My Fantabulous Bookshelf: November 2013

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Just One Day | Gayle Forman

"Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase: planned, packed and ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European Tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she's not, and when he invites he to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: twenty-four hours that will transform Allyson's life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity and the "accidents" of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost... and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know."

I'm just going to be blunt about it. I hated this book. It had a mediocre, at best, plot, along with predictable and unlikable characters. I understand that this is fiction, but its realistic fiction. Honestly, what are the chances of this happening in real life? I feel as though the main audience of this book will be thirteen and up girls. Most of them are naive and after reading books like these, will accept any offer they receive, believing they have found "the one." Am I saying that this will never happen? No. But the chances are so close to none, its worthless to believe that's your fate.

The characters were extremely predictable. Allyson was the "good girl" who broke the rules once and now finds that freedom so tempting that its seeping into everything that she does. I can somewhat relate to her, I am a good girl. Maybe I haven't "broken from my shell" yet but the change from good girl to rebel was too dramatic and too sudden, almost to the point where it was impossible. Willem. To be completely honest, I don't understand what's so captivating about him. If you look at him in a completely detached manner, he sounds like every scumbag that enticed a girl into a one-night stand. Just because it's a book, he's going to end up as the good guy, and there swoons every teenage girl. Melanie just annoyed me. She claims to be a good friend then dumps Allyson. Not that I can blame her.

Even though every aspect of this book annoyed me so much, it did have some good messages concerning identity. I am able to connect with her slightly regarding her "good girl" status. Although I'd never head to Paris with some random guy. Overall I thought this book was overdone and overrated. I'd give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

House of Hades | Rick Riordan

"Hazel stands at a crossroads. She and the remaining crew of the Argo II could return home with the Athena Parthenos statue and try to stop Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter from going to war. Or they could continue their quest to find the House of Hades, where they might be able to open the Doors of Death, rescue their friends Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus, and prevent monsters from being reincarnated in the mortal world. Whichever road they decide to take, they have to hurry, because time is running out. Gaea, the bloodthirsty Earth Mother, has set the date of August 1 for her rise to power.

Annabeth and Percy are overwhelmed. How will the two of them make it through Tartarus? Starving, thirsty, and in pain, they are barely able to stumble on in the dark and poisonous landscape that holds new horrors at every turn. They have no way of locating the Doors of Death. Even if they did, a legion of Gaea's strongest monsters guards the Doors on the Tartarus side. Annabeth and Percy can't exactly launch a frontal assault.

Despite the terrible odds, Hazel, Annabeth, Percy and the other demigods of the prophecy know that there is only one choice: to attempt the impossible. Not just for themselves, but for everyone they love. Even though love can be the riskiest choice of all."

This book just has all of the feels. From Percy to Bob to Nico to Leo. It makes you cry and laugh and everything in between. Props to Rick Riordan for the writing in this. I don't know if it evoked this much feeling in me primarily because I am so invested in this series or just the fact that the book was written so well. The only problem I have is the fact that each character has their own personalized backstory and problems which is somewhat difficult to keep track of.

I've been a Percabeth shipper since the very beginning, since the first encounter "You drool in your sleep". So seeing them progress through their relationship is just such a journey to watch. Annabeth hating him in the first book to loving him in this one. Watching them go through tartarus together and make it out alive, along with all the small dialogues in between. Even in the deepest and darkest pits of hell, Percy can still make Annabeth smile.

Moving on to the new breakthrough characters: Leo, Bob and Nico. Ever since Caleo happened, I can't stop loving him. He is so perfect. I literally have nothing else to say about him except GO TEAM LEO! Nico. Oh god Nico. Why Rick why must you torture me? Everyone saw it coming, I couldn't believe it. But it all makes sense. Even then, you have to feel some kind of pity for the guy. He just doesn't belong, in any world. Some will argue it's because he doesn't try others will completely disagree with me, but it's true. He's not from this time period, he's gay (spoiler) and he's a son of hades. As for the whole 'loving-percy-and-not-being-able-to-have-him' I completely understand (except for me he's not real). He saved Percy so many times, in so many ways but Percy will never feel the same way. I can feel the hurt he feels whenever he sees percabeth together and its so heartbreaking.

AND BOB. OHMIGOD DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HIM. I was legitimately sobbing when Bob stayed back to let Percy and Annabeth go. He is so innocent and adorable. He made Percy look like a complete jerk, who forgot to visit him. And the last line "Bob says hello." had been sobbing. He and Leo need to get their own spinoff series so I can fangirl some more, like I haven't enough already.