Speed Review: The good kind.

Title: The Fox

Status: Love #2

Author: Frédéric Brrémaud, Federico Bertolucci

Genre: Graphic Novel, Animals

General Thoughts: Lovely and true

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

The Fox is not your typical story. And it's not really a story. It's more than that. The Fox is about life. The Fox is about family. The Fox is about survival. The Fox is the story that you'll love, without too much complicatio. In the point of view of wild life, we see all this and more.

Have I ever told you how wonderful foxes are? Actually, animals in general? They now everything and everyone, don't over complicate themselves, and have their priorities straight. They don't follow the rules of time and they have the biggest and truest capability to love.

For me, this novel was just that. Animals in their truest form. No story, no background or intricate plot needed. Just the true.

And the design in the drawing was insane. So beautiful and detailed. And not only the characters but the ambient. It all had so many details and was so carefully crafted. Not some random scrambles likes some of today's graphic novels.

Read it. Seriously. It is necessary. (not really but pretty please)

Title: Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection

Status: Collection

Author: The Awkward Yeti, Nick Seluk

Genre: Graphic Novel, Humor

General Thoughts: Gotta love the good ol' heart and brain

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Heart and Brain is the collection of small comics of two comical characters we all know well. Heart and Brain. Taking a satirical spin to them, they talk about real life situations from the point of view of each organ and what their function is. This results in a funny, endearing comic strip that'll have you laughing out loud!

This was a really nice read. I mean, I love seeing satirical versions of what my heart and brain would be like. I think they represented them exactly as they are. The heart naive and reckless, but with true feelings and the drive for the better. The brain logical and responsible, but with flaws as minimum feelings and others like procrastination. None of them was better than the other and both as importante as each other.

And I loved that sometimes it wouldn't just be a funny, ironical or sarcastic joke presented, but that they added some small little moments of deep thinking and important messages.

I really like the Awkward Yeti. The only thing I would have like to see more was the other organs as well. So much heart and brain could be a little boring. Specially because the format was always the same and it could get repetitive.

But great bind up. Love to read more.

Title: Ashes

Status: Stand Alone

Author: Mario Candelaria

Genre: Graphic Novel, Daily Life

General Thoughts: Nice little book

Rating: 2.5/5 stars.

Ashes is the story of Matt, that while living a wonderful successful life, falls in hard times, and the story that follows, while trying to get his life back. Ashes gives a voice to those unnamed heroes that fight for our lives daily, and that not always win. This is what happens after one of those such days.

I loved that this novel centered around fire fighters. I think that they're underestimated most of the time. We don't give them enough credit, really. They put themselves at risk to save our lives. And sincerely, we don't do our best to help.

This is where Matt's story falls in. He suffered a horrific faith that doesn't fall anywhere near just, but there all the same. It was wonderful to see him overcome his anger and sadness over loosing it all, and manage to see beyond it and see all the people that loved him.

I think it's an important book for both the firefighters, because it brings awareness towards them, and people, because it shows that motivation, dedication, hard work and time can do wonders.

The only thing is that it wasn't the most interesting things to read. It read pretty bland and it lacked the suspense and drama. It needed a little more narrative.

And I wasn't a fan of the art design. All that black was sometimes hard to outline. And it didn't help with the overall presentation of the book. Like, if you're going to do it in b&w, at least let me see it.

Great book, you should read it, even if for the sake of knowing about the firefighters cause.

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

Fairies and Twilight

Title: Shattered Blue

Status: The Light #1

Author: Lauren Bird Horowitz

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal

General Thoughts: Twilight with fairies.

Rating: 2/5 stars.

Shattered Blue is the story of Noah, a sixteen-year-old girl who befriends a new student in her boarding school, Callum. But things are not exactly what they seem, as a strange feeling sinks in whenever Callum is around. Soon enough, things start getting interesting and even dangerous, threatening the relationship between them.

Disclaimer, I have tried to do this review multiple times in the past, but haven't been able to complete or publish it because of multiple problems while at it. After getting over my anger, I am now trying again and (hopefully) succeeding.

Shattered Blue was weird. It tried to be so many things, or rather, it tried not to be so many things. I could see that the author wanted to avoid a lot of cliches and pet peeves of the Young Adult Paranormal genre. She was very aware of them and tried to avoid it at all cost. But in reality, she ended up creating many other problems and even creating the same problems she was trying to avoid in the first place.

Let me explain.

She most profoundly tried to avoid the instant-love kind of setting and show it isn't a real, healthy relationship. But while trying to avoid it, she created another even more annoying instant-love kind of setting, one where the girl falls for the very troubled boy, and even worse, the brother.

She also tried to do an interesting plot that was simple enough, but really, it was lacking and also not original at all. And she did something that incredibly annoyed me, that is, hiding things from the reader. Alright, like, normally that's good. But she literally loaded all of the secrets in one character alone, and that sole character revealed those secrets in the worst kind of way. Like, firstly, the secrets were incredibly obvious and unsurprising, and secondly, the attitude didn't really fit in with what was happening. It all felt kind of uncomfortable and weird. Specially that scene where he tells them about the little girl's real identity. It made me cringe.

The characters... I'm not sure. Noah was alright, I guess, but she, at the end, became more of the dumb characters that we all hate in paranormal. I did like her poems, but I never really understood them. I don't know, they felt kind of unnecessary as well.

Callum was meh. All those secrets kind of put me down on liking him. And I'm so done with the "I want you, can't have you" struggle. Really, we are all done with it. And I hated how he changed so much through the book just so we could add the love triangle (hate that as well) with Callum's brother (can't remember his name).

And talking about that brother, he was a most contradictory character. At first renegade and violent, then just romantic, then violent, then super whinny. Definitely didn't like his character. And again, hate what the author did to Callum's image in order to get the brother in the picture.

I really believe that this novel has too many secrets, bad done secrets, to be all that enjoyable. Some for shadowing and a little more coherence would have helped.

And, this is more a personal thing, I completely guessed the whole plot. All of it. The sister being not her sister, the white fae thing... am I getting good or are they lowering their skills?

And the final, most important thing that annoyed me throughout the whole book, is that this is literally Twilight. Everything about it screams Twilight at me. It feels like what the author wished had happened on Twilight. But with fae. Literally. Twilight. The world don't need no mo'.

I did give those 2 stars because it did entertain me through it all, and there was some kind of originality in it. The other sister, everything that had to do about her, I liked. Actually, a book that was solely about Noah trying to figure her life after her sister's dead, and her mom and dad, etc. That, I would have enjoyed way more.

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

The good ol' times are back!

Title: Jem and The Holograms: Showtime!

