Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Awesome)

• 

This review is adapted from a book review I did for school so it will be formatted a little differently than most of my posts. Basically, this is a classic book that was so much better than I could have ever possibly hoped!
Here we go:


Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is a futuristic science fiction novel that follows the story of a young boy, Ender, as he is chosen to go to Battle School. Once there, he learns how to lead armies into battle against alien invaders. At Battle School, he faces many obstacles, from jealous bullies to the complex plans for the upcoming mock battles. If Ender does not succeed in becoming the commander that his superiors expect him to be, mankind will surely become a doomed race. Orson Scott Card uses Ender’s struggles to highlight the intelligence of youth, the effect of isolation from others, and the difficulties and responsibilities of leadership. He also shows the importance of unity against all types of foes.

Orson Scott Card told Ender’s story in a comprehensive and concise fashion. The book’s voice was the perfect balance of formal and informal, not so formal that it detracts from the story and not so informal that the plot does not come across. The author’s writing style helps the book even more because it is aimed at young adults, who are more likely to read a book that does not include long, boring descriptions. While there still were descriptions, they did not play as large of a role in Ender’s Game as in other books which made the novel a quick and easy read.

The book is told through the eyes of the main character, Ender, who was very relatable. Despite being in his unique position, Ender was a very understandable character.  It was impossible not to be on his side. All of his issues became the reader’s issues as they read along with him.  The supporting characters were also very realistic. Even if they were not likable, the reader could understand their motives and actions.  The author of this book was very gifted at creating characters whom could have easily been real, and he was skilled about making the reader care about what happens to them. This attribute made the story very engaging and increased the enjoyability of the book.

Ender’s Game’s storyline was very fast paced and intriguing, which made the whole book very exciting for the reader; therefore, it went by quickly. It kept the readers on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what would happen to the characters next. Twists and turns were peppered throughout this story.  There was a new shocking discovery in every chapter. This contributed to the story being surprising and fresh.  Despite being published in the mid eighties, it is a timeless story. It felt as if it could happen anywhere from two to two thousand years in the future. This added to the realistic quality of the work and helped the book connect with its readers.

Even though it is set in the future, this book was very easy to relate to because it includes themes that we all experience in day to day life. For example, loneliness and responsibility play big roles. Ender’s Game is a classical science fiction novel that all people should read, regardless of their age. It is one of the few books that I believe deserves the awards that decorate its cover. It has all of the qualities that make it an instant favorite to all those who read it.  This book was a superbly written story that will positively affect every person who reads it. I would, without a doubt, recommend Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game.

*End of Official Book Review*

Phrase:
"Oh, Bugger off!"

Thanks for reading!

The Final Warning by James Patterson (Somewhere between Bad and Okay)

This is the fourth book in the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson.

Background on the earlier books in the series:
The books are light reads with hilarious characters. The plot always flows well from one scene to the next. The characters are well written. All in all, worth a read if you have some time.

My thoughts on The Final Warning:
Without a doubt, this is the worst book in this series by far. It was as if the funny, plot driven author died a few pages in and a awful, intent-to-teach-to-readers author took over a few pages in. I realize I am older than the target demographic (I am 14) but I read all the previous books recently and all of them had a voice to them that made me feel fine reading it. The characters spent at least a hundred pages doing nothing exciting or interesting. They just talked about how bad global warming is and played with penguins. And they did not lecture about global warming subtly either. MAYBE younger kids wouldn't notice, yet I doubt it. In my opinion after reading hundreds of books, the MOST annoying thing a writer can do is try to teach the readers a lesson. (If it is implied or during the last few pages of a book, it's fine, for the record.). 
Either way, I spent the majority of this book slogging through long descriptions of global warming which, guess what, I already knew! It was insanely frustrating and might've ruined the entire series for me. I doubt whether I'll even decide to borrow the next book from the library, let alone buy it. 
I feel as if I could've skipped the entire middle of this book and have been better off.

