Tag Archives: book review

TOPIC – Coraline

Posted on by
1

Coraline is a children’s novel written by Neil Gaiman, published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and HarperCollins.

It follows a young girl named Coraline as she finds a mysterious door that leads to nowhere in her family’s new flat. However, she quickly discovers that it connects to a tunnel to an alternate world. A world like her own, but different. There are alternate versions of everyone who lives in the house she does, including her Other Mother and Other Father. Everyone has button eyes, and the land doesn’t seem to exist past the house.

Although most people have watched the movie, I think that you should still read the book. It’s different enough that you won’t feel like you’re reading the same story again. For example, Coraline never falls for the Other Mother’s tricks. By the end, Coraline ends up playing a game against the Other Mother. If Coraline wins, she will get to go home, free her parents, and the other children that the Other Mother has trapped before her. If the Other Mother wins, she keeps Coraline. But in the events leading up to that, Coraline was never under the Other Mother’s spell.

The character Wybie also never existed in the book, nor any character that could be compared to him. The character’s appearances are also quite different, as the Other Mother is described as her hair floating around her, as if she was underwater. Coraline does not have blue hair, and the Other Father devolves into a doughy monster, instead of a pumpkin man. There is also a whole scene of Coraline trapped in a basement room with the doughy Other Father, where she has to escape by ripping out one of his button eyes, sneaking up the stairs, and slamming the trap door shut behind her.

I quite enjoyed the book, and read it all in one night.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Serpent and the Wings of Night Blog – Contains Spoilers!

Posted on by
2

*Be advised this book is for older readers*

Yesterday I finished a book called, Serpent and the Wings of Night ‘. I must say, I got this book recommendation from my sister. She had just finished it herself, and wanted me to give it a go. At first, I was reluctant, as I was planning to read another book called, House of Beating Wings. But she insisted that I finish reading this book first (the nerve!).

I have to say, this book is absolutely AMAZING. I loved the characters and the plot. In Carissa Broadbent’s The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Oraya, the adopted human daughter of a vampire king, navigates a world where survival hinges on mistrust and strength. To prove herself and escape her prey status, she enters the Kejari tournament, a deadly contest held by the goddess of death, Nyaxia. The winner gets a sacred wish from her, and therefore attracts many vampires and people alike to the Kejari.

Throughout the book, I absolutely LOVE Oraya as a character. She embodies selflessness, strength, and kindness in the most admirable manner. Although sometimes impulsive, she knows her limitations and her boundaries.

During the Kejari, Oraya must team up with someone, and eventually chooses Raihn, a ruthless and efficient killer who will stop at nothing to win that wish from Nyaxia. They soon started developing feelings for each other, which I loved. Raihn has this mysterious vibe that’s totally captivating and makes you want to know more about him. I’m totally loving Raihn as a character because he’s not just handsome; he’s got layers to his personality that make him really interesting. It’s not a surprise that Oraya soon falls in love with him! And when it comes to Oraya and Raihn together, they’re like a dream team. They have this amazing connection that feels so real and makes you root for them. They bring out the best in each other, and it’s really heartwarming to see how they support and challenge one another. Their relationship isn’t just about looks – it’s about understanding and respect. Honestly, Oraya and Raihn are like the perfect match. They fit together so well, like two puzzle pieces that just make sense.

I have to say, the ending of this book will completely shock you! Overall, this book is amazing! I would give this book a 6 out of 5 stars!

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book Review: Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World

Posted on by
Reply

Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World- by Teppei Nagatsuki is the first novel in the still-running series by the same name. Following series protagonist Subaru Natsuki the first novel in the series Subaru in his attempt to find his footing in a new world and his attempts to grasp the workings of his only ability in the new world: Return by Death.

In order to understand the plot of this story and why I believe it to be one of the greatest isekai(other world) series of all time, you first must understand the specifics of two things: Subaru himself and his Return by Death ability. Starting off with Subaru, one of the things that makes Re: Zero great is that Subaru sucks as a person, at least to begin with. It’s not that Subaru is a monster, to begin with, far from it. What Subaru is, is a man-child who was never forced to grow up and mature, leading to him making both selfish and selfless decisions entirely based on what he is feeling at the time. One very interesting thing when you compare Re: Zero to other isekai or even other fantasy series is that unlike them most of Subaru’s problems and deaths could have been prevented if he was just a better person.