Status: Jem and The Holograms Vol. 1

Author: Kelly Thompson, Sophie Campbell

Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Romance

General Thoughts: Light fluffy reads, I love.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Jem and the Holograms is a story of dreams, finding your true self and having fun along the way! We meet our four heroins, who are just about to make their dreams of becoming super stars true, if only Jerrica could bring herself to sing. But just as they were loosing hope, they find a strange machine, that might help them in unexpected ways.

Man, this book was so much fun!

Ok, confesion time has arrived...I've never seen the TV show this is based on and only found out about it thanks to this!..

I know, most people loved this show when little and think that this graphic novel is such a waste of times because the show was so much better and this isn't adding anything new... but I'm new to this, so this is my side of the story.

First of all, the illustrations were soooo prettyyyy and colorful! This is the brightest palete of colors I've seen in a graphic novel. And I loved it. All the hair and costumes and colors and music tunes got me completely hooked and hallucinating!

The story itself was really light, nothing deep, really fun things happening all around. I really didn't even bother to see the not so well done things happening around (except the "ok cool, a machine that it's better than the world, all good" thing) because the story was really fun and I couldn't take it too seriously.

I loved that it had so much diversity in such a simple way. And that there literally was no conflict about any of it.

This novel felt like a 90's show. And I know it's kind of dumb to point that out, but it really felt like those old shows I used to watch when I was little. Except that social media was all over the place.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this novel, really recommend, read it, even if you watched the TV show when little. Good all the same.

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

Space adventures at its best!

Title: Descender: Tin Stars

Status: Vol. 1

Author: Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen

Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy

General Thoughts: Excellent for space adventures' lovers!

Rating: 4.25/5 stars.

In a world, or rather, in the space, where everything is gone, Robot boy TIM-21 finds himself alone in a story that will reach your soul. In descender, he and a couple of space friends will go on incredible adventures, searching for the true and maybe some more...

I love when a story is so amazing, that you are left thinking about it for days, weeks after it, and still are amazed by it. It's not just something you can read and then blow off, the story forces you to think about it, to keep it within you.

Descender was such an amazing story! You start off by nothing, plain death and disaster. And you don't know the why's, the who's, and what happened before or after. It's all just confusion. But as you read more, you go figuring out more about what's happening, who is who, what happened before and what the future holds. I can't tell you enough, this story is amazing.

Once all the back story started to come through, you could tell this was no ordinary story. And already the beginning was strange enough, to hold you deep within the story.

The plot in general was super interesting. You get robots, space, aliens, androids. All you can imagine. And you get societies that go beyond what you can expect.

Also, the main characters were amazing. Tim the robot is such an adorable little boy, and so is the other robot. And then there's the professor...leave it at that.

What I do lament is that this first issue was so short! I'm left wanting so much more answers.

The one reason I gave it a 4.25, though, is that the story isn't really new...I mean, the characters personalities and roles were pretty typical within the context. And so was the story, a little. But only 0.75. It still is extremely good!

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

Run for your life, find love, never stop killing.

Title: RunLoveKill

Status: Volume #1

Author: Jonathan Tsuei, Eric Canete

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Science Fiction

General Thoughts: Pretty meh...

Rating: 3/5 stars.

RunLoveKill is the story of our heroin Rain Oshiro, looking for a escape from the city of Prygat, as she's the former assassin of the company The Origami, who now looks to hunt her, at any cost.

This is one of those novels that the more you think about it, the less you like it. Sincerely, what the hell even happened in this novel?

The plot was kind of all over the place. Very little things were actually explained and a lot of wholes were left behind. I never really understood what the city was about, why where they closing it, who was The Origami, how did this all happen...infinite questions and zero answers.

Aside from that, there wasn't anything new to the story or to the characters. It's a thing on today's graphic novels, I have come to realize. Most of them are the same things we've been listening for a while, but graphic. This was no exception.

I do have to admit that it was fun. I really like action, I have to admit. And the scenes were very good. Along the design, that was very good as well, they made a good combination.

I had initially rated it 3.5 stars, but the more you think about it, the less you want to put it.

Recommend if you want something to pass the time with, but don't expect much.

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

Seeing dead people can be boring.

Title: Tortured Life

Status: Stand Alone

Author:  Dan Watters, Neil Gibson, Caspar Wijngaard, Jan Wijngaard

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Contemporary

General Thoughts: Not that good...

Rating: 2/5 stars.

In tortured life, we hear about the story of Richard, and how his life slowly turned bad by his very special gift. Now, at his lowest point, an even occurs that gives him a new reason to stay alive, and actually, fight to stay alive.

When I was looking for new graphic novels to read in NetGalley (because honestly, they're so easy to read) and I saw this, I was really excited. It sounded like something that I could definitely like. But, something that I've come to realize, is an indicator of a possible bad story, is that the blur doesn't really talk about the plot. It talks about general storyline. When I read this, I wasn't sure of what was coming, but if I had known it was going to turn into this? I would have saved time and just don't read it.

I was expecting some fun, adventurous, filled with paranormal story. Instead, I got an unnecessary story, with unnecessary fillings and one hell of a weird out come. I swear, if I had read the final part with the first half, I wouldn't have guessed it was the same.

The story of Richard having a gift to see how people die sounded awesome, Sad for him, but awesome for me to read. But that wasn't it. There was also a weird plot about a weird ghost-avenger who wanted to kill him just because. And then the ending.

The ghost was himself? And he was a clone? Of a guy who had a twin? Or was it the twin the ghost? Or was it the combination of both?

All the same, the ending felt really rushed, and it felt like it hadn't been planned out at all, but rather a spur-of-the-moment kind of word-vomit. It was all over the place, and I'm not sure it made complete sense.

Also, it was really grotesque. But like, really, unnecessary grotesque. It had people's brains and guts flying all over the place, and blood pouring out of the paper. And it was like the author knew his story wasn't that good and decided to stick all that blood so that people would stay. Don't get me wrong, I normally don't complain about that. The realest the better. And when I started reading this, I felt it might be that way. But then it just got ridiculous.

The art style wasn't exactly pretty, and at times I wasn't sure of what the surroundings really where. Other than that, it was an enjoyable piece of work, without the guts.

Even thought all this, I did enjoy some of this. It wasn't a complete and total disaster. It was fast paced, at least the first part, and kind of gripping.

I don't think you should waste much time with this. And not everyone likes all this gross blood gutsy. Nah, I've wasted time.

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

Todos sabiamos, pero nadie sabía.

Title: Crónica de Una Muerte Anunciada

Status: Stand Alone

Author: Gabriel García Marquéz

Genre: Adult Fiction, Classic, Latin-american Literature

General Thoughts: Splendid

Rating: 5/5 stars.

