Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult,
Pages: 525
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year Published: 2007
Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)
First Line: "From his perch behind the clock, Hugo could see everything."
"Orphan clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery."
My Rating: 3/5
I think that this story has a really interesting idea, and the format is unique for the story. The illustrations really help to tell the story, almost to the point that this book would make a very interesting movie or short film. I do think that I wouldn't have continued reading this story if it weren't for the illustrations, I'm not sure I would have continued the story. It left some questions, unanswered and others left unsatisfactory.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series/Standalone: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book #3.1)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Pages: 229
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Year Published: 2017
Format: Hardcover Physical Copy (Own it)
First Line: "The first snow of winter had begun whipping through Velaris an hour earlier."
"Hope warms the coldest night.
Feryre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated-- scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court."
My Rating: 3.75/5
This is an odd way to explain this rating but this book just didn't seem necessary. I was glad to see the characters again and get a glimpse into their lives after the war, but I don't think it was needed to read the upcoming books. It did help me look forward to reading the next instalments, but I'm nervous about where the storyline will go just based on this instalment alone.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: Confluence
Author: Tsugumi Ohba
Illustrator: Takeshi Obata
Series: Death Note (Vol #2)
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Pages: 197
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Year Published: 2005
Format: Library Copy
"Light thinks he's put an end to his troubles with the FBI- by using the Death Note to kill off the FBI agents working the case in Japan! But one of the agents has a fiancee who used to work in the Bureau, and now she's uncovered information that could lead to Light's capture. To make matters worse, L has emerged from the shadows to work directly with the task force headed by Light's father. With people pursuing him from every direction, will Light get caught in the conflux?"
My Rating: 3.75/5
I was so glad to see how the story continued and to see L in person. I was excited to see how the illustrator and author worked together to bring the story to life. I also enjoyed the different perspectives we got in this book. I enjoyed the progression of character development, and can't wait to read more in the next instalment.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: Scythe
Author: Neal Shusterman
Series/Standalone: Arc of a Scythe (Book #1)
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Pages: 435
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2016
Format: Hardcover (Own It)
First Line: "We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill."
"Thou shalt kill.
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life- and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe- a role that neither wants. These teens must master the 'art' of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own."
My Rating: 3.5/5
I always thought that I had a similar taste to that of Puruse Project on booktube, but the more I read the more I find that my enjoyment of certain books and her enjoyment of these same books just does not line up. I think that the concept in this novel is interesting and what really holds the story together. The characters are interesting and I'm sure to have a background that we will learn more about in the coming books, that being said, I wasn't a huge fan of some of the plot points in the story. I also found with such a vast world to write in that the characters could have been more diverse (at least in sexuality, if you could live forever you might experiment at least a little). Overall I enjoyed the story, and by the end was reading rather quickly. I plan to continue the series and hope to post more reviews for this author's work soon.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
I've heard so many amazing things about this book on booktube, but I wonder how much of that is due to paid promotion with other publishers. I think that this is definitely for some people but I did have some issues here and there. During the first plot twist, while I was surprised I didn't feel as heartbroken as I think I was supposed to. I also have been getting very annoyed with unnecessary love interests. All that being said, I am still really interested in the world and the way things are run. I also loved the format with the journal entries in between.
Characters:
Citra: I liked her character but I didn't love her. I think that she was stubborn in a good way and willing to stand up for the right thing. I can't wait to see how her granted immunity will work out for Rowan.
Rowan: I think that his experience is important to note. It was shocking to see that someone who was so into "gleaning" had made their way into this society and was in control of such a vast group. It broke my heart to see him lose Volta and those around him.
Scythe Farraday: I liked the way that he gleaned and did it based on past statistics but in some sense that was slightly less compassionate than others.
Scythe Currie: Her method made the most sense to me. After an eternity of living there must be a time where you feel like you are done and ready to move on with your life.
Scythe Goddard: He was a scary reality. That if this happened there might not be a way to weed out the people who are killers and take joy in taking lives. His methods were frightening, to say the least.
Xenocrates: I'm curious about his past, as well as how he chose Goddard as a Scythe and allowed him to be ordained into this world.
Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "The way he once did."
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
