Review: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: The Demon's Lexicon

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Awards: British Fantasy Award for Top Ten (2010), Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2009), TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2010), ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2010)
Adult Content: mild
Keywords: demons, adventure, magic, brothers
Series: The Demon's Lexicon #1
Goodreads Synopsis: 

Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again. 


Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.

Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.

This is the Demon's Lexicon. Turn the page.

My Thoughts:

Subject/Originality: This book immediately brings you into a world of dark, evil magic, demons, really very nasty magicians, and, at the heart of it all, a mystery and adventure that brings it all together. The Demon's Lexicon is extremely refreshing. The evil is real, people. Proper evil. And Sarah Rees Brennan's well thought-out and wonderfully detailed magical world makes this book a great and original read.

Subject/Originality: * * * *

Storyline: Not only is this a great world, but the story is well structured and full of twists and turns to keep you interested. It's not Sherlock Holmes, but it's complex and exciting and just generally good. I suppose that's the best way to describe this book: good.

Storyline: * * * *


Characters: I love all the characters in this book, especially Nick. They're all interesting and clever (as in their characteristics, not that they're all Einsteins!) and well rounded. And I love Nick. He's perfect and strange and probably one of the best characters I've ever had the fortune to find in a book. I love him to pieces. He's dark, violent and uncaring, and when he's trying to be nice, it never quite goes right. He's really very sweet and endearing, despite his love of violence. A triumph of characterisation!

Characters: * * * * *


Writing Style: I love Sarah Rees Brennan's mixture of quirky sarcasm ('They thougth I was a baby bat' 'Oh yes, of course - most people think I'm a blueberry scone' !!), dark humour, chilling descriptions, and emotional realism. Seriously, this book is hilarious, but it's got a depth to it that a lot of funny books don't. Sarah Rees Brennan is a hit with me. Absolutely.

Writing Style: * * * * *


Enjoyability: This was one of my favourite books from the moment I read it. The copy I have now is stained, with dog-eared pages, pages that were soaked by my leaking boiler and dried out weirdly, a broken spine -  and just generally loved. A lot. I've probably re-read this book more than any other on my shelves, and I'm going to keep re-reading it till the cows come home. Does that say something for its enjoyability levels?!

Enjoyability: * * * * *


Overall: A fantastic read, on all counts. If you haven't got a copy already, get one. And then read it! And then tell me what you think =]

Word Rating: a good-good book

Star Rating:

Don't forget... !

What Makes a Truly Good Book?

What makes a book good? How can we tell the difference between the average book that's okay but nothing special and the really great book that you'll keep re-reading till the cows come home?

It's pretty tricky, huh? Well, defining a good book is downright impossible: everyone's tastes are different. You might love sci-fi, or you might hate it, but either way, you're never going to agree with someone who has opposite tastes to you. It's like Marmite =]
But everyone is the same in one way as regards a good book - for a book to be truly good, it must tick several proverbial boxes. For me, it's no good if the book is simply action-packed and pacey, even if I really enjoy it, because it's got to be written well too. And vice verse - books that are amazingly written but extremely dull just don't count as good for me. You might disagree with me on this, and that's fine. I'm just saying what I personally require. And of course, everyone has different requirements. I'm sure that for some people, just action-packed and pacey is great, exactly what they're looking for, and it doesn't matter how the author writes as long as they enjoy it. And other people require more out of their books.

So just ask yourself for a minute, what do you require in a book for it to be classed as 'good'? If it was enjoyable, would that be 'good'? Or does it need something else? Some extra spark, to lift it above 99.9% of what you read and into the realms of 'favourite'?

In my opinion - and of course you may or may not agree with me - most people enjoy most books. Most of what you read is okay, mediocre, pretty enjoyable but nothing particularly special, nothing you'd recommend to your friends, a kind of three out of five stars. So what does it need to get those extra two stars?

It's different for everyone. You can get an idea of what I require in a good book from looking at the way I rate books. I have five categories that I rate out of five stars - subject, storyline, characters, writing style, enjoyability - and then an overall rating in both stars and words.

The categories rather speak for themselves. In a subject, I don't ask for anything in particular, although I like a book that's historical or romantic or humorous or adventurous. I don't mind what the subject is as long as whatever it does, it does well.

Storylines are difficult. If they're intricate but easy to follow, that's a really great storyline. But some books are less about what happens, and more about how it happens and the way people react. So for me, having a complicated storyline isn't essential to a good book.