First Lines

El día en que lo iban a matar, Santiago Nasar se levantó a las 5.30 de la mañana para esperar el buque en que llegaba el obispo. Había soñado que atravesaba un bosque de higuerones donde caía una llovizna tierna, y por un instante fue feliz en el sueño, pero al despertar se sintió por completo salpicado de cagada de pájaros.

En Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada, conocemos la historia de Santiago Nassar, que fue asesinado aquel día de la llegada del obispo, después de todos, menos él, supieran de que iba a suceder. Poco a poco, nos cuentan la historia de como llego a suceder, por qué y como se enteró todo el mundo menos él.

Amé este libro con cuerpo y alma. Lo leí con tanta pasión y desesperación, y estaba tan sumergida en la historia que por mucho tiempo no pude dejar de pensat en ella. Todo estaba tan bien construido y tan bien planeado, que no había otra que amar la historia.

Empezando por que amo las historias que no empiezan en el principio, ni en la mitad, sino que te dicen de una vez lo sucedido, y luego van saltando estratégicamente en el tiempo para contarte la historia. De ésta manera, no sufres pensando porque crees saber que va a pasar, sino que ya lo sabes, pero no sabes como, o cuando, o por qué. Esta historia fué exactamente eso, y fue extremadamente bien hecha. Primero te cuentan que murió, y que hizo Santiago Nassar esa mañana, mientras te hablan de su vida. De allí en adelante saltamos de adelante para atras entre lo sucedido ese día, las razones que habían para matarlo, y en puntos de vista de la gente del pueblo. Lo amé.

Poco a poco me iba enterando de cosas nuevas, y con eso, la historia iba cambianda de tono. Primero era algo terrorifico, pero intrigante. Luego se torna algo cómico, al ver a la gente del pueblo y como iban enterandose. Luego, se torna triste, al saber la historia que viene detras de todo ésto. Y por última, deprimente, con un sentimiento de impotencia total, y de desesperación. Pero a la vez, obtienes algo de alivio también.

La historia en si es absolutamente intrincada, pero, sorprendentemente, no es díficil de entender. Por supuesto, me pides que te la cuente, y me pierdo, pero si estoy segura de lo que pasó, en general. Y realmente, su complicariedad se debe a que se está viendo el punto de vista de muchas personas, y todos tienen un versión diferente, del mismo cuento. Y realmente, García Marquez hizo un gran trabajo creando la historia, viendo como hacerle los nudos.

Realmente amé ésta historia, para siempre en mi. El final es uno de los mejores finales que he visto, y me encantó.

The King of the Plot-Twists

Title: Pines

Status: Wayward Pines #1

Author: Blake Crouch

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Sci-Fi

General Thoughts: I'm very impressed.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars.

First Lines:

"He came lying on his back with sunlight pouring on his face and the murmur of running water close by. There was a brilliant ache in his optic nerve, and a steady, painless throbbing at the base of his skull - the distant thunder of an approaching migraine."

How would you feel if you woke up, lonely, with no ID or cellphone and no recollection of your life, not knowing where you are? This is what happens to Ethan Burke, at the beginning of Pines, and things just get more and more confusing and intense from there. What is this place, Wayward Pines? And why is Ethan there?

My God, this was one of the most intense reads ever. And I think one of the only books that I didn't by any means know what was going to happen or what the twist was. I'm still not completely sure what the twist is!

First of all, it was intense. Very fast paced and super intriguing. I don't recollect reading anything boring or not action packed. It was a crazy ride from beginning to end.

The characters, well, they were incredibly weird. Because no one knows anything, and everyone is very, very suspicious. And you don't even know what you're supposed to be suspicious of. But at the same time, you kind of know who is good and who is bad. But it's like everyone is potentially good or bad.

The story itself was full of plot twists. You first think it might be something, and then it's something more deep, and then it's even more complicated than that and it just finally ends up being completely different.

I do have to say, a very strong issue I had with the story was how unrealistic it could seem at times. I mean, the MC Ethan, he's the fucking Terminator. I swear, he literally could have fallen from a plane and still would walk all the way through the story. I mean, maybe the author could have toned it down a little with all the things he did, because man was it kind of ridiculous.

Also, I think it's a very big risk to do something as extravagant for the story. Like, I'm still not completely convinced by it. But maybe the second book will get me around? I've been told it's very good, as well.

Really, this book is completely worth the risk. You won't loose your time at it, and maybe the rest of the series offers a good time as well. Recommend this to everyone, but be aware that it's kind of scary at times.

Big Scary Lions That Surprise You

Title: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Status: The Chronicles of Narnia #2

Author: C.S. Lewis

Genre: Children, Young Adult, Fantasy

General Thoughts: Great cutesy book.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars.

First Lines:

ONCE there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids. They were sent to the house of an old Professor who lived in the heart of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station and two miles from the nearest post office. He had no wife and he lived in a very large house with a housekeeper called Mrs Macready and three servants. (Their names were Ivy, Margaret and Betty, but they do not come into the story much.) He himself was a very old man with shaggy white hair which grew over most of his face as well as on his head, and they liked him almost at once; but on the first evening when he came out to meet them at the front door he was so odd-looking that Lucy (who was the youngest) was a little afraid of him, and Edmund (who was the next youngest) wanted to laugh and had to keep on pretending he was blowing his nose to hide it. 

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the thrilling start for the wonderful Narnia series, where we get introduced to the marvelous adventures of Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter, how it all started, and all the adventures that await.

Damn, I really like this series. I never read them as little because I just didn't have them here. But now I did and I feel great.

starting by saying, the movie adaptation was actually extremely close to the book. I mean, all the events from the book are in the movie, and they weren't changed chronologically or anything. There is of course, the factor that the book always offers more in depth knowledge of the story. But over all, very good adaptation.

The characters where even cuter in this book. But at the same, I didn't see them in depth, or at least not all. For example, Susan felt pretty ghostly for me, commenting when needed and being there to cause some trouble. But I can tell you, I hate Edmund more now. Before he was just an idiot. Now I find him an idiot and very stupid and evil.

One thing that surprised me was how Aslan's character changed for me. I had a very cute, harmless image of him, and with this book he became a little scary, actually.

And the scene where Aslan goes to the witch to be sacrificed, it affected more than it had with the movie. It was gruesome, even. I don't know, felt a little weird reading it like that.

Only thing, is that it's not as interesting as I thought it could be. And nothing really surprising happened.

Overall, I thought it was a great start for a book. definitely read it.