Speaking of Subaru’s multiple deaths I should probably get around to explaining how that is even possible. You see in most stories where protagonists are summoned to other worlds those protagonists are typically blessed with some sort of special something to aid them on their journey. Maybe they were given an instinctive understanding of that world’s magic or maybe they just got a super powerful shield that will always protect them. In the case of Subaru Natsuki however, he gains the ability to reset time back to a checkpoint he has no control over when he dies. This ability is very important because it helps tie into one of the main throughlines of the series: Self Improvement.

As mentioned above Subaru is something of a idiot who tends to cause his own problems. Grant not all of the issues he deals with are his own fault but most of his deaths are caused by things he could very well avoid. However thanks to Return by Death Subaru is able to see how things go wrong and try to change things. It’s not easy for him and in novel 1 it takes him three whole death loops to even realize he is in fact returning by death, but after that he’s able to figure out what he’s doing wrong and improve upon his previous attempts. This in turn lets him escape the loop he was trapped in.

There is definitely a lot I left out of this review but this review is running kind of long so I’ll say this, Re: Zero is one of the greatest works of fiction I have ever read. It is excellently written and makes for extremely effective psychological horror for the shut in nerds who it is aimed towards. However, even to those not a part of the target audience I would still very much recommend Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World-.

You & Me at the End of the World by Brianna Bourne

Posted on by
1

Imagine being the only person in the world, with time suspended for some unknown reason, until you finally stumble upon someone. A very affable, music-aficionado someone, in Hannah’s case.

Hannah Ashton and Leo Sterling are the only people in the world. They are completely isolated in an alternate reality without people, problems, or expectations. They take the opportunity to discover their true selves and each other.

I really enjoyed seeing perfect, rigorous, ballet-dedicated Hannah Ashton realize that she also loves feeling wind blowing through her hair and Leo Sterling’s guitar playing.

In real life, Hannah is a driven ballet dancer with high aspirations and Leo is a laid-back rock guitarist. They knew each other from school, but they would never talk to one another. In this dimension, they are given the chance to truly get to know each other.

The entire mystery of the reason for this apocalyptic event kept me in suspense throughout the novel. The instances where Leo and Hannah’s true connection shone, I was expecting a blackout, or a glitch in the matrix of some sort to eventually drive them apart, but it never really came.

The setting of the novel felt almost dream-like. I wondered if Hannah was only imagining Leo or if his personality was a figment of her imagination. Without the confinements of their regular lives, they are free to be whomever they choose.

Eventually, towards the end of the novel, their blissful world takes a turn of events. In the center of the chaos, they find each other.

The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L Sauer.

Posted on by
1

The Light at Tern Rock is a Newbery Honor award-winning book by Julia L Sauer.  A man named Byron Flagg asks an eleven-year-old boy named Ronnie and his aunt, Martha Morse, to take charge of the Tern Rock lighthouse while he is away for two weeks.  The lighthouse is on a small island that is only accessible by boat.  The month is December, so Ronnie is concerned about getting back to the mainland in time for Christmas.  However, Mr. Flagg promises that he will return in time to take Ronnie and Martha home before Christmas day. 

Ronnie and Martha are excited when they first arrive at the lighthouse.  They understand that they have an important responsibility to keep the lighthouse lit to protect the ships at sea.  The living conditions are comfortable, and Ronnie enjoys spending the time with his aunt.  After two weeks, however, there is no sight of Mr. Flagg.  Ronnie becomes worried that Mr. Flagg may have broken his promise.  When Ronnie realizes that he might be stranded at the lighthouse, he becomes very anxious and upset that he may not be able to spend Christmas with his family.

This book is a quick read, being only about sixty pages long, but I still enjoyed it.  I was not expecting it to be so much of a Christmas story.  The Christ-centered focus turned out to be my favorite part of this book.  I appreciate the symbolism used by the author to describe some of the lessons learned by Ronnie.  He learns about the importance of responsibility and about the actual meaning of the Christmas holiday.  I wish that this book were a little bit longer, but I still find it enjoyable to read and deserving of the Newbery Honor.

