The Midnight Garden is hosting a giveaway for 3 dystopian/post-apocalyptic YA novels! Check out the site for your chance to win!

Review: Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

3 stars

Overall, Gathering Blue was a unique story that was simply not entertaining enough. The idea of a future in which technology does not predominate and has completely disappeared instead is original, but the story could have been so much better.

I had greater expectations for this book as many people have told me that Lowry's novel The Giver is excellent. I have yet to read that one though and now I have mixed feelings about whether I should give that book a try.

Gathering Blue was quite boring at times and very predictable. I could see where the story was going very early on during my reading.

This is my second Lois Lowry novel; A Summer to Die was FAR better in my opinion!

Overall, the book was just "OK" for me.

Originally reviewed on Goodreads.





Review: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin

4 stars

Let me start off by saying how much I appreciated the appendix! There were so many characters in this book that would have confused me so much if it weren't for the list of characters. Due to the numerous characters, it took me at least 100 pages to really get into the novel as that is when most of the main characters have all been introduced.

A Game of Thrones was written as a series of alternating points of view from the various characters such as Arya, Sansa, Tyrion, Eddard and Daenerys, among others.
Although the novel was entertaining in its entirety, I found Daenerys' chapters less ineteresting for some reason. I didn't care for the savage and barbaric nature of Khal Drogo and his Khalasar.

Towards the end of the book, the story was a little slow for me because the description of the war and the battles going on between Lannisters and Starks got quite tedious and repetitive in my opinion[ the description of the war and the battles going on between Lannisters and Starks got quite tedious and repetitive in my opinion (hide spoiler)].

My favourite characters were definitely Arya and Jon, and I always looked forward to reading their chapters. I liked the whole subplot of The Others and the mystery surrounding the Haunted Forest beyond the Wall. Jon's confrontation with the zombie-like ranger was one of my favourite parts of the novel; I hope that the second installment of this series delves more into the secrets of the Haunted Forest and the creatures who live there because I was fascinated by that aspect of the story!

Overall, a great fantasy novel which richly developed characters, a good plotline and a well-imagined world that kept me reading.

Originally reviewed on Goodreads.

Evie from Bookish is hosting a ginormous giveaway on her blog :) There are some great contemporary novels and prize packs to be won!! Check it out for some great books.

Since my last post in April, I have read many books as it has been 2 months! Here are the books I read in April, May and June (so far):

If I Stay by Gayle Forman 2 stars
One Direction:What Makes You Beautiful by Triumph Books 4.5 stars
The Greenstone Grail by Amanda Hemingway 3 stars
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness 4 stars
Missing! by Kate Chester 3.5 stars
Rose (The Year I Turned Sixteen #1) by Diane Schwemm 3 stars
Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene 2 stars
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls 5 stars
Dare to Dream: Life as One Direction by One Direction 5 stars
Please Don't Die by Lurlene McDaniel 2.5 stars
Life of Pi by Yann Martel 4 stars
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling 5 stars
Beastly (Kendra Chronicles #1) by Alex Flinn 5 stars

(Clicking on the linked titles will bring you to a review of the book on Goodreads)

Getting behind on reading :S
So much school work though, but I'm almost done!

Great new giveaway at the midnight garden for autographed copy of Preloved by Shirley Marr! YAY

Check out the Midnight Garden's giveaway of The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova!
Click here for the giveaway.

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

4/5 Stars

Delirium was a really good novel. I enjoyed the premise of the story but didn't get enough out of the dystopian society in which the novel takes place. I wanted to know more about the history of this America where love was decided to be illegal and categorized as a disease, but I didn't get enough out of that aspect. I was expecting an oppressed society with a sprinkle of romance but actually felt like I was reading a romance novel with a side of dystopia. I think the story would almost be better without being set in a dystopian universe and focusing more on a forbidden love in my opinion.I also didn't like the way Oliver altered stories from the bible to fit in with the society she created...
Nevertheless, Lauren Oliver is an excellent writer. Some of the sentences/paragraphs of description are beautifully expressed and very poetic.

Here is one of my favourite descriptions:

"The water is an enormous mirror, tipped with pink and gold from the sky. In that single, blazing moment as I come around the bend,the sun -- curved over the dip of the horizon like a solid gold archway -- lets out its final rays of light, shattering the darkness of the water, turning everything white for a fraction of a second, and then falls away, sinking, dragging the pink and the red and the purple out of the sky with it, all the color bleeding away instantly and leaving only dark."

I mean, wow! That gives me shivers.

Also, the ending of the story was action-packed and very fast paced and exciting. The sneak peak for Pandemonium looks awesome! 
(originally reviewed on Goodreads)
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I am currently reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Set in a dystopian America where love is a disease that must be cured, Delirium is an addictive novel that I am highly enjoying. I can't wait to finish it.

http://evie-bookish.blogspot.ca/2012/04/1-year-blog-o-versary-giveaway-thank.html
This website is great if you love books!

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Check Out The Midnight Garden's book contest for YA spring Lit!
http://backinthemidnightgarden.blogspot.ca/2012/04/spring-ya-suspense-arc-pack-giveaway.html?showComment=1333641660183

Love to read!! Currently reading The Tempest-Shakespeare