Netgalley Reviews. The Dissapointing kind.

Title: Witches Protection Program

Status: Stand Alone

Author: Michael Phillip Cash

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Contemporary

General Thoughts: God, no.

Rating: 1.25/5 stars.

The Witches Protection Program is a secret agency that's been running for years, that seeks to protect those good witches, Davinas, from the harm done by those bad witches, Villas. In here, we find our protagonist, Wes, who was sent after his first assignment at work went wrong, turning his world upside down.

That description sounds promising. *shade* Better than the book, for sure. *shade*

I'm so mad I didn't like this book. But I'm not really mad at myself, I'm mad at the author for making it such a bad book. When I was cruising around to find NetGalleys, I found this, saw the description, saw the glowing reviews, and thought "well, this is surely to be a fun ride". Wrong.

I really hate being mean about books. Authors put so much time and effort in this little pieces of papers, and so do editors and publishing houses. Whenever I don't like a book, I feel bad about not liking it, and having to later review it.

But this book, no. It was all so cliche. Every single paragraph in this book, I've read at least twelve times. Every. Single. Paragraph. And the writing style, well, it was non existent. It really felt like a million authors trying to write a book at the same time. It was so bad.

There's even this one line I highlighted...

"If I was a man, everybody would marvel at my aggression. I'd be called a go-getter, ambitious. People would respect me."

and then used the notes tool to write this...

"Even the feminist statement is cliche."

And there was ZERO character development. I CAN'T READ WITHOUT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. EVEN IF IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT. Literally, the characters in this book had no personalities, and they changed their minds every few lines, and none had a clear intention of what they were trying to be.

And the worst, instalove. It was literally the worst instalove I've seen in my whole life. The characters, said two times each, separately, that they felt something weird going on, and then they were alone together, and bum, kiss. And they didn't even do that awkward "sorry..." dance that some instalovers do, they just flat out went at it.

Oh, and the main protagonist has dyslexia (don't worry, not a big deal part of the plot, doing you a favor) and I like that the author tried to put some normal problem that people kind of ignore but it's present and important. But even the way he treated it was horrible. I have a friend who has dyslexia, and she suffered a little about it when little, but I mean 6-10 little. This man makes it sound like he's so ashamed, like he murdered somebody. And I hated that so bad.

I could go on about everything that's wrong about this book, like how the plot didn't make sense, and everything happened to fast, or the unnecessary things said-never-resolved, the plot holes, etc. But I'm tired, so no.

I'm really sorry, but this book was really badly written, and plotted out, and constructed. I don't think he should have bothered in the first place.

It does have a .25 more in the rating because there were some fun lines or references I kind of smiled at.

I'm mad I didn't like this book. It really promised to be a fun read. But I was just expecting that, fun. But not even that. Really, don't bother reading it.

Thanks to Chelshire Inc. for providing me with this title!

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

The Beginning of Everything

Title: The Magician's Nephew

Status: The Chronicles of Narnia #1

Author: C.S. Lewis

Genre: Children, Young Adult, Fantasy

General Thoughts: Cute, easy, fun.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

First Lines:

This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child. It is a very important story because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began.

The Magician's Nephew is the story behind the story, how it all began, the beginning of everything. A kid and his new friend go into different universes, thanks to the evil work of his uncle, and find more than a few things along the way.

I am so happy that I decided to pick this book up and read it. Great decision.

This book tells the story of how it all began, the beginning of all the adventures and characters that we saw in Narnia. This book marks the beginning of something great and fantastic.

I was a little hesitant of reading this one because it wasn't really a part of the series as of what characters matters. They were different and I didn't read Narnia anywhere on the synopsis, so I wasn't sure. But then I did, and it all changed.

I had never read any of the Narnia books, but I was a fan of the movies. Which I'm glad I was, because in this book, a lot of the things that are contained in Narnia are explained. And so I felt so excited every time I understood something, and realized where it all belonged to. I think it improved my reading experience so much more.

As for characters, they were all very cute and unique, and I loved them. Well, at least the ones who were good. The two kids were great characters and they weren't portrayed as the typical lost and stupid kids that authors so like to think are true. They were smart and not lost and real, for which, I am very grateful.

I thought the world building to be exceptional, and on few words. I saw everything happening in my mind (helped with the drawings) and it was so much more enjoyable that way.

I really think you should read this book, and the rest of the Narnia series. They're good, fun, cute and enjoyable. And most important, easy to read!

Speed Review: Latinoamerica, mi mundo.

Title: 16 Cuentos Latinoamericanos
Status: Compilation

Author: Various Authors

Genre: Romance, Fiction

General Thoughts: Great and wonderful short stories.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

This is a collection of short stories by various Latin American authors, one for each country, focusing on the theme of youth and young people.

I just read a few stories, three or four, but equally good.

I read A Hunch by Mario Benedetti. I found it very funny and well written.

Then I read Miss Cora by Julio Cortázar, I found it most beautiful and cute until it reaches the end, that left me impressed and gave me a 360 degree turn. This writer is usually like this. The way the story is written I found very funny and interesting, and even imagining the Argentine accent.

Then I read One of These Days by Gabriel García Márquez, who in my opinion was the shortest, but at the same time, more to the point. Comic, tough and sarcastic. Much like Garcia Marquez.

Finally, I read A Gift for Julia by Francisco Massiani, from my native country Venezuela, which is why I read it. It felt great to read all the places here referenced. And the story is frustrating and well known. The final gave me some creeps, but the story in general was good.

And it seemed appropriate to do this review in Spanish, as this are Latin American stories.

Review in Spanish.

Una colección de pequeñas historias por varios autores latinoamericanos, uno por cada país, centradas sobre el tema de la juventud y los jóvenes.

Solo me leí unas cuantas historias, tres o cuatro, pero buenas de igual manera.

Me leí Corazonada de Mario Benedetti que me pareció muy cómica y bien escrita.

Después, leí La Senorita Cora de Julio Cortázar, que me pareció de lo más linda y cuchi hasta que se llega al final, que me dejó algo impresionada y me dio un giro de 360 grados. Este escritor suele ser así. La manera en que está escrita la historia me pareció muy cómica e interesante, y aun más imaginándolo en el acento argentino.

Luego, me leí Un Dia de Éstos de Gabriel García Márquez, que a mi parecer fue el más corto, pero a la vez, el que más fue al punto. Cómico, duro y sarcástico. Muy al estilo de Garcia Marquez.

Por último, me leí Un Regalo para Julia de Francisco Massiani, de mi país natal Venezuela, razón por la cual la leí. Me pareció genial leer todos los lugares de aquí, referenciados. Y la historia es frustrante y muy conocida. El final me dió algo de grima, pero la historia en general fué buena.