Characters need to be good. They need to be well presented, well rounded, unique, believable, human... Yes, I ask for a lot. But characterisation is my own personal strong-point (as a writer), and so I'm naturally most picky about it.

A good writing style is a must for me as well. Interesting use of sentence structures, or new ways of saying things, or, if it's in the first person, a characterful narrative voice and style - these all count as a good writing style. If the book isn't written well, then it's taken off my shelves. Although I do sometimes make exceptions, for a book that's particularly good in the other areas.

Enjoyability. What more can I say? The writing style, the characters, the subject, the storyline - can all be as great as they like, but if I didn't enjoy the book, then it's a non-starter. I enjoy plenty of average books, but the best ones, the ones that are truly good, are the ones that rate highly in all of the above categories.

But this is just me. You might think completely differently to me, and that's absolutely fine. Because the important thing to remember when deciding what you think of a book is that what other people think doesn't count. Sure, it's helpful to read a review before deciding whether to read a book or not, and don't let me stop you - it's a great way to hear about new books - but ultimately, it's what you think that matters. So what if everyone else is rating a book five out of five and you only give it one? So what if everyone is raving about a book you thought sucked? Just because someone else has decided a book is good or bad doesn't mean you have to agree with them. It's called living in a (relatively) free world.

I'm not here to tell you definitively what a good book is or isn't. That's your job. Your opinion is as good as mine. I'm here to tell you that you needn't be afraid to think just a little differently from everyone else. What makes a book better than 99.9% of the others? What makes a reader or reviewer better than 99.9% of the others?

Same thing. Same difference. And my point is still the same - your choice. Your job. Your opinion, even.

So go out there, and say what you really think! And read lots! And eat cookies! And leave a comment saying what you look for in a good book. And eat more cookies =]

Happy reading!

~West x

(originally guest posted on Me and Reading)

Review: Feed by Mira Grant (AC)

Title: Feed
Author: Mira Grant
Publisher: Orbit
Adult Content: mid-gore, sustained swearing
Keywords: zombies, apocalypse, blogging, news, truth, action, dystopia
Series: Newsflesh #1
Goodreads Synopsis:

In 2014, two experimental viruses—a genetically engineered flu strain designed by Dr. Alexander Kellis, intended to act as a cure for the common cold, and a cancer-killing strain of Marburg, known as "Marburg Amberlee"—escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days. It cured cancer. It stopped a thousand cold and flu viruses in their tracks.

It raised the dead.

Millions died in the chaos that followed. The summer of 2014 was dubbed "The Rising," and only the lessons learned from a thousand zombie movies allowed mankind to survive. Even then, the world was changed forever. The mainstream media fell, Internet news acquired an undeniable new legitimacy, and the CDC rose to a new level of power.

Set twenty years after the Rising, the Newsflesh trilogy follows a team of bloggers, led by Georgia and Shaun Mason, as they search for the brutal truths behind the infection. Danger, deceit, and betrayal lurk around every corner, as does the hardest question of them all:

When will you rise?

My Thoughts:

Subject: Well, I don't normally do zombies. Er, at all. Ever, really. I'm not particularly squeamish, but still...  So anyway, just looking at this cover would usually have been enough to polish me off, and you can forget about going so far as to actually read the thing. But I was very pleasantly surprised. This is more of a novel about news, blogging and the truth than zombies. It's about how society continues, even when the dead don't stay dead. Which is something I'd never considered before. So, while this isn't the kind of book I'd usually go for, I was certainly excited to read it, and it definitely fulfilled my expectations!

Subject: ****


Storyline: Feed is halfway between an action novel, a mystery, and goodness only knows what else. You can always tell a good storyline, I think, when you don't notice it. I felt I was completely safe in Mira Grant's hands, and I never stopped to think 'I wonder where she's going with this', or even 'what'll happen next', because I was too busy being in the moment, legging it from zombies or trying to work out just who was the bad guy. It's not a complicated storyline, but this book isn't about the storyline. It's about people, and how they cope with zombies. So it's all good =]

Storyline: ****


Characters: Here's where it all gets much more interesting (although it's been pretty good so far already). The characterisation in this novel should be a role-model for all aspiring authors. I honestly couldn't have asked for better. You can just tell that Grant has thought about her characters really carefully, but, like the storyline, I never stopped to think about them as characters. They were real people. And they were my friends. And I feel pretty bereft now I've finished the book and they've left me behind...  Newflesh #2, here I come!