Final Warning contradicted everything else already said in this series. Max must continue her destiny, to save the world, which only she can do. From what you may ask? The evil scientist? Aliens? No. It's from Global Warming! It does not fit with the rest of the series. And I blame James Patterson. 
Personally, I really am not a fan of Patterson, for a number of small reasons. For example, he has TV commercials (which author's should not have). He will co-author a book with another author and then on the cover, his name will be bigger than the title if the book and the other guy's name is written microscopically in the corner. (For a longer rant see my review of The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. )

I wouldn't even recommend someone to read this book if they had read ever other one in the series. It damaged the entire Maximum Ride series in my mind. 

Phrase:
-What do you do of you get stuck in the ice?
-You just fly out. 

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

A brief summary: 
A disease has seized the world causing a zombie-like state in all the adults and older children.  The kids are alone to find food, survive, and avoid being made a snack by some hungry grown-ups.  They must team up with each other to find the best chance of survival against all the possible odds. 

My thoughts:
I read the first couple of pages of this book online, decided I would like it, and then borrowed it from the library a few days later. 
It was disappointing. The first pages were great. The next chunk were slightly less exciting but still good. Then, the only character that was worth caring about (positively or negatively) died. It was all downhill from there. 
The book had positives, of course. I read it in three days because it had a fast moving and exciting plot. The story in and of itself was decent. 
However, the characters were seriously lacking in every category.  I didn't care about the characters at all. Each person had no distinction from the next person. The author just threw a bunch of names down and gave them zombies to fight. The only character that seemed to have an actual personality died thirty pages into the book. There was no character development. Mainly because the characters barely existed. 
All in all, this book had a nice story that was not quickly evident because of its awful characters. 
The last note I need to make was on the ending. That was, without a doubt, the WORST ending I've ever read. The last chapter was a mix of random phrases that did not go together well. It was not clear how it ended. Was that supposed to be an opening for a sequel? Or maybe it was a normal open ended book? I wouldn't know because it did not make sense. Usually, the ending makes a mediocre book good, but this ending made this mediocre book frustrating and terrible. 
I would not recommend this book. It was alright, but there are so many books that are much, much better than The Enemy  by Charlie Higson. 

Phrase:
Grown-ups EVERYWHERE!!!

I hoped this helps you out! Thanks for reading!

The Key (Magnificent 12 book 3) by Michael Grant (Wonderful)

First off, I want to express how awesome Michael Grant is.  For one, he has three series going on at the same time, and the sequel is still out within a year.  Also, he manages to go from the kind of book Gone is to this book which is so completely different, but still amazing.  It was a super refreshing thing to read; I don't know if you know what I mean by that, but it's the perfect word to describe this book.

I've had The Key in my room since Christmas, but I had been putting it off because, frankly, I had forgotten how good it is.  It is the third book in a series, so if I were you, I'd look up the first two books The Call and The Trap before you read this.  I doubt it would make much sense otherwise.  But, before you leave, remember that this series is a bit kiddish, mostly because of its kind of humor, but I actually laughed out loud multiple times while reading this, so keep in mind, this isn't one of the intense books that I sometimes read.  Anyway... Hope you decide to look it up.  Here's the cover for this book.

The cover shows Mack with one of the girls (I'm thinking Jarrah) at the base of the Eiffel Tower while tornadoes cover the tower and a creepy face made out of clouds peers down on them.  The cover sums up the ending pretty nicely, not my favorite cover, but its alright.

Note: I am not spoiling anything.  It might seem like I am, but I promise you I won't.

Summary: In the Magnificent 12's search for the key they come across many, shall we say, small issues.  A fear of beards, rats, the Loch Ness monster, a text message of doom, and even a catapult ride to certain death.  Everything is falling to pieces in the Magnifica's hands and the best they can hope for is reunite eleven of the twelve before the Pale Queen takes over for good.

Review: Absolutely hilarious, but with an exciting plot that will almost certainly capture anyone who can read.  I really loved it, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.  Basically, just go read it along with all the other books in the series.

