UPDATE | 22nd September 2013

Hey guys! Thanks for sticking around.

So the big move back to University is an event that's fast approaching, and so my blog has taken second place behind uni and my little holiday to the lakes.

I thought i'd update you and say what I have planned / what's coming on here.

First of all, I have reviews planned for 'The Pact' and 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans?', which should be coming soon.

Secondly, I was thinking of maybe incorporating film reviews as well as book reviews, because, I usually have a lot to say on films.

Also, I have updated the links at the top of the page, I've got a collection of all my ratings for the year, a long with my rating system.

I hope you're having a lovely day, and I'll talk soon,

I promise.


Robert. 

Friday Reads | 13th September 2013

The Pact by Jodi Picoult. 

First published in 1998, 'The Pact' centres around two families (The Hartes and the Golds) who are very close neighbours, however one day the families are pushed into turmoil when one of the Gold's daughters, Emily, is shot in the head, supposedly by her boyfriend, Chris, the Hartes' son, as part as a suicide pact.

I'm currently in the Lake District in Cumbria, staying in a cottage in a lovely little village with the parents and the dog. The cottage has come equipped with its own bookshelf and I've just had to take advantage of the opportunity to read free books. One of the books is 'The Pact'.

I've only just started this, if you can spot, my little train ticket marks that I'm only 20 pages into this book and already we're thrust into the lives of the Hartes and the Golds. Every detail is described and every emotion written. So far, so good. I think I may enjoy this.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? By Agatha Christie.

I read this on the journey to the lakes and it proved a really enjoyable, fun mystery that Christie is so famous for. The characters were a little incredulous but I found the mystery intriguing and the writing fantastic. All in all, I really liked it.

Note: Errors and unstructured layouts are all part of the fun of writing a blog post on your phone. 

UGLIES | Book Review (NO SPOILERS)

Title: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Genre: YA / Dystopian
Published by: Simon & SchusterOriginally Published: 2005
Page Count: 425

"Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait for the operation that turns everyone from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty. But new friend Shay would rather hoverboard to "the Smoke" and be free. Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. When Shay runs away the authorities offer Tally an ultimatum, find her friend and turn her in or never turn pretty at all."

You've probably worked out that this is another dystopian YA book, one that has actually garnered a lot of attention and praise. Sadly, I am still unsure on this book's appeal, it has an interesting premise but ultimately does not deliver.

I'm going to first start off by talking about the world that Westerfeld has created. In which, I am incredibly conflicted. On the one hand it's incredibly well-thought out, Westerfeld clearly has this world in his head, he just fails to introduce us to it well. We are almost plunged into the world, sort of in media res, but not quite. We aren't plunged into the story, really, more the world. The world is described to us, but I didn't feel as well introduced or interested. The language and names used are incredibly juvenile, whether this was intentional or not, I'm unsure but I wasn't too keen on the names 'Uglyville' and 'New Pretty Town'. It's a very apt description, but come on, in a dystopian novel you have so much breadth to invent names and histories and he chooses 'Uglyville'. 

When Tally is on her quest to find Shay and 'the Smoke', we finally get a sense of world-building but even then my attention for some reason was not being held.

The characters aren't anything to be desired, I was left unattached and not bothered what would happen to them. Tally isn't anything special, she doesn't have the key to the future but the end of the novel really makes her role a much more significant one. 

The plot is slow and I think a story only really kicks in at about page 100, maybe even 200. You would think this is because the first 100 was for 'world building', but it was kind of just Shay and Tally bonding, which was good to see but I had no interest because each character was dull and boring. Tally wants to be with some guy, who is now a pretty, while Shay wants to explore their world and elope with the mysterious David. 

Now you just know there's a love story sub-plot here, don't you? And of course, we find one! It isn't that badly put together but once again unneeded. I didn't mind it as much as I have done with other YA books, but I fear the sequel is going to produce some conflicted love / love triangle that I will most likely despise. 

The book had its moments, and its premise was brilliant. I thought it was very interesting to see such a future, a future that isn't so hard to imagine. However, the lack of story at several points made my attention shift to other books and for that it can't receive anything other than 3 stars. 3 stars meaning it's okay, but you should probably read it to make up your own mind. I'll probably pick the sequel up if it's at the library, but if not, oh well.