Thirteen Reasons Why Review

Th1rteen R3asons Why

Title: Thirteen Reason Why

Author: Jay Asher

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: June 14th 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 288

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Synopsis:

You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.

Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town. . .

. . .and what he discovers changes his life forever.

My Rating: 

Review: 

Thirteen Reasons Why is a novel that will most likely captivate you and leave you feeling a bit dazed after you've finished it. At least, that's how it was for me. What I liked most about this book was its originality; the idea of passing around audiotapes that have been recorded by someone no longer living does sound morbid, but I found that the writing and the story itself distracted away from the initial premise. 

For starters, I actually ended up liking Hannah. I can understand why someone would not like her because killing yourself and sending audiotapes to make those left behind feel guilty does sound morbid and selfish, but I honestly didn't see that way. Yes, at the beginning, I thought Hannah was a little snarky, but as the story progressed I found myself becoming more and more enveloped in her story, and her reactions, and her thoughts. By the end, my heart was breaking for her.

While we don't hear as much from Clay, I really liked his character. I felt awful for him, considering how great of a guy he was and how genuine his feelings were for Hannah. I also liked how he would interject and speak to Hannah in his mind, telling her she could have prevented this and that it didn't need to happen. Before he takes the blame for anything, he realizes how in control of her own life Hannah actually was and how, ultimately, what she did was her own decision. For me, these reactions made the story seem more real.

For those saying that Hannah's reasons for killing herself were stupid, keep in mind that they aren't your reasons, they are hers. Those reasons were enough for her to end her life. It was to show the reader that despite what you may think in the moment, suicide is never the answer and there is more to live for. Asher doesn't want Hannah to appear strong for that would defeat the purpose of his novel.

This story was amazing. It was emotional and heavy, but also moving and beyond memorable. I feel grateful to have read this book and cannot say nearly enough about how highly I think of Asher's writing and technique and his amazing gift for story telling. I may not be able to look back at this book and want to re-read it over and over again, it's just not that type of book. But I also can't bear to part with it. I'm not sure I'll ever read another that can even come close to being it's equal. I will never forget Hannah's story.

Listen to Hannah's Tapes

 

 “No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same.” 

 Precise, understandable.. Hannah

-Alex 

Hyperbole and a Half Review

Hyperbole and a Half

Title: Hyperbole and a Half

Author: Allie Brosh

Genre: Humor, Nonfiction

Publication Date: October 29th 2013

Publisher: Touchstone

Pages: 384

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Visit Allie's Blog!

Synopsis: 

This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

Pictures

Words

Stories about things that happened to me

Stories about things that happened to other people because of me

Eight billion dollars*

Stories about dogs

The secret to eternal happiness*

*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!

My Rating: 

Review: 

I'm happy that this book exists. If I had known about the blog, like millions of other people, before the book came out I would have been happy that it had existed. But I didn't. Who knew there was good stuff out there on the interwebs?

I couldn't believe how much I was actually laughing out loud at the first story when she finds a letter from her ten year old self to her older self and then responds with writing letters to various aged younger versions of herself. This is literally (and I mean literally, literally here) the most I've ever laughed at something in a book. 

A few of the later stories I was not a huge fan of, but they didn't do much to diminish my overall enjoyment of the book. Eight days after reading the book I can't even remember which ones those were. In my memory they are all great, so yay shitty memory!

I love mixing genres. You can't be all about the serious stuff (well, you could, but you'll be a victim of a massive dullness, and that's fine by me). I love humor and I'm so glad I find books like this one, once in a while. People often think it's easy to write a funny book. Well, it's not. It's not like putting a bunch of stupid words all together. And believe me, I read one of those and that's not how it works. Well, for me, at least. These people seem to be clever, witty, charming. All things I can only imagine, but I'm guessing that's how they are (?) If they're not, don't tell me. Do not kill my illusion.

Anyway, this book has funny anecdotes and hilarious drawings. You can look at this picture with some random sentence next to it, and still can't help a good laugh, no matter how serious that sentence is meant to be.
An overwhelming excitement . (Kind of my reaction when entering an old-looking library.)

