The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

I know The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is well known, but since I have read it (and absolutely loved it) I decided to do an review on this book.

In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time you follow Christopher Boone, a boy with Asperger's Syndrome. When he finds the dog of his neighbour, Wellington, dead in the garden, he's determined to find the killer.

This book is written in many ways very funny and impressive. For example, the narrator of the story is Christopher himself, so you read in the perspective of somebody who has Asperger's Syndrome (which is quite well written and must have taken a lot of empathy). Christopher doesn't understand some things people say to him, because he takes them too serious. Those conversations can be very funny, but makes you think about this syndrome at the same time. Throughout the book, you get the feeling to really know Christopher, because of all the little things he likes or absolutely hates.

Also, the storyline is very good. It has an unexpected ending and the book has plot twists that makes you to keep on reading. The book is very easy to read and quite short, but the whole combination with the storyline and an unusual main character makes it a really good book.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a very impressive and original book with funny dialogues and an interesting storyline. I really liked it to read and if you haven't read it already, I really recommend this one.

-L

Pages: 268
Genre: Fiction

Divergent - Veronica Roth

Divergent is the first book of a trilogy (Insurgent the second and the third book is coming in October 2013). The book's about a sixteen-year-old girl named Beatrice or short Tris. She lives in a city (after reading the bonus material I found out the city is meant to be future Chicago) which is divided in 5 parts; Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, Amity and Erudite. Each faction has their own personality and their own tasks in their society. The factions are created, in order to separate people with different personalities from each other, so they can't start a war. Beatrice is born in Abnegation, but every year teenagers at the age of 16 can choose another faction. So when the story starts, Beatrice had to choose in which faction she wants to spent the rest of her live.

One of my first thoughts when I was reading this book that it was fun to read, but it gave me the same feeling as when I was reading The Hunger Games. The similarities are for example: both about a brave sixteen-year-old girl with an clear opinion, the book describes a future America in which the authorities have created an system to prevent war and the writing style was the same as in the The Hunger Games-trilogy. Nevertheless I liked the book. It's an easy read, it makes you think what faction you would choose and if the system really works and the book is entertaining. The storyline was sometimes pretty predictable which was a shame, because I think that those predictable moments could be changed easily.

So I recommend Divergent to people who liked The Hunger Games (or another book about a world with a disturbed system (I found out there are quite a lot about those books)) and don't mind to read another book with the same features.

-L

Pages: 487
Genre: Young-Adult/Science-Fiction

A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords is the 3rd book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. There is still a war in the Seven Kingdoms. Robb Stark, the King in the North and of the Trident, still wants the Throne. The cruel, young King Joffrey wants to hold the Iron Throne. His uncle King Stannis was defeated by Joffrey (or better Tyrion Lannister), but doesn't want to give up. And there is of course Queen Daenerys, who's planning in another country to take the Throne with her -and the only- three dragons.

In this book you follow the same persons you'd followed in the previous book, A Clash of Kings. New is that some chapters are written in the perspective of Jaime Lannister and Samwell Tarly. I really liked those new perspectives, because in A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings you read all about them, especially Jaime. It was interesting to follow Jaime and it was just fun to follow Sam. Sam is this shy coward that makes sometimes quite funny comments. So I was really glad he became a more important person in the book.

In hadn't last long after I finished A Clash of Kings, because I was just really curious about what would happen next, and I have to say I'm not disappointed. It's quite a large book and there's happening a lot. In the beginning you meet new persons. but they don't last long, which is a pity, but you keep reading the book because of the major events (especially at the end). The end of the book is unexpected and a bit shocking, but that was probably on purpose. The only thing I didn't really like was the epilogue. It was vague and it made my brain hurt, so I hope it will be explained and thus more clear in the coming books.

So if you liked the other books, you will definitely like (or love, if it's not your favorite character who dies) this part. It isn't an easy read and it will take you a while before you have finished this book, but I think it's worth it.

-L

Pages: 1128 (without appendix)
Genre: Fantasy

Maskerade - Terry Pratchett

Maskerade is the 18th book in the Discworld series. A short introduction for people who don't know the discworld: The Discoworld is an imaginary world conceived by Terry Pratchett. It's a flat disk that stand on 4 elephants who stand on a giant turtle, called A'Tuin. The turtle floats through space. On the Discworld live fantasy creatures like trolls and witches, but also human beings. The main characters differ by book.

In Maskerade you follow a The-Phantom-of-The-Opera-ish story about an opera house, placed in Ankh- Morpork, where an unknown person murders people. At the same time are Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, two well-known witches, searching for Agnes Nitt. Agnes is auditing to become actress at the Opera House. When Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg arrive in Ankh-Morpork and found out about the mysterious killings, they're determined to catch the killer.