The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Sauer is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Silmarillion: Requires Dedication

Posted on by
Reply

Taking place long before The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien, published posthumously and edited by Christopher Tolkien, is a summary of thousands of years of history. Central to the book are the Silmarils, artifacts created by an elf named Feanor with the light from two tree that preceded the sun and moon. These trees themself were successors to two great lamps. However, the central plot of the Silmarils has lots of context surrounding it, and all the elf family trees, conflicts, and artifacts are explained.

The main antagonist is Morgoth, the master of Sauron and greatest evil in the entire lore. He is a Vala, but all the other Valar reject him because he is evil.

Some central stories are those of Beren and Luthien, Turin, and of course, Feanor.

Beren and Luthien are star crossed lovers, Beren being a human and Luthien being not just an elf, but an elf with an overprotective father. Beren is tasked with retrieving a Silmaril from Morgoth to win Luthien’s hand.

Turin is a human that was raised in a magically protected territory of Doriath, almost exclusively by elves.

Feanor’s story after creating the Silmarils starts when Morgoth steals them, after which Feanor commands his entire people to fight Morgoth.

Overall, the Silmarillion is a difficult read; however, reading it provides a ton of insight on why and how things happened in the Lord of the Rings.

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Math With Bad Drawings by Ben Orlin

Posted on by
2

When you think of math, you probably won’t think of fun at first. However, about a year ago I was looking for a book that was both educational and entertaining, and I found the book Math With Bad Drawings by Ben Orlin. It’s not that well-known but is still a great book, using its witty sense of humor to explain math concepts as well as helping to make math accessible. It’s funny to read and so interesting that you’ll want to read it again and again.

The book helps to explain math concepts such as geometry while never ceasing to keep you entertained. Even though this book is about math, it is one of the funniest books that I have read. It also uses language that anyone can understand when talking about math, making the book more accessible to any reader.

The book also uses doodles to help explain the math concepts in the book, as well as a way to keep the book interesting by adding additional jokes and enriching the book overall. There are many humorous scenarios and explanations throughout the text, but my favorite part is the section about probability that is included in the book, in particular an explanation of how the lottery works.

I enjoyed the detailed explanations in this part, as well as how it used examples from the real world to make this part more understandable. The best part, however, were the doodles, which not only helped to explain the complicated processes behind the lottery, but helping to entertain with a continued sense of humor and using jokes to help explain the concept.

In summary, I enjoyed how Math With Bad Drawings was entertaining and easy to understand. It is similar in style to What If? and XKCD by Randall Munroe, as both help to make math and science concepts accessible and entertaining. There are also many other books in this series, such as Change Is The Only Constant and Math Games With Bad Drawings, so be sure to check these books out! Overall, Math With Bad Drawings is an amazing book that’s great to read anytime whenever you want a laugh or just to learn something new.

House of Beating Wings: Book Review

Posted on by
Reply

This book has been an amazing fantasy read! I have been trying to find a book that has matched the past fantasy books that I have read (aka: ACOTAR, Throne of Glass Series, Shatter Me, Red Queen…) and this one has met most, if not all, of my criteria! It has those plot twists that I love, the romance, and the world building that is so complex, yet complicated. The premise of this book is about a twenty-one-year-old girl named Fallon who is half fae. She is often undermined by the pure fae and the humans as well.

Half-fae don’t have the rights that pure fae’s have and they are not allowed to use magic. Fallon is stubborn, like most female heroines, and she has a love for animals, especially water serpents. But, she has no magic, which she questions. As a result, people often mistrust her and sometimes she doesn’t even understand what and who she is. However, she has her best friends, Sybille and Phoebus that back her up, as well as the prince, Dante who has been her childhood love.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

Fallon lives with her grandma who is in charge of taking care of her, and her mom who is in comatose state. After she goes out to party one night, she meets a woman named Bronwen who tells her a prophecy in which she will be the Queen of Luce if she collects five crow statues.

