Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Since this is the third book, I wouldn't be spoiling anything by saying that Alex is back!   I kinda knew that he would somehow turn out to be alive.  There has got to be a twist.  At the end of Delirium I was hoping that he is alive, I wanted him to be.  I thought that he and Lena are good together.  He was the one who opened Lena's eyes to the reality that being cured from deliria is not the solution.

But when Julian got into the picture in Pandemonium, I was rooting for him.  I still am.  I think he is a better fit for Lena.  With everything that had happened in the second book, I think that Julian has proven himself.  It is obvious that he cares for Lena.  And I really liked him more in this book.  More about that later.

I just have to say that I like how this book was written.  The chapters are alternately entitled "Lena" and "Hana."  The readers have finally gotten a glimpse of what Hana's life had been since Lena left and what is going on in her life.  I like Hana.  I hope that she could have crossed over just like Lena.  She was actually the one who was a bit rebellious and questioning when they were nearing graduation.

You would think that Hana's life would be perfect since she got cured and all and is paired to what they would consider a great catch.  I feel sorry for her.  I feel that she's trapped into some kind of a prison where everybody expects her to behave in a socially acceptable way.  Not only that, her "prince charming" is not all how he is painted out to be.

What made me like Julian more in this book was how he handled the whole situation of Alex getting into the picture.  It is quite obvious that Lena is affected seeing Alex once again and it was apparent that she still has feelings for him.  Other guys would have forced Lena to make a choice or would have pushed her away.  But Julian was patient and understanding.  He didn't force the topic on Lena.  He was there when Lena needs him.  He was there to stay.  I wish Lena chooses him in the end.

I think that character of his is what made me like Julian.  I know that he is someone that I can depend on.  Someone that would not leave me hanging when things get difficult.  Someone who can be relied on.  I think that we have to surround ourselves with people that will stick with us through the good times and especially through the bad ones, even if they are only a handful.  At least you know that you will never be alone.

I like the series.  I recommend this to my friends and to whoever who is a bookworm like me.  I just felt that Ms. Oliver could have written an epilogue.  I would really want to know how everyone is doing.  Maybe she would want to the readers to picture how their favorite characters have been.  Or maybe she would explore this story in the future.

"That's what people do in a disordered world, a world of freedom and choice: They leave when they want. They disappear, they come back, they leave again. And you are left to pick up the pieces on your own." - Lena

Rating: 4 STARS

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Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

After reading Delirium, of course the next logical thing for me to do is start on the next book immediately.

I like how this novel is written because the author did not start from the time Lena crossing the fence.  The book began with Lena already in a school in New York.  What I like about how Lauren Oliver told the story is she did some sort of parallel storytelling, the chapters would alternate with what is going on with Lena at present time and her ordeal after she crossed the fence.

After crossing, Lena managed to stay alive until she was found by a couple of people who brought her to what they call their home base.  These people have managed to establish a small community and survive in the Wilds with limited resources. They are provided supplies by those living inside the border. They have organized a system amongst themselves. Everyone has to earn his or her keep doing whatever chores you are capable of such as washing the dishes, cleaning, cooking.  You have to share something for the community.

The book, for me, dwells on the relationship of one person to himself, to another, of the individual to the society and vice-versa.  Being in the Wilds, Lena has learned to fight for her survival.  She was deprived of the comforts she was used to, lost the people she cares for.  However there is no room for self-pity in the Wilds so she was determined to toughen up in order to survive out there.

Like what I said about living in the Wilds, each has to contribute in his or her own way.  In doing so, the community becomes and functions like a family.  They learn to co-exist, depend on and trust each other in order to survive.  I really like this line in the book: "I wonder if this is how people always get close: They heal each other's wounds; they repair the broken skin."  Come to think of it, there is some truth to that.  Friendships are forged when we are going through something and a shoulder to cry on is needed.  Before you know it, the once stranger has become one of your closest friends or you have become closer with your friends.

Aside from the limited resources, another downside from living in the Wilds is that it is never safe.  People who have crossed over will always be regarded as uncured, hence, unsafe.  They will never feel secure.  They will always be hunted, their "homes" destroyed.  There is nothing permanent with the way they live since they have to move when winter comes or when their homestead is discovered.  They have to always be on guard, alert and ready for the worst.

I guess freedom has its price.  Yes, those living in the Wilds are free from the constraints the society has implemented in order to have a deliria-free nation but at what expense?  Living in the Wilds is not exactly a walk in the park.  You must fend for yourself otherwise, death is a certainty.  Actually, that is not really living but more like surviving in the Wilds.

