, The Fault In Our Stars, has been cast as Q.  I absolutely cannot wait to see how he makes the character of Q his own.  I believe that this movie adaptation could be a massive hit.  There are a number of scenes that will be filmed beautifully, and John Green's descriptions in the books will really come to life.  Also, the emotion of the characters will come across better on screen than it does in the book.  Now, I wonder who will play Margo Roth Speigelman.

Happy reading!

Book Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Author: John Green and David Levithan

Publication Date: April 6, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Children's

Genre: Realistic fiction

Pages: 304

Age Rating: Readers over 14

My Opinion: 8/10

Hi, Readers!

       Happy first day of school!  Now that kids are back in school, their thoughts are filled with friends, sports, and homework.  It's much more difficult to make time for a good book during the school year, but Will Grayson, Will Grayson is worth the effort.  This collaboration between John Green and David Levithan is a great coming of age novel infused with comedy on every page.  

A quote from Will Grayson

       When Will Grayson gets roped into attending an underground concert with his best friend, Tiny, he thinks that the evening will be fairly ordinary.  However, things take a turn for the unexpected as soon as the concert bouncer notices a mistake on Will Grayson's fake ID and doesn't let him in.  Will's friends ditch him and he is left wandering on the street.  He runs into a boy who asks if he is "Isaac".  Turns out, that boy is also named Will Grayson!  The two boys develop an unusual friendship and struggle to figure out their high school traumas, from romance to social media, together in this funny, soul searching novel that makes being different cool.

       Although Will Grayson, Will Grayson isn't John Green's most powerful, life changing novel, it is certainly entertaining.  The story is narrated off and on by both Will Graysons.  One narrates in all lower-case, which makes it easy to differentiate whose point of view the story is being told through at any given point.  This lower-case narration also adds an interesting twist to reading.

Will Grayson's pastime

       The characters in the novel are absolutely, positively lovable. My personal favorite (and the most popular) character would have to be Tiny, the first Will Grayson's best friend.  Tiny is extremely large and openly gay, and he speaks his mind without any second thoughts.  He does play along with some societal stereotypes, but he is still a character that I wish could come to life off of the book pages.  My second favorite character is the second Will Grayson because he manages to turn his life around from being a depressed loner to being a caring young man with some excellent friends.  He faces some hardships head on, such as coming out, with absolutely no help from his classmates at school.

       Sure, Will Grayson, Will Grayson isn't a prize-winning novel, but it is a very quirky book with realistic characters and a unique plot line.  I would recommend it to any high school student, male or female, and it has wide reader appeal.  Now I will be adding this novel to my list of favorite John Green books!

Happy reading!

Book Review: Elsewhere

Title: Elsewhere

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Publication Date: May 15, 2007

Publisher: Square Fish

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 277

Age Rating: Readers over 12

My Opinion: 9/10

Hi, Readers!

       I recently saw a magazine article that discussed how a vacation can be influenced by what you read.  A good vacation is improved with a quality novel, while a bad vacation seems even worse if you've packed a boring book.  Luckily, I brought Elsewhere along on my vacation, and it entertained me through a couple of rainy days.  It is a lighthearted read that is at the same time  thought provoking.  Plus, Elsewhere's timeless qualities make it interesting for readers of all ages.

       Liz Hall gets into a biking accident and dies instantly at a mere fifteen years old.  Sounds like the end of her story, right?  Well, Liz wakes up on an enormous cruise ship that is traveling through an enormous ocean.  She can't remember how she has gotten there or where she is going.  After going exploring with a friendly roommate named Thandi and meeting the late musician, Curtis Jest, Liz comes to the realization that she is dead.  Of course, this discovery is not taken lightly.  The cruise ship finally reaches land, called Elsewhere, and Liz has no idea what is coming next.  When she is greeted by her deceased grandmother, Betty, who appears to only be thirty years old, she slowly begins to learn about life in Elsewhere.  However, her discoveries in Elsewhere are life-altering (or should I say death-altering?), and Liz's perspectives of life and death are changed forever.

       In this case, I don't feel that any summary of the novel could do it justice.  Gabrielle Zevin is able to create an entire alternate universe in a mere 277 pages.  She brings up questions such as what happens after death in a philosophical and respectful way.  One of Zevin's smartest decisions is to leave religion out of the picture - she therefore avoids upsetting readers with her creation of an afterlife.  Also, Zevin completely changes the rules of society in Elsewhere by making people age backwards and not care about money.  Although these concepts seem vague and difficult to comprehend, they are explained clearly in the novel and seem almost realistic.  Additionally, although Elsewhere is completely fictional, Zevin still deals with real-life issues such as depression and romance.  She perfectly blends the fantastic (talking animals, etc.) with the realistic.  

       One of the best parts about Elsewhere is that it is suitable for a wide audience.  Both teens and grown-ups alike will enjoy reading this fun and yet philosophical novel, both because of its interesting plot line and because of its lovable characters.  If you have any time left in your summer to read, I would highly recommend picking up a copy of Elsewhere.

Happy reading!

Book Review: Mojo

Title: Mojo

Author: Tim Tharp

Publication Date: April 8, 2014

Publisher: Ember

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 288

Age Rating: Readers over 14

My Opinion: 7/10

Hi, Readers!

       Every once and a while, I enjoy reading a good mystery book.  Trying to figure out the culprit before the main character solves the mystery is a lot of fun.  In the novel Mojo, author Tim Tharp includes a great mix of mystery and comedy to create a lighthearted and entertaining read.  However, some of his characters were not my favorite.

       Dylan is an ordinary high school boy who enjoys writing for the school newspaper and hanging out with his best friends, Audrey and Randy.  However, when Dylan finds the dead body of his high school classmate discarded in a dumpster, he is worried, to say the least.  Therefore, as soon as a girl from a local private school goes missing, Dylan feels obligated to investigate and he believes the cases may be intertwined.  He starts writing a column in the school newspaper about the disappearance, but he becomes more involved in the case than expected.  His investigation takes him to Gangland, a dangerous club created by students from the private school.  Faced with rich kids, overzealous parents, and the police, Dylan must figure out who he can trust while attempting to solve the mystery of the missing girl.

       The best part about Tim Tharp's writing is that he seamlessly integrates comedy into his storytelling.  Some of the situations that Dylan must face made me laugh out loud.  For instance, Dylan has an obsession with cheeseburgers, so whenever he feels passion for something, he connects it back to his love of burgers.  In addition, Tharp uses his comedic style in order to deeply develop his characters.  He even uses a joking manner when describing characters.  Specifically, Tharp described Randy as "wearing a cheesy collared shirt that was unbuttoned far enough to expose his pale bony chest.  I should also point out that he'd been trying to grow a mustache... which had the texture of armpit hair.  Apparently, he thought it was suave."  Just imagine a whole book filled with descriptions as wacky as these.

       However, one drawback of the novel is that none of the characters really stood out.  Although Tharp made Dylan into a funny character, I did not particularly like him.  Many of his decisions and thoughts made me mad.  For instance, it took Dylan the entire novel to figure out that the 'popular crowd' was using him for their own personal advantage, even though all of the signs were there.  I got frustrated that Dylan was self-centered throughout his search for the missing girl, and it got to the point where I wondered why he was even looking for her in the first place.

       If you are a mystery lover, Mojo would be an entertaining read for you.  I enjoyed reading it and it made me laugh, but the novel lacked a certain something to transform it from good to great.

Happy reading!