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Through The Looking-Glass

Through The Looking-GlassTitle: Through the Looking-Glass
Author: Lewis Carroll
Series: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #2
Genre: Classic, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Format: Kindle
Pages: 192
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
My Thoughts

Just like with ALICE’S ADVENTRUES IN WONDERLAND, I thought THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS was a discombobulated book of nonsense.

I didn’t have high hopes going into this because of my experience with the first book. Because of that, I wasn’t too disappointed, but I still didn’t enjoy it. Alice still went off on unnecessary tangents, nothing was coherent, and nothing she did made any sense. I thought this one was even more confusing than the first one, which is saying something.

The only thing I liked about this one were the backwards letters on everything and the “Jabberwocky” poem. I think it’s neat that Carroll coined the terms galumph and chortle. I also thought that having everything take place on a chessboard was neat, except that it didn’t add anything to the story because the reader couldn’t follow the game.

The one thing I did learn from reading both of these books is that most adaptations to these stories mix the two together. For example, in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, the talking flowers, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and the Walrus and the Carpenter tale are all in THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS not ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.

Even though I didn’t enjoy these pretty much at all, I’m glad I took the opportunity to read them. If for nothing else just to familiarize myself with them and get a foundation in the cannon of Alice and her adventures.

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Wintergirls

WintergirlsTitle: Wintergirls
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Pages: 278
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

Going into WINTERGIRLS, I knew it was about eating disorders, but I didn’t know how that was going to be portrayed exactly. I figured it’d be very emotional. The first-person POV made the story seem more real, almost too real. There are times when Lia lets her negative talk run rampant and it was almost too much for me because I have a hard time dealing with my own negative talk. I can honestly say that I’ll never read this again.

The story and imagery are powerful. It’s well-written, although I didn’t like the writing style very much. While I think it’s great that Anderson tackles these horrible issues that teens face, I came away with a sense of loss, depression, and a little bit of “I could see myself doing that” kind of thinking. I don’t think that’s what Anderson was going for. I’d hope she’d want readers to come away with a sense of hope. The book does end on a positive note, but 97% of it is so depressing that the last 3% doesn’t really do much for the overall feel of the book.

If the book had been written in a third-person POV, I think I may have been more okay with this story. I may have seen the book as a help to understand what people with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia go through. But, instead, I saw too much of a mirror into myself and my own issues. I don’t suffer from either of those eating disorders, but I do suffer from an eating disorder and I suffer from self-deprecating behavior and depression. While I read this, I couldn’t stop the negative talk because it wasn’t actually mine.

I think other readers could see the value in WINTERGIRLS and its message, but it just wasn’t for me.

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Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures In WonderlandTitle: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Author: Lewis Carroll
Series: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #1
Genre: Classic, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Format: Kindle
Pages: 96
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Through the Looking-Glass
My Thoughts

This is the first time I’ve ever read this classic story. I’ve been somewhat familiar with ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND because of the numerous movie adaptations. However, I was never versed in the original written story. I was expecting a fun, whimsical tale about Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. Instead, what I read was a discombobulated book of nonsense.

I tried to like this book. I really did. But there were only very few parts that Carroll actually showed and not told. I now understand the importance of that writing rule. All the telling was boring. Also, Alice was always off on some tangent that had nothing to do with the story. It just made me hate her and how she went about things. Alice cannot be seven years old. She acted more like a teenager or even an adult than a child.

I liked the idea of the story–a young girl somehow finding herself trapped in a world she doesn’t understand, meeting curious creatures and people, and then finding out that it’s all a dream. If only the execution were better. Nothing was coherent and there was no rhyme or reason to anything.

My favorite part of the story was Carroll’s description of the Queen of Hearts’ court. I loved that he didn’t just come out and say that everyone was part of a pack of cards until he gave you a visualization of it all. And, I loved that the different suits meant different things. It was fun and it made those characters come alive for the short time they were there. I wish the rest of the book were like this.

I’m not too excited to read THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS, but I’m still going to read it. Hopefully, I’ll like it better than this one, but I don’t have high hopes.

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Divergent

DivergentTitle: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 487
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Insurgent, Allegiant
My Thoughts

I really enjoyed DIVERGENT. I loved the concept of the factions. I thought they were really interesting. The idea of focusing on one virtue seems worthy, yet as characters point out, it can’t work. Society should be based on all of the above and not in separate groups. Balance is the key, but that’s, of course, why this society is dystopian.

As I read the story, I kept thinking about what faction I’d choose to be in. I know I wouldn’t be in Candor, Erudite, or Abnegation. Dauntless seemed awesome because I’m quite the thrill seeker, but I don’t think I’d survive all the fighting. Honestly, I think Amity would be my best fit. But, because the factions are so separate, I only had a small glimpse of Amity so I’m not positive.

I really liked the characters, especially Tris and Four. I think being in Tris’s shoes would be hard. I think being in any of the initiates’ shoes would be. You’re brought up one way and expected to either stay in that way of life or choose another one that you have no knowledge of. The choice seems impossible because you can’t go back from it. Tris showed the reader that feeling well and Four showed the reader what it was like to overcome those feelings yet stay true to yourself.

I really liked the buildup to the climax. I liked that we got to know the characters and the world before the antagonists truly revealed themselves. If that action had shown up sooner, I think the story would’ve been confusing and the emotional connection to the characters wouldn’t have been there.

I look forward to reading the other two books. I hope I’m happy with how the series ends.

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Perfect Scoundrels

Perfect ScoundrelsTitle: Perfect Scoundrels
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Heist Society #3
Genre: Romance, Thriller, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 336
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored PERFECT SCOUNDRELS. It’s my favorite of the three Heist Society books. There’s more romance, more crazy cons, and a lot more Hale. I loved that the story kept me guessing until the end. I didn’t see any of it coming, except perhaps for one of the minor characters (but not even their entire role in everything either).

As with HEIST SOCIETY and UNCOMMON CRIMINALS, I also love the POV in this book. I heart third-person narratives. There’s so much more insight, even if it’s still a limited narrator. What the third-person, even limited, POV gives you that first-person doesn’t is little glimpses into the setting not from the main character’s eyes. I loved all the little things of how bystanders might think that something was off, but just went about their business. It made for some funny mental images.

My favorite thing about the Heist Society books is Hale. I’m not gonna lie. He’s the perfect guy. And, when I heard that this book was more about him, I was super excited because I’ve wanted to know his back story since page one. I liked seeing the different sides of Hale as it gave him more depth. I loved seeing his family dynamics. It made me appreciate him more, and Kat’s family more. I loved knowing how things worked in the Hale world. However, I’m a bit disappointed no one let slip what the damn Ws stand for.

I really liked Kat in this book too. The only thing on her mind was Hale. She wanted to make sure he was all right, even when she didn’t know what that meant. She always had his best in mind, even when there was a chance she could lose him. She seemed really grown up in this book–almost too grown up for a 15-year-old girl. I kept thinking she was more like 18 or 19 years old.

The secondary characters were fun too. I loved seeing more of Bobby Bishop and getting to know him a little better. I loved learning more about Marcus and his sister. I loved seeing so much of Kat’s “family” and how they all worked together. I was super sad and then super happy that I fell for a certain something with someone.

My one big complaint about this series is the romance. I’m glad there was more in this story than the other two books. But, there needs to be more kissing and longer intense kisses at that There always needs to be more kissing. Always.