Y si, me pareció adecuado hacer este review en español, dado que son cuentos Latinoamericanos.

Title: El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba
Status: Novella

Author: Gabriel García Márquez

Genre: Adult Fiction, Short Story

General Thoughts: Nice, sad little story

Rating: 4/5 stars.

Little story about the colonel and his wife, who live in utter poverty and in constant threat of being without money, without food or nothing. As a small ray of hope, Colonel goes every Friday to the port, to wait for their corresponding pension for their services rendered to the country. But always get the same news, Colonel no one writes.

This book was short and entertaining. It's always good to read some of Garcia Marquez, as his writing is very special. The story itself was depressing, with misery and grief in which the couple lives and the decisions they have to make. Sad sad begins and ends. And there's nothing you can do for them.

Review in Spanish

Pequeña historia sobre el coronel y su esposa, que viven en total miseria y en constante amenaza de quedar sin dinero, sin comida, sin nada. Como pequeño rayo de esperanza, el Coronel va todos los viernes al puerto, a esperar la llegada de su correspondiente pensión, por sus servicios dados a la patria. Pero siempre recibe la misma noticia, el coronel no tiene quien le escriba.

Este libro fue corto y entretenido. Siempre es bueno leer algo de García Márquez, ya que su manera de escribir es muy especial. El cuento en si fué deprimente, con la miseria y tristeza en la que vive esta pareja, y las decisiones que tienen que tomar. Empieza triste y termina triste. Y no hay nada que se pueda hacer por ellos.

Title: El Túnel
Status: Stand Alone

Author: Ernesto Sábato

Genre: Adult Fiction, Classics

General Thoughts: Blunt, depressing, and a must read.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

My initial reaction of this book, which I later wrote down, was this:

"It was disturbing, very blunt, confusing and uncertain. Still not sure how I feel about it."

Right now, I feel almost exactly the same. Still disturbing, and blunt, and kind of confusing and very uncertain. But now, I know how I feel. You see, I've found the perfect allegory for it. This book is a train. Let me explain.

This book felt like if you were boarding a train, with "Death" for its name, but chose to ignore it, and then sat comfortably in the seat of your choosing. The train will start it's engine, and for so, the trip. It will be a slow start, as it always is, which will easy your mind. But soon, you will see its pacing quicken, and quicken, until a point were its speed wasn't normal anymore. The speed will continue to increase into alarming rates, and you will start to worry. And soon enough, someone will see a wall in the horizon, an obstacle, sure to get in the way of your train. And even thought you know it's coming, you still look, and wait anxiously for it to come. And then, it does. The train smashes and crashes against the wall, shooting all its passengers into different, sporadic directions, including you. And once the accident has calmed down, you wake up from the hit, only to presence the disaster left behind, and only you are there to see it, to witness it, to which you will wonder, why you boarded the train named "Death".

Very poetic actually.

In more seriousness, this book was like a hit in the chest, even thought you knew it all along. And even if it's morbid and sad, it's actually really good. You identify with the MC, even if he's insane. But at times, he makes sense.

I liked this book, really. I recommend that everyone reads it. And if that gorgeous allegory didn't convince you, here are some quotes I've recollected. For spoilers reason, I've chopped down a few.

With this one, you open up the book.

"There was one person who could understand me. But it was precisely the person I killed "

And the rest...

"The phrase 'all past times were better' does not indicate that less bad things happened before, but really -happily- people trust them into oblivion."

"To live is to build future memories."

"The expected does not happen. It's the unexpected that happens. "

"But why this mania of wanting to find an explanation of all acts of life?"

"Vanity is in the most unexpected places: by the side of goodness, of selflessness, of generosity."

"When I'm stopped on the street, in a square or on the train, to ask me what books you have to read, I always say," Read what you are passionate about, it will be the only thing that will help support the existence."

And my personal favorite, shortened down...

"... In any case there was only one tunnel, dark and lonely: mine."

Was going to do this in Spanish, but life too short :P

Dragons, witches and great sequels.

Title: A Clash of Kings

Status: A Song of Ice and Fire #2

Author: George R.R. Martin

Genre: Fantasy, Adult Fiction

General Thoughts: Boring at first, awesome at last.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

First Lines:

AryaAt Winterfell they had called her "Arya Horseface" and she'd thought nothing could be worse, but that was before the orphan boy Lommy Greenhands had named her "Lumpyhead."

A Clash of Kings is the second novel of the A Song Of Ice and Fire series, that follows right where we left off in Game of Thrones. In this book, we finally see what those terrible Games that we so heard talking are about, and all of the characters are in a difficult situation, with terrible things happening around, but it all just starts...

Great book, really. So much things happened, so much went down, and so much is coming. This was just mind blowing.

I have to say, this book was so long. At first, when I read those first few chapters, I thought I was for sure never going to finish this in the near-almost-far future. There was just so much information dump in those first 200 pages, and not much things happening really. It took me a while to get used to it, and to actually start to fill the excitement.

But once I went through those, God did it get good. The book gave so much character development to every character. I'm finally redefining who is to trust, who is a b*tch, who is not as bad as one initially thinks. And yet he didn't give us as much as to know everything. I still doubt every single character. Because they change so easily. Everybody lies, everybody keeps secrets, everybody dies and everybody learns to survive by playing the Game of Thrones. It's so intense, but so good.

One of the best improvements was my views of Tyrion Lannister. He is such a cute, smartsy pants, intelligent and kind motherf*cker. Might have a tiny crush for a tiny man. I think that he's probably one of the smartest characters in this book (not the most clever, that could be discussed) and he's also really thinking like a real king. He should be king. But at the same time, he's not really apt to be king of such a violent and war ridden town. So the Hand's King fits him. And I swear, every single conversation he had with Cersei, was the best part of this book. I've wasted every single flicky tap (still don't know it's name) marking all of the whimsical and witty conversations they've had. I love their relationship (even thought it's the worst sister-brother relationship.) I will show you some of the quotes I've marked of them, and some of Tyrion talking around, but maybe they could be a little spoilery, so it'll be under a spoiler mark. View to your own danger.

In a conversation with Joffrey... The dwarf smiled crookedly. "All sorts of people are calling themselves kings these days."

In a conversation with Cersei... "I'm sure I don't know. That fool Eddard Stark accused me of the same thing. He hinted that Lord Arryn suspected or...well believed..."
"That you were fucking our sweet Jaime?"
She slapped him.
"Did you think I was as blind as father?" Tyrion rubbed his cheek. "Who you lie with is no matter to me...although it doesn't seem quite just that you should open your legs for one brother and not the other"
She slapped him.
"Be gentle, Cersei, I'm only jesting with you. If truth be told, I'd sooner have a nice whore. I never understood what Jaime saw in you, apart from his own reflection."
She slapped him.