Compared to every Discworld novel I read so far, this was one of my favorites. The plot wasn't really shocking and pretty predictable, but the story was easy to read en also very entertaining (btw, like more Discworld novels). I've read several Discworld novels and sometimes I think they're a bit vague (perhaps because English isn't my mother tongue, I don't know), but this novel was very clear.

If you haven't read any Discworld novels before I recommend you to read first other Discworld novels like The Colour of Magic (the first Discworld novel (you can also search on the internet for other suitable novels to begin with)), otherwise I think the story isn't interesting due to the new world, the other creatures etc. If you have read other Discworld novels before (and enjoyed them, of course) and haven't read this one yet, I think you will find this novel very funny and entertaining, just like I did.

-L

Pages: 381
Genre: Fantasy

A Clash of Kings - George R.R. Martin

I read this book a while ago and since I'm reading the third book of A Song Of Ice A Fire, I thought it was time to finally review this book.

A Clash Of Kings is the second part of A Song Of Ice And Fire. It's the sequel of A Game of Thrones in which a war began, because King Robert Baratheon died and Ned Strak found out the children of Queen Cersei weren't the true children of Robert Baratheon. So there are 4 kings in the realm. Stannis Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Rob Stark (King in the North) and King Joffrey (King on the Iron Throne). And of course there is Daenerys Targaryen, who believes she has the right to the Iron Throne, because her father was the King before King Robert took over the throne. Of course, they all want the war to end and want to be King.

In this book you read in the same perspectives as in A Game of Thrones, except and of course Ned Stark. There are also new perspectives, Davos who follows King Stannis and Theon Greyjoy, a former ward of Winterfell. I think it was a choice to bring new perspectives in the book. Otherwise, I think the book would be kinda the same as A Game of Throne. But I personally didn't like Davos much. I think it would be more interesting if the writer chose Stannis or Melisandre instead of Davos, because they have a more important role than Davos. I did enjoy the perspective of Theon. Mainly because you learn about his experiences in Winterfell.

The book is not a book that you'll finish in a couple of days. I think I read it in 2 weeks, which I thought was pretty quick. The book has also more pages than the first book, but I liked that the book was so detailed. It's not a simpel story, but George R.R. Martin has created a whole other world with its history and important people. I also read a short story which takes place about a thousand years before A Song Of Ice And Fire began, but the details in that story fitted the details A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings perfectly.

A long story short: I think everyone who has read A Game of Thrones will definitely enjoy A Clash of Kings. It's a good book with an impressive and gigantic story.

- L

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 969 (without appendix)

Note: I highly recommend to read the books first before watching Game of Thrones. I read the books first and then saw the episodes of Game of Thrones and I liked the books way better (don't get me wrong, I liked the program too). The book and program have differences (which I personally (and I'm certainly not the only one) found annoying) and I think if you watch the program first, it will spoil the book.

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

The Fault in Our Stars is about the 16-year-old Hazel who has terminal cancer. Her parents made her do to a Support Group in order to meet other people. One day she meets Augustus Waters at one of those meetings. She falls in love with him, although she doesn't want to be.

I finished this book, very, very quickly. The main reason is because once you start reading this book, you won't stop. It's addictive to read, because you want to know what will happen next. This book has also the rare ability to make you cry and laugh at the same time. Cry, because it's a sad story and Laugh because the dialogues are very funny. Normally when I finished a book, I liked the book. But when I finished this book, I really loved it and wanted to read more. 

The Fault in Our Stars tells us the truth; life doesn't always go in the way we wanted; that life is not always a big party. It shows us to be glad with what we have. And of course, it shows us with which problems terminal cancer patients struggle when they know that they will die sooner than others. How they don't want to make many victims when they leave their loved ones behind.

I did really liked this book. So I would definitely recommend it, because this story will impress you. It will make you think about the dark side of life.

- L

Pages: 313

Genre: Young Adult/Fiction

Wonder - R.J. Palacio

Wonder is a book about a ten-year-old boy named August. August is deformed because he has this syndrome called Treacher Collins Syndrome. In the book August goes for the first time to school. This is very scary, because most people don't react well when they see him for the first time.

I just found out it was a children's book, but I actually enjoyed reading it although I'm certainly not 10 or 12 years old. I guess I thought it was a YA book, because the description was quite mysterious. The book is written in different perspectives, but August narrates most of the story. The storyline isn't really spectacular, but it will make you think about this syndrome. Everyone is staring at you when you're in public, children call you names and even some adults will say something mean behind your back. I think it's giving a great example of the everyday life of someone with this syndrome. The book is easy to read, which is absolutely logical. But I seriously think people over 12 will enjoy this book too, just like I did. Though August is an imaginary character, I had respect for the way he dealt with his syndrome. Probably real persons with this syndrome will have the same strength as August. Also it's pretty touching to see how August gain more confident when he goes to school. For example, at the beginning of the story he has long hair covering his eyes, so no one sees his deformed eyes. But at the end he has short hair. It's something he wouldn't have done when he was still home-schooled.