Freedom certainly is not cheap.  All around the world, wars have been fought in order for people to be free.  Laws have been passed safeguarding our rights nonetheless even up to know we are still fighting for certain rights and freedom.  Perhaps not from slavery or oppression but to be free from biases, bigotry, discrimination.  Gays and lesbians are still fighting for their right to be accepted by society, to be respected just like any other human being. In some countries, women are still treated like second-class citizens.  Our society is evolving, I just hope it's for the better.

"If you want something, if you take it for your own, you'll always be taking it from someone else.  That's a rule too.  And something must die so that others can live." - Raven

Rating: 5 STARS

 

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Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I first read Lauren Oliver's novel Before I Fall and I loved it!  So when I finished reading that book, I immediately started on this series.  And I really liked it as well.

I like that she treated love as some disease that can be cured.  That is something new to me and I found it interesting.  Come to think of it, love may as well be a disease.  It is something that we catch, some times even by surprise.  Often, we spread it to others.  It is something that affects us not just emotionally but physically and psychology as well, especially when we get heartbroken.  There are times that love can drive people to do some thing that they won't normally do (it may be for the good or not), and on extreme cases it can drive people insane and can push one to even kill.

I guess that is where the author is coming from.  Maybe she thought what if love is a disease that has a cure.  Will that solve, more or less, most of the world's problems?  Will there be finally be peace on Earth?

The main character of the novel is Lena or Magdelena.  She is what they called, "uncured", because she has not had her cure for the disease yet.  The cure is administered when one reaches 18 years old.  Prior to that age, one would still feel deliria but it is not encouraged.  Uncured boys and girls do not to the same school and do not often mingle.  Interaction should be at the minimal.

Before graduating from high school, seniors take what they call the board exams for various subjects.  These would assess ones strong suits and weakness and would match you to a school and a major.  The evaluation is the final test.  It helps them get paired (yes, your mate is arranged for you).  Not that they wouldn't have a choice since after evaluation, a girl will be sent a list of four or five endorsed matches (so somehow, she gets a choice albeit very limited).  "As much as possible [evaluators] try to avoid any huge disparities in intelligence, temperament, social background, and age."  The one she will choose will eventually become her husband once she graduate from college.  However, if the girl does not get passing marks on your boards, she gets "paired and married right out of high school."

Aside from the fact that people are paired and matched during Lena's time, the government also regulates what they watch, hear and read.  The "LAMM or Library of Authorized Music and Movies"  which I think is a really, really regulated version of iTunes.  They have a "List of Authorized Entertainment" which is updated twice a year.  If there is a LAMM, there is also a "LAB or Library of Approved Books".  Books or stories that elicit strong emotions are prohibited such the works of Shakespeare and poetry.

Dominion, of course, does not stop there.  In the novel the United States has closed its borders.  Military personnel continually guard the borders.  "No one can get it.  No one goes out.  Every sanctioned and approved community must also be contained within a border - that's the law - and all travel between communities requires official written consent of the municipal government, to be obtained six months in advance."

I find how she wrote the novel original because she was able to give a somewhat scientific name for love - amor deliria nervosa - which makes it sound like a real-life disease.  Not only that, throughout the novel she would quote from The Book of Shhh, which is their bible in the novels.  She even has her version of the tale of King Solomon and the mothers who were fighting over one baby.

I love this novel but I don't think I can live in a world like that.  Everything - to the music that you listen to, the movies that you watch, the books that you read - is prescribed!  Even the person you will marry is chosen for you.  What you should do, how you would act is dictated to you.

Maybe this is my reaction because I cannot imagine living in a world like that.  Because I am used to having choices.  I can choose what to read, listen or watch whenever, wherever.  I am free to love whomever I choose.  I can enroll in a course of my own liking.  In short, I am used to the liberties that we have that's why Lena's world is difficult to imagine.  It would seem, looking from our perspective, hers is a lonely place to live in.  Especially, if you are the type who doesn't want to be constrained by rules (like me), who will do whatever she wants, whenever she wants it.  But maybe if that is the kind of world that you are accustomed to, the world that we have now would be a terrifying place to live in.  From Lena's perspective, ours is a world where people kill one another over the slightest of reasons; there are wars; crime is everywhere.  Which one would you want?

"Hate isn't the most dangerous thing.  Indifference is." - Alex

Rating: 5 STARS 

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Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I did not expect that I would enjoy reading this book, much more that I would really love it!  This is the first time that I read Lauren Oliver's work and I have no idea about how she writes and the stories that she tells.  But I am glad that I was introduced to her work by this novel.

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Sirensong by Jenna Black

I think this is the best book of the series and I really liked this one.  I am glad that I stuck with this series until the end even though Dana really irritates me.

Dana was invited by Titania, the Seelie Queen, to go to Faerie so that she may be formally presented at Court (Dana is technically a member of the Seelie Court after all).  Naturally, Dana and her dad, Seamus, are hesitant to accept but of course they are not left with any choice but to assent.