Another conversation with Cersei... "I will not suffer to be called a whore!"
Why, sister, he never claims Jaime paid you.

And another... "What a disgusting little worm you are. Myrcella is my only daughter. Did you truly imagine that I would allow you to sell her like a bag of oats?"

Myrcella, he thought. Well, that egg has hatched. Let's see what color the chick is. "Hardly a bag of oats. Myrcella is a princess. Some would say this is what she was born for. Or did you plan to marry her to Tommen?"

And adrenaline driven Tyrion... "You won't hear me shout out Joffrey's name," he told them. "You won't hear me yell for Casterly Rock either. This is your city Stannis means to sack, and that's your gate he's bringing down. So come with me and kill the son of a b*tch!"

Oh, Tyrion <3

Moving on, I thought that chapter PoVs like Arya's were very enjoyable. She's doing some really extreme moves, and her life's kind of miserable right now, but I love her.

Also, Sansa no longer annoys me as massively as she used to. I'm still kind of bitter of her, but it's slowly fading. And I feel kind of sorry for her, at times. She's a nice girl, and she's finally growing up.

But then there were chapters like Davos, and Theon, that honestly bored me to death. Davos more than Theon. Like, Davos is to much of a suck up for me, and he never says anything interesting. And Theon is too stupid and blind and egocentric for my taste. When is Joffrey and his head-cutting when you need it?

Then there were Bran and Caitlyn chapters. Those were the ones that could be boring at points, but then really interesting, and then back to boring, and then exciting. Those were ok, I guess.

And my love, my dear love, Daenerys. God she's so lost. I hate that. I want her to stop being so misguided, and for her to step up her game. And even thought that, I loved every single of her chapters. I always do. She's such a great character, and I root for her like crazy. And yes, I believe she's the real queen. Because Dragons. That by the way, DRAGONS. But the things that bothers me most, is that her chapters are so damn apart. #TheStruggle

John Snow chapters were a little bit annoying at times, because of all this wall walking and warnings that we've heard before. But for the rest, they were very interesting. But at the same time I think that a little bit more could have happened, excluding the ending, of course.

Another new character, Melisandre. I'm so f*cking terrified of that b*tch. Like, no, no, NO.

As for what plot concerns, that was intense. In A Game of Thrones nothing had really happened,it was just starting. And in this book, things started happening. But the amazing thing is that I know it's only the beginning. I can feel so many things coming. I do have to say, all the misery and despair found in this book was hard. Man, I love this series.

And lastly, small spoiler section

Man was I scared when Theon was lying about Brann and Rickon's death. And not because I thought it was true, but because I thought that my beliefs of it being fake weren't true. Like what happened when Eddard Stark died in the last book (In case you don't know, since the moment he was killed till the end of the book, a good 100+ pages, I thought he was still alive.) I knew it wasn't true, I mean, not enough proof for me. But there was this small tiny doubt.

Funny moment. When Sansa finds out she got her first period. In that moment, I swear we were all Sansa Stark.

John Snow and the wildlings. The f*cking f*ck.

Melisandre and her dark magic stuff. The f*cking f*ck.

And that whole strange connection with the wolfs and the Stark kids was amazing. But now it just made me feel worse that Lady is no longer alive. And for like the whole length of the book, I was expecting that somewhere along the way Arya was going to have her reunion with Nymeria. But no, never. ;-; And I'm so mad that Arya never killed Tywin. But yeah, I knew that wasn't happening. And her ending was just crazy. I really really want her and Caitlyn to get together.

And also, the battle of Casterly Rock was bad ass. I loved it, so many things happened, and all those characters, and that ending.My dear Tyrion Lannister is not dying, he's going to stand up and rule up all of your asses.

Lastly, that scene where Daenerys enters that weird ass palace. That was even better! All those prophecies they showed her, all the things to come. And how she destroyed those b*tches up with dragons. God I love Daenerys.

This book had such great endings for every character. A bunch of crazy stuff happened, and everything gave a complete 360 degrees turn. I have this saying that I love...

"If things aren't going great, then don't worry, it won't last. And if things are going great, be aware, it won't last."

And damn does George likes to remind us that.

Great sequel, loved it, so excited to keep reading. Gave it a 4.5 because of that horribly long and slow start, but it was so amazing that 0.5 was all that I could take from it.

NetGalley Reviews: Poetry and Orchestras.

Title: Intimate Letters

Status: The Invisible World Is In Decline

Author: Bruce Whiteman

Genre: Poetry, Short Story

General Thoughts: Meh, good and bad.

Rating: 2.25/5 stars.

Intimate Letters is a collection of short poems, that vary in theme and length, but can be all related by the same drive of finding poetry in everything.
Short and concise. That's how I like my poetry. And that's what this book is. Small little stories, fast to read.

At times, there were some very beautiful passages through this book, very true and honest. Small little ways of expressing a thought or a moment, that just enchanted me. I even marked some of them, because I really loved them. Here, have some.

"Even in the face of trees that will outlive me, the world seems beautiful."  

"Every small-town psychic knows that the greatest urgency is to live inside the moment." 

"Love is obsessive or love is nothing at all." 

"Press yourself against my chest and sigh." 

"Books pile up like laundry, ready to be recycled." 

"We sleep to much or yearn to. Down the line there's only more of the same." 

"The worst part of being alone is thinking to much."

The whole poem "Elegy" about his mother's death, specially the beginning, was completely beautiful.

But then at times, it felt like this was too personal to understand. There were to many references or small things said that I think I would have liked best if I knew this person, or if I was this person. The whole book feels too personal, really. And poetry is very personal, but not to the point where you don't really understand. At times it felt like juts a bunch of random thoughts put down in a haste, just to get them before they leave, without any string of consciousness that connects them.

And also, you can tell this man lives and breaths poetry. The way he talks about everything in such a simple voice. But at the same time, I think he over did it. He was so worried to form a poetic sentence that at times you don't understand what you're reading.

I liked it, not completely enjoyed, but it was nice and sweet to read.

Title: Zoo Orchestra

Status: Stand Alone

Author: Manuel Diaz

Genre: Children, Music

General Thoughts: Ok, just that.

Rating: 3.25/5 stars.

Zoo Orchestra, is a children's book that talks about the instruments found in an orchestra, and associates them to animals in a funny way. In here, we get a little information of both the instrument and the animal, while having fun!

