Review: Winger

Winger (Winger #1)

by Andrew Smith

 Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids in the Pacific Northwest. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Filled with hand-drawn info-graphics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking. 

Source: Borrowed

My Thoughts: 

I wanted to like this book so much. It came highly recommended, it had a mix of illustrations (comics to be exact) and text , plus it had a very interesting blurb.Despite all the things it had going for it, Winger was a huge disappointment.

Voice 

Now I know this might upset a lot of people who loved the book because they LOVED the voice of the narrator. He sounds just like a real fourteen year old is what a lot of reviewers pointed out. 

I hated it. I liked it in the beginning but oh god the amount of times the guy repeats himself. By the end of the book I just wanted Chas to beat the actual fuck out of him . {I did not say that in my head Winger because in your words I have balls}

The amount of times the guy uses the word "loser" in the novel will drive any sane person nuts.

Story 

I have never read such a weak story. The problem is not the content. I think it's more of a pacing issue. The author is good at keeping the reader's interest but he needs to say what he wants using less words. Nothing happens for long periods of time. It's just a fixed routine. If I wanted to read something so monotonous, Why wouldn't I just read an actual fourteen year old's diary.
I expect more out of the fiction I read. I expect it to hold my attention and not bore me to death.



Inherent and not-so-subtle Sexism 

He finds every girl hot. EVERY SINGLE GIRL. I can understand that as a horny fourteen year old boy he is full of some unrealistic fantasies and I'm OK with it. But, do all of these fantasies need to be described in a novel? 

Do they? 


I'm afraid that this book normalizes sexism to such an extent that I could not ignore it. Girls are othered, girls are used and girls are all hot, young things who are manipulative. Don't believe me, reread the book.

The Gay Issue 

The only likable character and storyline that SAVED this novel was the Joey plotline.*slight spoiler* And all redeemable qualities go down the drain when he is used and thrown away like a stereotypical plot arc needed for the protagonist's character development  *highlight to view spoiler*.I liked the friendship between Joey and Winger, a LOT. What I didn't like, well you'll have to read the spoiler for that.

Overall

So the only reason I am interested in the sequel is because of the cliffhanger ending. The art was beautiful but the content made me cringe. Such a waste. I'd recommend this book to misogynistic horny male teenagers because I for one couldn't relate or enjoy the book at all, maybe they will.

My Rating:

2/5

Review: The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology #1)

by Wendy Higgins

Blurb: 

“Aerity…” Her father paused as if the words he was forming pained him. “I must ask you to sacrifice the promise of love for the sake of our kingdom.”

She could only stare back, frozen.

When a strange beast terrorizes the kingdom of Lochlanach, fear stirs revolt. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger…until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. There’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast—but the princess continues to surprise him, and the perilous secrets he’s buried begin to surface.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom.

Source: Edelweiss (Thanks for the review copy HarperTeen!)

My Thoughts:

This is the second book I have read by Wendy Higgins. The first one I read was 'Sweet Evil'. I really enjoyed 'Sweet Evil' and was expecting some great writing from Higgins, sadly I was disappointed.

Negatives:

Not as good as the original
After reading the book I decided to read the short story that it was based on. It was a very short story and I was able to finish reading it in ten minutes but it was still much better than this book. I think Wendy stretched the original concept too long. The story was simple yet had a lot of depth. Higgins instead chooses to drag it out and in the process over complicates it. Read the original here: http://genius.com/The-brothers-grimm-the-singing-bone-annotated

Lack of relateable characters

I think Higgins decided to over-complicate the story but forgot to add depth to the characterization of the protagonists. All can easily fall under stereotypical fairy tale tropes. The hunter , the princess, the sister of the princess and the brother of the hunter. I'm not saying that Higgins does not TRY to add depth but you can't connect to any of the characters and that is why I think they lack something. 

Where is the suspense?
I had not read the original before reading this book but still I could predict almost everything that would happen. Almost every *shocking* plot twist was not shocking at all. There was no doubt regarding who would fall in love with whom, there was no doubt regarding why the place was being attacked. Even the revealation regarding someone (avoiding spoilers) was not very surprising. The only surprising part was the ending.I can't believe that the story is going to be stretched even more. Instead of trying to forcefully trying to instill a sense of danger, making the story shorter and crisper would have made it more enjoyable.

The Romance
Of course the woman likes the mean bad boy who ignores her. God forbid she like the nice guy who treats her well?  Also, it is love at first sight and there is an undeniable attraction (KILL ME NOW!) not only between one couple but TWO. 

There was one scene in which the younger brother is of course infatuated with Aerity but once he realizes his older brother is interested he shifts his focus to the younger sister because princesses are replaceable sexual objects (Feminist rant being held in with a lot of difficulty!)

I think if I cared about the characters I would be able to forget about the romance but I don't which is why the romance was even more cringe-worthy.

Villains? WHAT Villains?
The antagonists are these shady characters always on the fringes but never properly introduced. The Beast takes center stage. But, the beast is an animal, he cannot make up for a complex human antagonist. I think the main antagonists will be focused on in the sequel which is a pity. I really liked what I read about them but what I read was too little. 

Positives

Aerity

Apart from her poor romantic choices. She was well etched out and one of the main reasons why I did not abandon this book.