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Shadowspell by Jenna Black

Finally finished reading this!  It took me longer than expected to finish this.  It's the second book on Jenna Black's series about Faeriewalkers (half Fae, half human).  I mentioned in my review of the first book that I didn't really like it much but I'm going to give the series another chance.

Anyway, I was still a bit bored reading the first couple of chapters of this book.  Things got interesting for me when the Erlking and his Wild Hunt arrived.  The Wild Hunt is what Faerie would consider a nightmare.  They make a sport out of hunting Fae and mortals.  They are led by the Erlking who is said to be the only creature that the Faerie Queens are afraid of.  The Erlking is neither Seelie or Unseelie so he really is someone that you should always be in good graces with.

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Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

I have always been interested in stories where there are faeries or magic or mythical stuff so naturally, I would want to read this novel.

I am a fan of urban fantasy novels but I prefer if it is not set in present times.  If it is, I like if there is a mixture of this world and the "magical" one.  Of course, I am partial if the book takes me to a whole new world (sorry for the Aladdin reference) altogether.

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Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I like it when the girl in the novel is not a damsel in distress.  When she knows how to fight and stand up for herself and those she cares about.  When she knows what she wants and does not depend on any man to make her complete or happy.  That's how Katsa is in this novel (of course, it also helps that she is a Graceling).

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My 10 Favorite Books Of All Time

I love to read.  I guess that's pretty obvious now.  Been reading novels since I was in grade school.  I think I started with Nancy Drew then moved to Sweet Valley Twins, then Sweet Valley High.  Honestly, I cannot pick one favorite book or one favorite author.  So I'm allowing myself to have ten favorite books of all time (in no particular order).

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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess is the conclusion to the Infernal Devices series of Cassie Clare.  I just want to reiterate that I like this better than the Mortal Instruments (sorry Jace and Clary fans).  It picks up where Clockwork Prince left off, Tessa is preparing for her marriage to Jem; Will's sister, Cecily, is living in the London Institute; and the Shadowhunters are still nowhere near finding Mortmain.

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

First thing I noticed with this book is that it seemed a bit long so I had my reservations already before I started reading it.

The novel is set in the small town of Gatlin.  It's the type of town wherein families have stayed there for generations.  Where people are in each other's business.  Where everyone knows you're secret.

I guess when you have lived all your life in a small town such as Gatlin, you would want to travel and explore the world outside of your little town and Ethan did that with the books that he reads.   He put up a map on his wall and whenever, during his readings, he would encounter a place that he would want to travel to he would mark it on the map.  Every so often, he would link the marks kinda like mapping out his road trip supposing that he leaves Gatlin.

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The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

This is the third and may be the final installment of the Kane Chronicles as Sadie puts it towards the end of the book.  She said that they are "going to be so busy training and attending school and living [their] lives."

The story takes off around six months after Apophis broke away from his prison.  However, the Chaos snake has yet to discharge an all-out assault on the mortal world as everyone expects.

The siblings and their initiates at the Brooklyn House are of the belief that Apophis is destryong all the copies of a specific version of The Book of Overcoming Apophis, the ones written by a certain Prince Khaemwaset, more popularly known as Setne.  However, the Kanes or anyone for that matter still has no clue on how to defeat Apophis.

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Reflected In You by Sylvia Day

Sex is a powerful tool. Sometimes, it can even be a weapon.  There are people who know how to use sex to their advantage to get what they want.  I too have fallen victim to it.  Just like Eva "[t]here'd been a time when I'd turned to sex to feel affection, confusing momentary desire with genuine caring."  I guess that's why I really like this novel.  I feel there are times that I can relate and empathize to the characters because I have felt and experienced what they are going through.

Reflected In You is the second book in the Crossfire series.  The relationship between Gideon and Eva has really deepened in this book.  At the start of the novel, it can be seen that the thought of two days away from each other is unthinkable and unbearable for them both.  Being the intense individuals that they are, that is expected.  However, something as consuming as their affair is not healthy (and their therapist shares my opinion).  Two days is not that long a time for one not to be able to endure the separation.  They have become too dependent on each other and I think that it is bordering to something obsessive.  Isn't it suffocating if you're with your partner all the time?  We need our space once in a while, some "me" time, don't we?

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The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

At the end of The Red Pyramid, the Kane siblings decided to take the path of the gods.  they also wanted to reconcile the gods and the House of Life in order to restore Ma'at and defeat Chaos.  So the siblings left djeds that only those with the blood of the pharaohs will be able to find.