I think this book was actually good. It was meant for kids, to teach about the instruments in a fun relatable way, and that's what it did. It served its purpose.

I thought the drawings made for the book were beautiful and original. And the association between animal/instrument was well done.

Also, I love how he gave information of not only the instrument but the animal as well, and how he also added a small tip of what to listen if you're looking for the instrument.

But I think the execution could have been better. A little more information about each instrument wouldn't have hurt, because it really just said the obvious at sight. And the same for the animals. And a little more structure was also missing. Some information given in some places was missing in others, and I think that with a better organization and polishing, it would have been ok.

And not exactly a flaw, because I understand, but I would have liked to see a tiny bit more of instruments. Just saying.

Nice book overall. I can see myself showing this to kids. But small ones. And then searching for something else. But I think you should buy it for your kids, specially because more music should be taught in general.

Thanks to Mill City Press and ECW Press for sending me this copies, respectively! 

I received this copies in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

That part of your brain that you can't escape from.

Title: Dark Places

Author: Gillian Flynn

Genre: Mystery, Horror, Adult Fiction

General Thoughts: F*cked up, but good.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

First Lines

I have a meaness inside me, real as an organ. Slit me at my belly and it might slide out, meaty and dark, drop on the floor so you could stomp on it. It's the Day blood. Something's wrong with it.

Dark Places is the story of a little girl's survival to the brutal murders of her family, by her brother, and whatever happened afterwards with her. Now, an adult, she finally see's back on that day, and starts to question what really happened that day, all those years back...

Man is this shit fucked up. But, it's good as hell.

I absolutely adored and loved this book. It was disgusting, horrifying, scary and absolutely perfect. This books borders on the side of sanity, and you could catch some poison of it, but damn is it worth it.

All of the characters, every single one, are unreliable characters. Each in their own special way. The main character is unbelievable useless and lazy, and with some untreated mental problems, and the rest are a mixture of ignorant people, tired and exhausted people, angry teenagers, and psychopaths. And yet, you root for their well being (most of them) and for their success out of this mess. And for some, you want them to burn in hell. But then, later on, not quite.

My views on this characters changed so much throughout the book that I don't even know anymore. It was like...

Moving on. The mystery in itself was damn well constructed. It was mysterious all over the place, and the various POV where spot on. They actually helped build the book even more. All those things said and misunderstood, all those secrets. They make the book even better. And, of course, extremely well executed.

Of course, I being me, kind of saw where the mystery was going, what tracks it was following. But, even thought that, it still managed to surprise me how and who finally executed the final twist. So yeah, extremely well pieced together.

Lastly, the world building, even thought not necessary to the genre, was well done. I imagined myself being in there, with all the rest of the characters. And even thought I've never been to places remotely like this, I still felt it in me.

And the definition the author gives to what a Dark Place is, loved it, perfect, it's a new quote on my book quote (not that I have one, but you feel me?).

"I can never dwell in these thoughts. I've labeled the memories as if they were a particulary dangerous region: Darkplace"

Of course, you must read the whole thing to understand it.

This book is excellent, grotesque, mysterious, fast paced, poisonous, incredible, sad and a must read. One of the best jobs by the author, maybe even in the same spot as Gone Girl. *gasps in the background*

Although, I do warn you, this is not for the weak, sensible, devoted religious, and tender people. Read at your own risk.

Sequels will ruin me forever.

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Genre: High Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

General Thoughts: Nope, waste of time.

Rating: 1.5/5 stars.

First Lines

"It did not surprise Fire that the man in the forest shot her. What surprised her was that he shot her by accident."

Fire is the awaited sequel, or rather, companion novel, that follows a different heroin from the same land. Set a few years back before Graceling, we meet Fire, the last Human Monster, and how she tries to live being a part of a falling kingdom, caused by her father, Cansrel, who was an even more powerful and crueler Human Monster.
Yeah, I did not like this, really.

I admit it, nothing was missing. There was a plot, there was a drive, there were the two lovers with a slight love triangle so common, and a heroin with hidden powers she's afraid to use. But already that is super cliche, it's the same formula for every standard Young Adult Fantasy book.

But even that sounded great with the setting this book provided. But it wasn't enough. Not nearly.

Once I finished reading, I realized it reminded me of Graceling. This book had the same weird under the radar plot and the two fighter/lovers, and all those special powers. But in Graceling, it worked. It did not in this book.

Really, the first half was completely boring and tedious, and the second half was better but too random. And once again, like Graceling, I felt the author was trying to achive something bigger than what she could handle, and ended up coming short. And it's really disappointing, because if you see what happened through the whole book, it should have worked, but it didn't.

And I didn't buy the MC character at all. She was too weak and suddenly so strong and so whinny and at the same time silent. She was a contradiction of things. One minute she was crying for this and the next she said it was better like that, and then back to hating. It was a disaster.

And it had that Twilight thing, that every action had a face to join it, and of course, it was over analyzed.

There was also that thing about king Leck and his past. That small story was actually nice, but his place in the plot-line was confusing and totally unnecessary. And I also needed some explanation about this kingdom thing, like, why are there two worlds and they don't know nothing of each other, and how does that even work? But once again, it was too big for the author and she couldn't handle it.

So yeah, I'm really disappointed with this book, specially because there's thing I kind of liked in Graceling that I now want to cringe my eyes at.

I don't recommend you to read this book, unless you're like really obsessed with it and need more of it. But I'll call it a waste of time.

It all starts.

Title: A Game of Thrones

Author: George R.R. Martin
Status: A Song of Ice and Fire #1

Genre: Adult, Fiction, Epic Fantasy

General Thoughts: Great book, much dead

Rating: 5/5 stars

First Lines

The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go with his lord father and his brothers to see the king's justice done. It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life.

A Game of Thrones is the acclaimed novel of George R.R. Martin, focusing on the land of Ice and Fire, and the interesting characters found in it. Power, love, gold and family will move this characters to do everything they can, and this games of thrones are only beginning.

What else could be said about such a book that hasn't been said before?

I really loved this book. It was such a great realistic piece of fantasy. And not one to put pretty things around and sugar coat life. This is the stuff I like. This is what I love to read.

The book is very well written, and you can tell from the beginning that everything is set up perfectly and that it all adds up for a better and bigger thing, and that this first book was just the introduction to it all. I'm really excited to go on with this series and follow along the game of thrones.

What I specially like about this book is that all of the characters (at least the ones that do matter) are presented in a way that you get to know them, even thought it's not immediately. Like, I know eventually I'll know everything about them. Right now I can tell you so many things about them just guessing around, because I feel like I've known them forever. This means really good character development.