I'm going to do a new thing where I have a phrase for each book I review just to entertain those who have already read it.  I will never spoil anything, but I'll try to start doing it on all reviews from here on out.

Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, feel free to comment.

Phrase: "Go Fighting Pupfish!"

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Good)

Sorry, its been so long since I posted an actual review, but I also haven't done anything but reread books lately.  Anyway, I finally made it through Pandemonium, which I started sometime near January.  Anyway, I'll go ahead and start reviewing.  The cover:

This is the sequel to Delirium.  (Click on the link to see my review of that book.)  The cover is just Lena with things found in the woods around her.  The title also should make perfect sense after reading the book, so I'm not going to go into that in detail.  *At this point there may be spoilers from Delirium*

Lena is in the wilds now.  She needs to learn the way to survive outside of "Zombieland", as the people in the wilds have taken to calling it.  In a series of flashbacks, she is both fighting starvation, etc. in the Wilds and fighting the society from the inside.  In a sudden twist, Lena is put into the middle of the action, in a way that isn't as she expects.  This event might even change the way she thinks about herself and her aim by fighting.

I liked this book, but I wouldn't say I loved it because the beginning was slow.  Do not give up.  It starts getting fast paced and exciting by at the very latest 50 pages in.  Once I got into it, I really enjoyed it.  

Every other chapter was either from "then" or "now" as the chapter heading said.  So about half the story was Lena's trip in the Wilds and the rest was the current story line.  It was kind of annoying/ confusing at first, but you warm up to it while reading it.  

Personally, I felt like *SPOILER ALERT* Lena was moving way too fast.  I mean her old boyfriend had just died and she was cuddling with some other guy? *SPOILER ALERT OFF*  The whole thing was super frustrating for me, as a reader.  And the cliffhanger was amazingly well crafted.  I'm really looking forward to Requiem, which I believe is coming out in March, now.  

All in all, Pandemonium is a great book with a bit of a slow start.  If you read Delirium, I would suggest reading it.  This book is a bit different because it is less of a love story than the first book.  In fact, the difference is sort of like the difference between Matched and Crossed if you have read those(the links are to my reviews of those books).

In unrelated news, I am very excited about Light, the next book in the Gone Series, right after Fear.  It comes out April 2nd and is the last book in the series.  Oh, and one of the four main characters supposedly die.  It sounds intense.  I'm looking forward to it, and if you haven't yet discovered the series, please, please look it up.  It's in my top three favorite series, currently at least.  

I'll post again as soon as something interesting happens book-wise or I read another book. So... probably next weekend.  Thanks a lot for reading.  As always, feel free to comment your own opinion if you would like.

Gone Characters- My opinion on them.

I'm sorry that it's been so long since I last posted.  I've been busy.  Anyway, this isn't a real post; it's just my opinion on a bunch of characters in the Gone Series by Michael Grant (through Fear anyway).  I love this series and would highly suggest it.  Click on the link to read my review of the latest book, Fear.  Anyway, I would definitely recommend it.  I will try to avoid spoilers from the latest book, but there are no guarantees.  I wouldn't recommend reading it if you haven't read the books but if you have I hope you enjoy.  Feel free to comment with any characters that I am missing or any opinions you have.  So here is the post.  Please pardon any spelling/grammar mistakes; I wrote this a while ago, late at night.

Gone characters... Why I do/do not like them:


Sam:
He's great but sucks at handling pressure and should get rid of Astrid by Fear. He tries so hard, and he is one of my favorites but... he has a few flaws like his fear of the dark, which make him a relate able character but a bit of a pushover, sometimes.


Caine:
I'm breaking Caine into sections since he changes so much. The first section he's a power hungry jerk that wants to be king and doesn't care about the consequences, but a personality that is kinda funny when you don't want to slit his throat over what he's doing to Sam. The second section is him trying to grab power while he's mostly helpless from the Darkness. The third section is his complete and epic selfishness that comes from fleeing to an island. The fourth section is his mostly selfishness but the conclusion to do good when pressured. And the fifth section is the reason he is still one of the best characters in the whole series. It's him being humiliated but still helping Sam in Fear. I'm not saying that Caine is a good guy but he is one of my favorites.