The unexpected ending

The highlight of the book. The sad part is that the most interesting plot points are introduced towards the end. I know that the sequel will most probably have a better storyline but by the end of the narrative I have just lost interest in these characters. 

The entire set up

I think the reason I am so disappointed with this book is because it has all the makings of a best seller. A great writer, aristocracy, a hunt in which the prize is a princess and magic. The way it is implemented is the only thing that is lacking. I loved reading about the world that Higgins has set up. The entire political scene and the discrimination between magic and non-magic users really hooked me in. Instead on capitalizing on these brilliant themes and the world building, Higgins focuses too much of her energy on the romantic angle. This is the reason why this story did not work for me. There is no spice in it. No betrayals, no shocking ends. It focuses on the surface despite having so much potential for exploring deeper themes. 

Overall, I am very disappointed with this book.


My Rating:

2/5

Review: Boy Nobody

Boy Nobody (Boy Nobody #1)

by Allen Zadoff 

 They needed the perfect assassin.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die-of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target. 

But when he's assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission.

In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.


SOURCE: Publisher for an honest review (Thanks Hachette!) 

Links: Goodreads, Amazon

My Thoughts:

I haven't read an action book from a male's point of view for quite some time. After the heartbreaking ending of the Alex Rider series I guess I was a little wary of picking up a book like it but I picked up Boy Nobody thinking that it would help me get into this genre again plus the summary sparked my interest.

Unfortunately Boy Nobody was a HUGE disappointment.It did have action and the story was engaging but the characters were flat and I wasn't a fan of the main character.He was a robot and I just couldn't relate to him.I understand why he is the way he is but it just made it very hard for me to like the book. 

I'm sure I could have gotten over not connecting to the main character but I couldn't connect to ANY of the characters because I was suspicious of all of them. None of them seemed genuine and the whole system in which the main character worked just creeped me out A LOT.

The tone of the book was also very depressing and monotonous. I just wanted the book to be over so that I could mark it as read. 

The good thing about this book is the fact that it's unpredictable and the twist is pretty great.

Another thing that surprised me is the fact that I didn't DNF this book. I usually don't even try finishing books when they don't hold my interest so the fact that it managed to hold my interest long enough for me to finish is an achievement as well.

Maybe the problem is just with me but I just didn't care about the characters so even when the amazing twist was revealed I was like "EH! I don't care if anyone dies. Actually it would be pretty cool if the main  character died and then the sequel could be from the villains point of view" 

Overall , I would recommend people to read the Alex Rider series or the CHERUB series and leave this one be but if you really need a new action fix pick this one up from the library.

My Rating :

2 /5

Just didn't feel it

Review: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Wake (Watersong #1)

by Amanda Hocking

 Fall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

Source: Publisher (Thanks PanMacmillan!)

My Thoughts:

Let me be blunt I'm not a huge fan of this novel.

I'm going to write a different review for this one because I feel like it ...



The Positives

1. Harper :  I loved Harper! She's Gemma's sister and some chapters are from her point of view. She's a practical and responsible character that I could connect  to easily.My main problem is the fact that she wasn't the main character! Harper had so much more spark than Gemma that I was waiting to read her point of view (POV)
2. Harper and Daniel's relationship: I loved their friendship or should I call it a flirtation? Gemma and Alex's relationship was awkward but Harper and Daniel's relationship had spark and I wanted more!
3. Mythology: In my opinion the mythology was interesting and engaging. I wanted to know more about the history and the mythology.
4. Keeps you interested:There were a lot of times that I was seriously considering just abandoning this book and marking it as  DNF(Did Not Finish) but the author managed to maintain my interest somehow.I'm still surprised I managed to finish this book.

The Negatives


Gemma: I did not like the main character. Gemma irritated me.The fact that she figured out a lot of stuff so quickly really surprised me because I thought she was too dumb .One thing I couldn't get over is the fact that Gemma took a LIFE CHANGING decision after taking advice from her MENTALLY unstable mother.

Image source

Gemma and Alex's relationship: Their relationship was just plain WEIRD. I can think of no better explanation.I felt no spark.The romance was so flat.

They had a conversation which went like this:

Boy:You're pretty
Girl:Did you just call me pretty?
Boy:It kind of slipped out
Girl:...I think you're pretty too!
(*Excuse me for not swooning in delight over the romance *) 

At first I thought that maybe the author is not able to write a proper romance but she is very capable of it. Harper and Daniel barely had a relationship but their friendship/flirtation had spark.I wanted Harper and Daniel to be the main  characters and not Gemma and Alex.

Pace/Story is so slow....: It felt as if for almost 75% of the novel NOTHING was happening and if anything did happen it didn't hold my interest for more than 10 pages..Half the time I was thinking to myself "When will the good part start??" By the time the good part started I was just glad that there was a good part (I hope I'm making sense!)

Voice:I had a little bit of difficulty in understanding whose point of view the story was told from for the first few chapters.I thought it was from Gemma's POV and then there would be two paragraphs from Alex's point of view. Then the next chapter was from Harper's POV and so on. This really confused me.

Overall,I don't think I will be picking up the sequel but if I do pick it up it will be for Harper and Daniel.If you're dying to read this my advice would be to borrow it from the library or a friend.

My Rating:

2/5