The siblings have already set up Brooklyn House as training ground.  About twenty young magicians (including Carter and Sadie) now live there.  They are a mixed bunch of kids of all ages from around the world.  There are a few who were old enough to be in college which is a good thing because they can chaperon the younger students.  The rest are mostly between the ages of nine and fifteen - there's nine-year-old Felix, who believes that penguins are the solution to every problem which proves to be traumatic for the birds; there's Julian from Boston and Sean is from Dublin; Alyssa is from the path of the earth god; then there's Cleo, who wanted to study the path of the god of knowledge, came from Brazil; Jaz is a cheerleader from Nashville who has a knack for healing magic; and Walt is from Seatlle, who has an innate ability for making charms, he himself made all the amulets that he wears around his neck.

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Fiction Flings #1

Whenever I read books, there are times when I can't help myself but develop an admiration for a male character.  Call it a crush, if you may.  Here's what I call my "Fiction Flings", it has two vampires, a Fairy Prince, a Nephilim and a Divergent.

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The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

I have always been fascinated with Egyptian mythology but I am not as knowledgeable in it as I am in Greek myth.  So when a friend recommended that I read this series, he had me at "it's like Percy Jackson but only Egyptian myth".  I love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, by the way, so naturally I would read this one by the same author.

What first struck me is the warning part at the start of the book.  I loved it!  It says that the book was just a transcription of a digital recording and that sometimes there was poor audio quality so the author could only guess what the narrators were saying.  I find it unique, this is the first time I read a novel that was just transcribed.

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Bared To You by Sylvia Day

I was curious to read this book since I read the Fifty Shades trilogy and I heard or read somewhere that Gideon Cross is the new Christian Grey.  But I like this one than Fifty Shades (my apologies to Christian Grey fans and those of the trilogy).

I admit I have the hots for Gideon Cross, who wouldn't?!  He's rich, smart and powerful, sexy and confident.  I was thrilled when Gideon and Eva first me.  Wow!

He wasn't just beautiful; he was... enthralling.  He was the kind of guy that made a woman want to rip his shirt open and watch the buttons scatter along with her inhibitions.

I felt exactly the same way when I was reading their first encounter!

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Insurgent By Veronica Roth

Before I start saying what I loved about this book in the series, I want to say that there will be spoilers of Divergent in this review and I will try not to reveal much about this novel.

Insurgent. Noun. A person who acts in opposition to the established authority, who is not necessarily regarded as a belligerent.

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Divergent by Veronica Roth

Imagine a world where the people are divided into five factions based on a dominant personality or characteristic - Candor for those who are honest and truthful; Erudite for those who are intelligent; Amity for those who are friendly; Dauntless for those who are brave and courageous; and Abnegation for those who are selfless.  Can you live in a world like that?

This is the setting of the book.  I love this setting because it makes you think how it would be like to be living in world where you are expected to act and think in accordance with the faction you are in.  Personally, I think I'm not fit for Candor nor Abnegation.  Neither am I Dauntless or Amity.

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Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

I am loving this series more and more!  I hope I will be able to write what I want to say about this book without spoiling too much.

This book offered the readers more of the softer side of Will.  My heart first broke at the last scene on the prologue.  All throughout the book there would be times when Will would let his guard down and show that he can be nice, caring and vulnerable.

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Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I am not much of a fan of the Mortal Instruments so I was hesitant to read this book.  However, when I started reading it, I got hooked and I couldn't put it down.

What I like about Cassandra Clare's writing is that it's an easy read. She's not the type who will bore you with too much detail that is sometimes not necessary to the story. I'm the type of reader who skims over descriptions most of the time and just read the dialogues but whenever I read a Cassandra Clare novel, I read every word of it.

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The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

I simply love this book!

When I first read the series with The Iron King, I liked it and got hooked easily.  When I read, I usually breeze through the description and focus on the dialogues.  But with this series, I found myself reading them word for word.

Before going into the other stuff I like about this book, I'll get this off my chest.. I hate Ari!  I know she sacrificed being with Ash so that Meghan and Ash could meet and be together.  I admire her for that.  It takes a lot of courage to walk away and give up someone you love.  Personally, I'm not sure I can do that.  However, since she already made a decision she shouldn't be flirting, making hints or professing her feelings for Ash.  It's just not right.

With that done, I'll continue praising this novel.  This is about Prince Ash and his quest towards becoming mortal.  I have to hand it to him for giving up something as huge as his immortality to be with Meghan.  I think it's the ultimate sacrifice.  I applaud his determination because throughout his journey he never wavered even if the obstacles seem insurmountable.  I can just wish I meet someone who loves like he does.

Another thing that I took note on this novel is the Wolf's sacrifice.  He stayed behind so that the others can pass through and continue on the quest, and to think that they are not really friends in the strict sense of the word.  It is difficult to find a friend or anyone for that matter who has your back, someone you can really rely on.

This book is about love, sacrifice and friendship.  It's funny, interesting, easy to read.  It made me think about the relationships I have and will have.  I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

Rating: 5 of 5 STARS

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