Astrid:
In the beginning she was the "unreachable" girl that you knew the main character would eventually get, just because that's how books work. Then, she became nice to Sam, and I thought that she could be a good girlfriend character. The next thing I knew she was making fun of Sam for having a nervous breakdown!  That got her on my bad side for a while but then she became better for a time, and I forgot I didn't like her. Then she became a manipulative jerk. She started of Fear like that too but there is a chance she might make it back on my good side, especially after her experience with Little Pete. Another problem was her inability to fight and actually help the cause. For example, in Gone, when Sam and Astrid were caught she became super upset because she was slapped and said something about her brother, while Sam was in the next room literally being thrown throughout the room, smashing through a basketball hoop, and tied up with a two hundred pound weight holding him down.  Not a very courageous thing to do if you ask me. However she is becoming slightly more brave as time goes on. Time will tell if she ends up being a good character or not.


Quinn:
He starts out as a nice but freaked out guy. He then turns into a turncoat, regrets it, and is eventually redeemed. Lastly, he becomes one of the most pure-intentioned people in the FAYZ. I like Quinn; he is one of the only decent ones left.


Diana:
I feel bad for Diana. She obviously knows what she is doing is wrong, she regrets it, but she keeps doing it. I like Diana, for the most part. She tries to make Caine behave, and she rarely does something wrong by herself and when she does, she's guilty about it. My only fault with her is the way she went along with it at the end of Fear...  But I'm thinking the baby was controlling her. That line were she said she wanted to stab her baby, for joy?  Maybe it was just fear or maybe even some kind of mind control, so it might have not been entirely her fault. Her personality is really kind of funny.  One of the best ones in the series.  Yet again, I mostly feel bad for her.  All in all, she's not a nice character, but she makes it onto my favorites list.


Jack:
Jack at the beginning was a computer nerd that would go to whatever side offered him more, then he started liking Brianna, and he became a bigger, better liked character. Then what seemed suddenly, he became heroic. A good character that has definitely been over a few hurdles but is still developing. (Fingers crossed on that anyway.  After what happened...)


Dekka:
She is pretty much always a tough girl who, thinking back on it, also has a nervous breakdown.  I've never thought of that before. Interesting. Anyway, she's reliable and pretty hardcore. She's one of the good guys but she doesn't have quite the personality that makes you love her character. I guess you could phrase it this way: I care about her but not as much as Sam for example. 


Drake:
I hate this guy so much. Not that the character's undeveloped or anything. That's not the case. Almost all ad guys can be felt sorry for. For example, Voldemort was an orphan, which is traumatic. However, Drake was a psychopath that tortures people for fun, and who, after what he did to Sam, I believe all the readers want to personally kill. There are no redeeming qualities. He is just pure evil. In fact, he's getting even more evil as the series goes on. He's character's beautifully written for the reader to hate him so much, so I think that is a huge accomplishment.


Howard:
He is not a good guy. That's for sure. But, his personality grows on you. He is a funny little guy. He was actually my favorite character for one part in the third or fourth book. However, things changed. You'll know what I mean if you've read Fear. I was super disappointed. Either way Howard was a witty guy who did bad things like constantly give Orc alcohol. 


Orc:
In the beginning, he was a bully. He hurt people. Then, he started drinking because of his guilt. Then the poor guy turns into a monster. He then becomes religious hoping he will be forgiven for what he's done. I don't like Orc but I definitely feel bad for the big guy. 


Brianna:
She is a reckless, naive character. She is basically the same throughout the series. 


Penny:
Penny is another evil character. She could, arguably be, the evilest character in the entire thing. She tortures people with visions and makes them crazy. You feel a little bad for her in the beginning because of her legs being broken, but then you hate her as you realize how completely rotten she is inside. She's not as completely evil as Drake, but Penny is evil, too.


