The Princess Bride by William Goldman 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! In a weird fit of nostalgia, I decided I wanted to read the book that the classic The Princess Bride was based off of. Now, I had seen the movie tens of times, which I am normally against before reading the book, but really, who hasn't seen The Princess Bride?

I was actually surprised quite a few time throughout the book, though it follows the outline of the movie almost perfectly. I actually really enjoyed it, and it was no problem (for me anyway) that I already knew so much of the story.

The Cover:

It shows the man in the black mask taking Buttercup away from the men who kidnapped her. I like this cover. It's simple, but implies a lot of action and emotion behind it. I like the cover, with its simple elegance. A+ cover

Official Description:

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.


Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.


What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.
In short, it's about everything.

My Review:

Let's start with the things that you would expect from The Princess Bride. The novel contains, as marketed, Love, Fighting, Beasts, Lies, Truth, and everything. It has all of the scenes you remember from the movie, told with a bit more detail and background information. There is romance and violence in a constantly shifting relationship with one another.

I was riveted by The Princess Bride. I couldn't put it down, despite knowing what was going to happen. The story was just well-written. The writing and humor is what makes it special. It manages to walk the fine line of being funny and being dramatic, without overdoing it on one side or the other. 

The characters were shallow, as they were supposed to be. Comically shallow in most cases. But, I was actually surprised at the depth of Inigo Montoya's character, as well as Westley's. With characters, too, Goldman walks a fine line well of depth and shallow-ness.

Now, moving on to what you might be surprised at. The story itself is told as a copy of Goldman's abridgment of S. Morgenstern's novel, which his father read to him as a child. Firstly, this is all fictional. Goldman made up the whole story as is. But, according to The Princess Bride, it is an abridgment of an original, boring book. The story goes that Goldman's dad read him The Princess Bride when he was young, but only read the exciting parts aloud and skipped all the boring bits. Throughout the novel, a chapter will occasionally start off with an explanation of what was left out (dining etiquette, etc.). It adds something to the book to have the little snide remarks every so often.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading The Princess Bride. It is almost exactly what you would expect, but it was still fun. However, if you are the kind of person who doesn't enjoy rewatching things, maybe steer clear.

Phrase:
But I'm left-handed!

If You Liked This Book, You Might Also Like:
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

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Happy Reading!

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They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Again, sorry for the big gap between updates! Summer has officially started and with it, I can read again.

My first choice book for the summer was The Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I had been putting off this book for ages because I thought it would be depressing, and I didn't really want to be sad. Though once I started reading it, I was so glad I did.

In fact, if I had to pick an adjective for this book, I would choose sweet long before depressing!

The Cover:

The cover shows Mateo and Rufus walking down the river on their End Day together, with their shadows depicting the Grim Reaper. It's a pretty accurate still of this book. It's sweet, with the threat of death looming right behind you. A+ cover.

Official Description:

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.
Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

My Review:

This book surprised me. Instead of making me sad, this book made me want to seize life. It was actually super uplifting. The overall tone of this book was less cancer-patient (Fault in Our Stars) in terms of seizing the day and more coming-of-age novel. This book was set in an alternative universe where on the day that you are going to die, you get a phone call that informs you of your passing. You don't know what time or how it will happen and you can't avoid it, but you have to make it the best day you can with what you have left. 

They Both Die at the End really centered on two boys from drastically different backgrounds and lives who meet because of their imminent deaths and help shape the other into the person they wanted to be. Rufus helps Mateo get out of his comfort zone, and Mateo helps Rufus calm down and take a step back from his inner baggage. 

The actual writing of this book was straightforward but engaging. Each chapter alternated first person point of view from Mateo and Rufus's perspectives. It was really easy to tell the characters apart as each had a very distinctive voice. 

The characters were really what made this book incredible and such a joy to read. They both start off the book with strong characteristics but also wanting to change themselves into the person that they want to be/be remembered as. They morph throughout the book closer and closer to their ideal selves, taking sidetracks on the way to become their best selves. The character development was what made this novel so special. It was written perfectly, and it was great to see a person choosing to alter who they wanted to be and being able to accomplish that. 

The plot was fairly loose, though there were certain themes that ran through. Themes like the current status of Mateo and Rufus's friends/family and the fact that the police were chasing after Rufus. These themes gave it a sense of continuity and plot, linking the overall story together into one big arch even when the actual story seemed to jump around based on the characters' moods. 

Overall, I loved this book. It made me think and was deep without being hard to digest. Mostly, the story was sweet and hopeful, even in the face of catastrophe. And, just so you all know, the title is accurate. There are no last minute miracles. You think there will be something different when you read this book, but it's true. They both die at the end. And, that's okay. 

I'd recommend this book to you if you like contemporary novels (or even light dystopians). It read a lot like a Neal Shusterman or a Patrick Ness book in the way that it was set up, in formatting and the mix between alternative universes and contemporary fiction. I'd definitely recommend this book if you want to read something cute, something deep, or something creative. 

Phrase:
_____ wasn't called by Death Cast today because he/she is not dying today.

If You Liked This Book, You Might Also Like:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
More Than This

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Happy Reading!

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