I think it will be good for children to read this book. They'll understand that someone with a syndrome, disability or whatever has problems to deal with a lot of everyday tasks. Probably is the book written with goal to give children more sympathy for these people.

- L

Pages: 310
Genre: Children's book/Fiction

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

I just finished reading Life of Pi, so I decided to review this book.

Life of Pi is about a sixteen-year-old boy called Piscine, but has the nickname 'Pi'. His parents own a zoo in India, but sold the animals when they decided to move to Canada. During the trip to Canada they make by bo
at, the ship sank. Pi, a zebra, a hyena, an orang-utan and a tiger are the only survivors. All the animals, apart from the tiger, die soon and Pi and the tiger remain as the last survivors.

The book is written in 3 parts. Before the ship sank, when the ship sank and after the ship sank. At first, the book is a bit vague. You read all these stories about Pi's life in India. During the second part, you understand why all that information was given. You read the whole story in Pi's perspective, except for the parts that are written in cursive. Later I found out that it was probably the writer himself, which I thought was funny to read, but I didn't understand those parts at first. This book is nice to read. It reads quite easy and is a good distraction. The only big disadvantage were the details. Sometimes the storyline is very detailed which resulted in parts that were a little bit boring. It's understandable that there are lots of details, because what else can you write about a boy and a tiger on the Pacific Ocean. But the story is also very interesting to read and at some parts very funny. The book is mend for teenagers, although I think some adults would also enjoy this book. So I would definitely recommend this book.

I haven't seen the movie yet (I always read the book first and then see the movie). But I'm quite interested how the makers have made this movie.

- L

Pages: 428
Genre: Fiction

Switched - Amanda Hocking

I read this book a year ago, but I think it's worth a review. Especially because this book isn't really known. At least, I don't see it often in a bookstore in my country and I haven't met people (yet) who also read this book.

Switched is about Wendy Everly who was almost killed by her mother when she was 6. Her mother claimed Wendy wasn't her daughter and was at the time pregnant with a boy. Eleven years later, she's living with her aunt Maggie and her brother Matt. She has an ordinary live, although she can do something weird. She can persuade people to do whatever she wants them to do. With help of a newcomer called Finn, she founds out why she has this magical power, who she really is and where she belongs.

I quite enjoyed this book. It starts with a prologue when she was 6 which explains what had happened at the time. You'll need this to understand why certain thing are the way they are. The book is written in Wendy's perspective and is easy to read. I had to read this book in English, because it wasn't translated in another language. I didn't mind, because I often read books in English, but the vocabulary used in the book is really easy. You can finish this book pretty quickly if you want. I don't know exactly why, but when I was reading, it reminded me a bit of the Twilight-saga. I think because of the sometimes romantic story line. Though, I liked Switched way better than Twilight, because Wendy doesn't play the victim like Bella does (which really annoyed me) and has a stronger personality.

This book is also obviously mend for girls. I can't imagine a boy reading this book. Switched is easy to read and it's amusing. I think that's the most important factor for a book, to be amusing. I finished this book really fast, because I was all the time curious to find out what would happen next. The storyline isn't a masterpiece, but it's good enough to have a nice time while reading it. So I would definitely recommend this book, if you like the Young Adult genre (and if you're a girl).

- L

Pages: 318
Genre: Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy (I guess) 

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

I was questioning myself which book would be a proper book to post on my blog. This is the first time I ever reviewed a book and I think this book will be a good start. Many people have read it and liked it very much, including myself.

This book is about a place where the seasons don't change every 3 months, but can last for years. The story follows the high houses, which reign or are important for the realm. All sorts of events happen, like treason, lying and hiding things. Because of those events the realm has to deal with issues between those families. So it's almost natural that there will be lots of blood and fights.

A friend gave me this book for my birthday, which I really appreciated, because I wanted to read this book for a while. The series were a great success and I was curious to find out if the books were as good as people said they were. (Note: I hadn't seen the series before I had read the book) Although I wasn't certain I would like this book (because I hadn't read much books in the same genre) I enjoyed it from the beginning until the end. The book is in many different perspectives and about quite a lot of families. So it wasn't an easy read for me. Fortunately, there is an appendix at the end where all the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms.  I was really glad there was one, because without it would be confusing to figure out who everyone is. During the first chapters you have to pay attention to make sure you know which persons are related to each other and to which House they belong. But after you figured that out, you will find yourself enjoying the story. Also the map at the beginning of the book is very helpful. It connects you more with the story and it makes the world more real.

I would highly recommend this book. It doesn't really matter if you have read more books in the same genre or if you - like me - had no clue what you could expect. You won't finish this book quickly (unless you have magical reading skills), but that is not a shame. It will take you into a whole other world from the moment you start reading and if you've finished it, you'll be glad that you read this book.

- L

Pages: 864
Genre: Fantasy