Quick Reviews # 3

For quick reviews, I simply give my general view and opinion on the books included. If you are interested on reading more about the plot of these novels, simply click on the titles and it will lead you to a website (Amazon.com, usually) and the synopsis can be found there.

When My Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park

• This book is highly recommended simply because it is a good story, and is beautifully told. Despite the two narrations by the two main characters and the heavy topics covered, this is a simple book that is easy to grasp and understand.
  
• I thought it was also quite refreshing to read a book that covers a difficult time of discrimination and unfairness, yet be delivered in such a way that it is about hope and not about revenge. Again, as I have already said, this is a highly recommended book.

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

• It's kind of awesome to have most of the books in this 3rd quick review to be ones that I can recommend to others! This one is definitely not an exception, because I really, really liked this book. It paints such an honest picture of a woman suffering from one of the most misunderstood psychological disorders. But mostly, this is about the woman's children, suffering from what their mother has, through abusive ways and difficult situations.
• It is written in such a believable way, that at times it really was hard to continue reading, because some of the situations were just simply sickening. I was really able to feel for these children, and for the mother as well. The author's way of writing is just engrossing. It was amazing how she was able to write so well about such a sensitive topic like this. And yes, I literally could not put the book down. It kept me up at night, because I didn't want to stop reading it. I dislike saying that because it's so cliche, but for this book, it holds true to its meaning. Also, long after finishing this, it still stuck to me; the characters, the events, the writing, everything. So yes, again, highly recommended to both teens and adults.

City of Thieves by David Benioff

• In my opinion, the main characters in this book will remain a classic for me. The effortless pairing of the two was pretty much what made the story. Of course, the plot and the storyline itself were impressive as well. The writing.. yes, good also. The developments were simple, but done so well. To begin with, the premise is both interesting and intriguing already. In fact, now that I think about it, I can't really think of any huge flaws from this novel. Even the minor flaws didn't really matter to me. I didn't mind them at all, because overall, this novel is pretty awesome. Having said all these, I highly recommend it. I think this is an excellent story, and is even backed up by smart and intelligent writing.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

• I wanted to at first write an entire review for this book like I usually do, but thought otherwise, because I thought I would be too harsh on it.
• I read this second effort by The Time Traveler's Wife author with expectations, because that was one of my favorite books I have read about two years ago. Unfortunately, this was a huge let down, and found myself extremely underwhelmed by the whole thing. First off, the main characters were NOT likable at all. To me, they were written based on stereotypes and generalizations. Also, nothing much happens in the story itself. No excitement, no suspense, no nothing. I felt like this would've been much better if it was made as a short story, and probably would've been more effective that way. Another thing, also, is the ending. It was really bad. I was so disappointed with how predictable and unsatisfying it was. I don't know how Niffenegger was able to write such a good debut in TTTW and then write her second as bad as this. But seriously, the entire time, I was simply forcing myself to finish it, hoping it'd get better by the next chapter.. and the chapter after that.. and the next. Unfortunately, it did not get better at all. Instead, it stayed flat all throughout and fell right at the end.
• Obviously, based on my rant-like review (Sorry) I do not recommend this book at all. Save yourself, skip this, and read TTTW instead.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

• I loved the concept of this young adult book. It is capable of making its readers think outside the box. And overall, I was entertained by it and it kept my interest all throughout. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read who are 13years old +. It covered certain topics, and dove into philosophical ideas, insights, and viewpoints, that I thought were all interesting. Also, the main character in the story is very likable, and found myself rooting for her the entire time.
• The conclusion was satisfying, as I thought it was handled and delivered well. This is recommended to YA readers.

Deadline by Chris Cutcher

• I really do think young adult readers and teenagers will like this book a lot. The premise is very good, main character is extremely likable, and the entire book was well-written and well-delivered. Also, I have to add, I know "sappy" is not exactly a good way to describe a book, for it usually means "corny" or "juvenile." At times, sappiness causes a book to seem contrived. Honestly though, for this book, sappy is a good thing. It was easy to relate to, and I found it easy to feel for the main character and the situation he was facing. Overall, this is a great book if you are interested on reading a fiction story about a teenager literally living his day as if its his last. Recommended to young adult readers.