Taylor:
I've always liked Taylor. She's a bubbly, gossipy girl who seems nice enough. She messes up occasionally but never enough to hate her character. I was actually sort of mad after what happened other in Fear. She didn't deserve it.

Edilio:
Edilio has always been a good guy, but since he keeps order mostly, I don't technically have a strong opinion of him. Except that I was surprised that he was gay. That didn't seem to fit into my opinion of his role very well. 


Mary:
She starts out being the mother figure character. But, she slowly runs out of pills for her disorders and...  You most likely know what she did, if not I won't let myself spoil it for you.  Anyway, it ruins Mary's legacy for me.

 
Albert:
I never was a big fan of Albert. He started out as a character to feel bad for because all of his ideas were ignored. Then he became a little too aggressive with everything, and I, being pro Sam, started to dislike him. Albert then starts doing devious things and finally runs off and I have to say "Good riddance". 


Little Pete:
I feel like he needs more guidance, and maybe he would be alright if he had it. However, if he continues messing with my favorite characters like Taylor, I take my opinion back and think he should be gotten rid of. To tell you the truth, as of the end of Fear, I have absolutely no idea what/ if anything he will become of in this series. 




Okay! So that's my opinon as of today.  It shifts slightly depending on my mood, but those are the basics. Again, if I forgot anyone, please comment.  Really, comment if you even have half an opinion on something I said. 



Thanks for reading!

The Arcade Catastrophe by Brandon Mull (Good)

Sorry that I haven't written anything in such a long time...  I've been a little preoccupied.

The author also wrote the Fablehaven series and the Beyonders.  Anyway, this book is the sequel to the Candy Shop War.  I'll be the first to admit that it sounds pretty stupid but it was a pretty nice story.  A short summary is that a couple kids get caught in the middle of a war between magicians.  They can help using magical candy that does anything from reducing gravity to convincing people that you are doing the right thing.  So that's a super brief summary.  Look it up to see if that's the kind of thing you want to read.  I read it a couple years ago so it might be slightly more kiddish than I remember.  I'll let you decide.

Okay. Back to the Arcade Catastrophe.  The Cover:

I honestly have no idea what's going on on the cover.  What's up with the Spinx?  I don't know.  I also don't know why Summer is flying and Nate is running super fast.  It doesn't make sense.  There's some kid by the base of the statue that's like a chameleon.  Which I don't think happened throughout any part of the book.  Either way, not my favorite cover.

The Summary:  Nate, Summer, Pigeon, Trevor, and their new friend Lindy hear that John and the magician police man, Mozag, have disappeared, and it all leads back to an arcade in Walnut Hills where its biggest prizes are stamps.  The kids start earning stamps for themselves to better find a way to free their friends.  The stamps are tickets for the competition of the century.  They reveal a plot that could very well destroy the entire world, lead by none other than Jonas White, Mrs. White's brother.

I enjoyed it.  It had a nice plot and characters.  It was a bit predictable, for example you could tell which group would win each contest just because of the importance of the characters.  I might have just been good at predicting but some of the things seemed a bit obvious.

Another slight problem was that two or three times there would be a page or two where the writing tone didn't quite match up, and I felt like someone was trying to teach me a lesson, which I didn't appreciate.  I wouldn't have minded but it just didn't fit in.  For example *minor spoiler. It doesn't effect the plot just an irrelevant page or two*  The characters had just done some adventurous thing and they were going to go home for the night when randomly Trevor asked what he should get his mom for her birthday.  Then they discussed how you should use a coupon book but be sure to actually be able to do the things you put in it.  It was completely unnecessary and the whole tone of that page didn't match up.  It was like they wanted to teach me how to give gifts. *spoiler off*

With all that in mind, I would still recommend this book, especially if you like the first book, since they are very similar.  It's not one of those books that if someone asked me to recommend a book to them would pop to the front of my mind.

All in all a nice book with a nice plot intended for younger kids.

Thanks for reading, as always feel free to comment if you would like.