With nothing to lose, she goes on a journey to retrieve the five crow statues. The interesting thing is after she collects a crow, they come to life. The more and more crows she collects, she realizes that it can actually talk to her and keeps her company during the journey.

As they get further and further into this journey, she begins to uncover some of her heritage/bloodline, secrets that has been kept from her, and her kingdom’s secrets.

This series is a trilogy, and it is a well worth it read! I am currently on the third book, House of Striking Oaths, and the plot twists, world building, and romance have kept my anxiety and heart rate up there! I really recommend this book for anyone who is in a book slumber and needs a book to take their mind off of things!

BOOK REVIEW – Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Posted on by
2

(NO SPOILERS)

I read this book on a car ride to a drive in theater to watch the new Indiana Jones (Dial of Destiny). I hated the book. The movie was good.

The book, Are you There, God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume is a coming of age story about Margaret, a pre-teen girl trying to fit in when her family moves from New York City to New Jersey. She struggles with finding her religion and growing up as a girl. 

I didn’t have to commit many hours to reading — I finished in about two. 

There’s themes of religion and social relationships and menstruation, but overall, it was an enjoyable read!! I don’t think I’d read it ever again, though, because I don’t particularly tend to enjoy Judy Blume. However, it felt real in terms of familial relationships.

In short, I struggle in finding my identity in many areas, such as sexuality, gender, and religion. I’m told what I am by many people, including my parents, but sometimes it doesn’t feel right. Margaret struggles with the same thing — her family argues about what religion she would convert to. I related to it, but again, Judy Blume is not my favorite author. And this was not my favorite book.

Anyways, this book apparently has been banned in a few places due to its take on religions including Christianity and Jewishism. I’m Catholic, a branch of Christianity, but even then, many characters in this book made me feel super angry. The parents discussed religion in poor ways, and basically, I disliked the parents. I disliked the family.

HOWEVER. There were many weird moments in the book that made me throw it across the room. There were practices that the main group of girls went through in order to appear more feminine. AND they were ecstatic about receiving their first periods. I. I cannot. I couldn’t; I literally skipped over every instance they hung out. There was also a girl they disliked because of a rumor that she used her beauty and big breasts to “go behind the school to kiss two boys.” WHAT.

Additionally, these girls had a teacher. A male teacher. A first-time, perverted teacher. There were phrases and instances where I felt like the teacher held their gaze too long on these tiny tweens, he made Margaret uncomfortable, and his eyes always went back to the girl who was early developed. Overall, ew. Overall, please stop, I don’t want kids to reflect on these themes in a positive way. 

I rate this book ½ a star. But hey, at least Indiana Jones was kind of good. 

Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Shining by Stephen King

Posted on by
Reply

In the 1977 horror novel The Shining, Jack Torrance is hired as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, and was invited to stay there with his family during the rough season. Seen as how Jack was battling against a past drinking addiction that put him and his wife in conflict, this was a perfect chance for the family to get closer. However, his five year old son, Danny Torrance, has a psychic ability called “the shining,” which allowed him to sense that the Overlook Hotel is a place of danger. Despite this, the Torrances, needing the money, continued with their plan to go there, leading to a journey of insanity, demonic possessions, and a dark, gruesome look at the Overlook’s past.

One of the best aspects of King’s writing would have to be his extremely detailed imagery. The extent to which he describes each event allows the readers to better picture the struggles and terrors each character goes through, which is an important aspect of any horror novel. The complexity in the characters, especially in Jack, also added a sense of realism to the story. King shows how Jack wasn’t “perfect,” and that his abusive past ultimately impacted the person he grew to be. Yet, he still felt shame towards his actions at the same time, causing readers to feel confusion as they develop their feelings towards him.

Overall, I found The Shining to be extremely engaging and definitely one of the best horror novels I’ve ever read. While still suspenseful and thrilling, I didn’t find the story to be extremely scary, making it more accessible to a wide audience. I do admit that some chapters felt very long and dragged on, but the build up to the end ultimately made these dull moments worth it. Despite any flaws, the characterization, imagery, and impressive writing displayed throughout the novel makes it truly deserving of the title of one of King’s best works.

-Aysha H.

The Shining by Stephen King is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.