At first I kind of panicked for all the characters that I sometimes forgot who they were and who's side they were on, but later I learned that really, that's kind of the idea. Don't try to learn them all, they probably won't last anyway.

Even now I already have defined which characters I like and which not. Like, I have such deep emotions for some of them that wow, I might kill someone out of frustration.

Anyway, it does strike hard in the heart this book, sometimes it hurts to see what a mess everything is and how much changes have been made to it all. It's hard, I won't lie.

And there's so much things I can quote out of this book, and sometimes they're such beautiful passages. Let me show you. (Tyrion is one quotable motherfucker)

"My mind is my own weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind... and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge."

Tyrion Lannister

"The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends", Ser Jorah told her. "It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace."

Ser Jorah Mormont

"Oh, but it was, my lord," Cersei insisted. "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

Cersei Lannister

And many more, unquotable right now because no spoliers. But really, some of them were hilarious.

I definitely recommend you to read this book if you haven't and if you're hesitant or scared , don't be because it is most definitely worth it and so good. Don't fear it, be it.

Trust no one, not even yourself.

Title: The Girl on the Train

Author: Paula Hawkins

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime

General Thoughts: Great book, fucked up all over.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars.

First Lines

There is a pile of clothing on the side of the train tracks. Light-blue cloth - a shirt, perhaps - jumbled up with something dirty white. It's probably rubbish, part of a load fly-tipped into the scrubby little wood up the bank. It could have been left behind by the engineers who work this part of the track, they're here often enough. Or it could be something else.

The Girl on the Train is the thrilling mystery of a woman who saw something she wasn't supposed to and was at the wrong place wrong time, or was she? Deceptions, confusion, death and more are sure to follow along, told in the voices of not one but three unreliable characters, all women.

This book was difficult to put down, from the beginning to the end. It grips you close using the unknown. You just have to know what happened, is everyone ok, who is really bad and who is not what they seem.

From the beginning, the book plays with the image you construct yourself of the characters, playing with your mind and trust and making you question everyone and everything. Much like a great mystery must do.

The main character is Rachel, and she is just the most unreliable character you'll ever read. You can't trust her, at all, but you feel bad for her, and then think her a crazy bitch, and then not quite. In the end, you're left with a feeling that you might as well don't get close to her, even thought she's not that bad.

For everyone who said that this was a creepier Gone Girl, I don't agree. I mean, there are some similarities, but really, this book is different. And at times is a little bit more unsettling than Gone Girl, but I think Gone Girl is a whole different type of fucked up.

For the most part, this book was excellent, great writing, good plot line and nice twist. But the one thing I didn't like, and it's actually pretty big, is that I guessed what was happening way before the twist started to unravel. I never felt what was happening normal, so I questioned everything that the author let us know, and so I managed to figure out what was happening almost halfway through. Shame.

Hence the why I put a 4.25 rating. I never go hard with books I figure out way before the big reveal, because it happens all the time. But at the same time it didn't stay with me for a long time, so I considered that as well.

But do not let this discourage you, this book is a great thriller, really fucked up and nice for the mind exercise. Maybe you'll be taken aback by the ending. Who knows?

I recommend this to everyone, and yes, for the ones who are looking for a Gone Girl type of book, but don't expect it to be like it. And if you're soft hearted, be careful with it.

Be aware of your soul's looks.

Title: The Picture of Dorian Grey

Author: Oscar Wilde

Genre: Classic, Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Gothic

General Thoughts: Great classic to gain some knowledge.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

First Lines

The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.

The Picture of Dorian Grey is the story of the man's own soul, portrayed by his portrait, and that soul's own destruction. It's a story about passions, about madness, about knowledge and, most noticeably, a classic worth reading.
When I was around eleven, our English teacher (literal English class, as in a language), made us read this book for reading. Of course, it was a shorter version and with a much simpler talk at times, but the essence of the novel was there. We read and, at the same time, heard a narrator, who is clearly the best narrator in history. He would do every single voice in this book and voice it completely different each time, and the makers even had some background music running at the best and most intense scenes. And as a kid, I completely loved it.

Now, older me finds herself in front of the book once again, the real version this time, and was not disappointed.

The book moves through this wonderful conversations about morality and life, and different unimportant but jet very when looked upon issues life, with a complete different voice as to what one is used to, and temps you to drive with it. More than once I questioned if the characters were really right about their opinions.

All the same, the story itself was very unique and dark, very rogue and wonderful to read. The characters were all complex people, and an unreliable MC is always a catch when done right. Specially for such a darling as Dorian was.

We were made to read this book for our Language & Literature class, teaching the life and work of Mr. Oscar Wilde himself, along side it. Learning about the life of Wilde and everything he went through while writing and delivering this book made me like the intention of the book even better. Every blunt opinion and harsh remark about a strong topic made complete sense once you know that it had a purpose. I personally think that it most definitely improved my experience while reading, but fear not, the book is just as great on itself.

The only things I did not like was chapter eleven. It was full of historically incorrect and completely jambled up information, and of the most random things. I know I was to understand how Dorian grew in knowledge and tried so many different things. But really, it was extremely long, and incorrect and just felt like he had dumped everything he knew at once. The book would have been ok without. (and just so you know, I only read half that chapter until I realized that it wasn't going to be important and just skimmed the rest.)

Excellent book, great story, dark thoughts, what else is there to be? Go read this wonderful classic if you haven't, it's completely worth it.

(And if you want to know, the version I read was the McMillan one, with a pretty blue-eyed pal on the cover and red for the title.)

February Bookmark Wrap Up

How the time goes by. It's March already and it just keeps going faster everytime.

Last month was so busy in schools and exams were thrown at me from all the angles (still are) and my reading didn't go as well as planned. I only read two books, but the most important ones.

 Read:

The Giver by Louis Lowry

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I had to read The Giver for class and I was really excited about it. I had a test of it an aced it too! But in general I thought this book was amazing, one of the books that set the pause for dystopian. I thought the world building was excellent, I could imagine the world perfectly. Maybe it wasn't as good at the end, but I get why she did it.

Later, I read very hurriedly Pride and Prejudice. It was a reread, number 567 most likely, and it just keeps being awesome. It took a little longer than usual for me because I was reading it in English for the first time. And I think knowing the original words gives it a new tone to the book, more true to the story.

I had planned on reading two more books, but that just didn't happen. School has me tight in the rope and I really need to get the good grades I'm getting, even if I'm half leaving books behind. *sigh*

There will be reviews up for both books where I tell you exactly what I thought of them.

Thanks for reading once again, and I hope you have a wonderful day!