 

Funny, Humourous.. I loved it

-Alex

Wonder Review

Wonder

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: February 14th 2012

Publisher: Knopf

Pages: 315

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Synopsis:

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

My Rating: 

Review: 

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Among the best novels I've ever read--note I didn't say best middle-grade novels. This story is so powerful, so beautifully told that it transcends genre. I recommend it for middle-grade students. I recommend it for teenagers. I recommend it for adults--even if you've never read a middle-grade novel, even if you've read and hated middle-grade novels, try this one. 

August Pullman was born with a facial deformity so severe that it and the necessary surgeries prevented him from attending school until the fifth grade. And so his first day at school isn't as one of a flock of terrified kindergarteners--instead, he becomes the chum in the shark tank of middle school. What follows is a beautiful, heart-breaking, terrifying, and funny tale about an extraordinary kid, bullying, and, ultimately, the wondrous power of kindness.

The year had many tough moments for Auggie and many great ones. Told by six different voices, telling the story of the year and of Auggie’s life, from each of their perspectives, and it was done brilliantly. It could have become confused and messy very easily, but it was spot on. This book is a little, sparkly, gem.

There's a lot of buzz with what Wonder teaches, or attempts to teach, but I think maybe we shouldn't over think it too much. Sure, there are some parts that may seem a little simple, that the ending may seem to be a little too nicely wrapped up, almost like how a movie is done and we know real life is never that way. I see it as a simple thing: I see Wonder as a middle grade book that teaches kindness -- to quote, "...to be kinder than necessary." That as human beings, we do not just have "...the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness..." and to choose that even when it's not easy, when it's inconvenient, even when it's uncomfortable.

Even though reading Wonder reminded me of that particular incident I shared at the start of this review which brought back some of the guilty feelings, this book made me feel a lot better after reading it. A little bit more whole, even. With a stronger resolve to be kinder than necessary. I think that a book that can make its readers feel like that is worth a second glance. 

 

This book was everything...

-Alex

The Fault in our Stars Review

The Fault in our Stars

Title: The Fault in our Stars

Author: John Green

Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Publication Date: January 10th 2012

Publisher: Dutton Books

Pages: 313

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Synopsis: 

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

My Rating: 

Review: 

I finished it. And I've thought about what to say about it. 

I'll start with - I think this is an AMAZING book. To its very core. It's a real book - about real life, what happens in real life - you grow up, you mature, you might get sick, you might fall in love, truly fall in love, if you're lucky and then you die. It's a very real book about a very real story. I think John Green is an amazing author, who managed to write an extraordinary book. 

And I'm saying all those amazing things yet I'm giving the book four stars. Well, yes.As much as I loved it, and I did, believe me, what I didn't enjoy was reading how a young life slowly faded away in nothingness, and anohter one was to follow, and there was nothing no one can do about it. Yes, I do understand, and I do now this is how life works, that these things happen every day, but that does not mean that I enjoy reading about it. And this is coming from a person who says that a book is not a truly good if it doesn't shatter your heart into million pieces. But this, it was too much at times, and I know some of you will hate me for saying it, but it was. On the other hand, I liked the slim jokes, the type of humor, the type of relationship Hazel and Gus had. Because, like I've said gazillion times in this review, it just felt real, in a way that you can connect to their love. 

Well, what I can say at the beginning is that I did not feel that this was my TYPE of books .. not really. The author however really impressed me in a way he portrayed the life of people and specially teenagers who suffer from various types of cancers. I LOVED the way he described the life, the thoughts that the characters always care about and how it is really meaningful of being surrounded by people who love you. 

What really surprised me is that I didn't felt sad when it came to Gus 'Augustus's' death part. May be that there is something wrong with me ~~ Or maybe because I already predicted it unconsciously while reading the book.
... because I know myself well and I know HOW Highly Sensitive I am.

I think it was brilliant, but I can't, I just can't give it 5 stars, not because it wasn't an amazing book, but because of me and my perceptions of things, which may look childish and naive to some of you, because these things happen all the time, but this is just me.

I am looking forward to the movie! 

Alex