Characters: *****


Writing Style: Georgia Mason narrates Feed, and I couldn't have asked for a better narrator. She's fun and witty and full of dry sarcasm. There are some serious laugh-out-loud moments (as well as some sob-out-loud ones - have a hanky ready!). Grant really got inside the head of Georgia. Definitely role-model for the witty, sarcastic type of narration and writing style! I love it =]

Writing Style: *****


Enjoyability: If you haven't worked it out for yourself already, then here's what I thought: I loved it. I fell in love with absolutely everything about it - Grant's meticulously planned and detailed world, her wonderfully human characters, the sarcastic way she writes - just everything. If it tells you anything, this book has gone to the top of my 'favourites' list. And that's a pretty long list.

Enjoyability: ***** (I would give it another, but that would be cheating)

Summary: A well-written, well-thought-out book by a great author about great characters. What more could you ask for? One of the best books I've read this year.

Word Rating: a good-good book


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Review: The Opposite of Amber (AC) by Gillian Philip

They found the fifth girl right after the snow melted...

Title: The Opposite of Amber
Author: Gillian Philip
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Star Rating: ****
Word Rating: a good-good book
Keywords: sisters, murder, love, mystery, life
Adult Content: adult subject and sex scenes

Ruby has always been with Jinn, as sisters and best friends. Jinn is bright and beautiful, and doing everything she can to care for Ruby. Ruby is quiet and pensive, her sister an essential part of her life. But then Nathan Baird turns up, Nathan who disappeared mysteriously, Nathan who was in prison, Nathan who charms and loves Jinn. Jinn changes. She has someone else now. Ruby must find a new life. And in the midst of it all, someone is prowling the streets, watching them...

I really loved this book. It was laugh-out-loud funny and sob-out-loud sad, and had everything in between. Ruby, the narrator, is endearing and funny and easy to relate to - I honestly felt like she was my best friend and I'd known her for years. I read 'The Opposite of Amber' in one day flat because I was so involved in what Ruby was showing me. This is a true story of growing up and finding one's place in the world, and it deals with today's issues in a deft and confident way, often finding humour in the most unlikely places. Unlike what the title may suggest, I think that 'The Opposite of Amber' is a real gem, and a must-read for everyone.

Review: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

When Death tells a story, you really have to listen...

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Knopf Books
Adult Content: harrowing subject
Series: n/a
Keywords: WWII, Germany, Death, love, childhood
Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist- books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found. 

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 

My Thoughts:

Subject: I didn't read this book for the subject, but it's one of the reasons I love it so much. There's a lot about words and their power in The Book Thief, which is always something I love. And, of course, it's Second World War Germany - which was something I hadn't read about before. You don't hear about the story of civilian German life so much as you do about the Nazis or the Jews. So this was a bit of an eye-opener for me.

Subject: ****


Storyline: The story isn't clever like some books. In fact, like the whole of the novel, it's rather understated. It's a bildungsroman - it follows Liesel from her childhood to adulthood, depicting everything about her life. It's very powerful and moving. It doesn't need an amazing storyline to be this good.

Storyline: ***


Characters: Like everything else in this book, I love the characters. They're unique and wonderful. I don't think I've ever found a character that surpassed Rosa or Hans Hubermann! I also especially like the character of Death, who narrates the novel - and is a surprisingly human character. But be warned - this book requires a large stack of hankies! I think I cried for about 20 pages straight...

Characters: *****



Writing Style: This book is so beautifully written it's almost a poem. Zusak uses words and descriptions in new and unexpected ways: 'the sky began to charcoal towards light', describing one character as a wardrobe, and another as an accordion. It is truly a work of art. Some people find it contrived it's so well-written, but in my opinion, it's just perfect. (Of course, this does have a downside - whenever I read this book, I always find my own writing very drab and boring!!) But seriously - Zusak has got to be a genius.

Writing Style: *****


Summary: This book is beautiful and wonderful and tragic, all at once. It lingers in the mind of the reader far beyond the last page. Almost everything about this book is perfect. I doubt I will ever read a better written book. I think everyone should read it at least once in their life. At least.

Word Rating: a good-good book

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