World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War- Max Brooks

I have a lot of thoughts about this book… So many that I started keeping notes in my phone as I read. Not only is it an interesting plot, playing directly into the zombie obsessed America we’re currently living in, it’s told in a way that is exceptional to how many books are written: retrospective, as a reporter has been traveling around the world to interview subjects of the war (hence the subtitle). 

World War Z takes place in the not too distant future, shortly after Earth has narrowly survived a virus that creates the undead, which then bite uninfected humans to continue the virus’ spread across the world. The plot device is an unnamed and rarely heard from (except in occasional questions) reporter, interviewing subjects affected by the war, progressing from infection to the aftermath. The story is cynical. Kind of unbelievably so, and especially towards politics, the media, and the way that the general population treats and reacts to news. However, because of this, it is extremely interesting and can easily be applied to a life unaffected by a zombie apocalypse. It’s desolate, desperate, and horrifying. So much so that I’m not sure I want to see a movie based on this book. But you know the humans win. And you wonder the whole time how in the world they got out of it. So you keep reading. Usually I can't get involved in a story without any real main characters or plots, but this one is different. If there are books written like this about real wars I would be interested in reading them. It’s a documentary in book form.

The only thing keeping this book from a five is that I kept getting pulled out of the story. I don’t know if it was due to the way it was told, the specific person’s interview I was currently reading, or distractions in general, but I had occasional trouble with remembering who was talking and how they fit into the overarching plot. When I put the book down, it was hard to get back into. And the middle was by far the best part of the book. All in all though, a really interesting book, and recommended if you like this sort of thing. 4/5

Wool- Hugh Howey

Wool is a book in its own class. Self published author Hugh Howey slowly released five parts of the same overall story onto an unsuspecting internet, and came out of it with a following. The copy I ended up with is the omnibus- all five parts in one book. So to review, I thought I’d do things a little differently, and break the book down by its stories, each with a reaction I had after finishing…

Part 1 surprised me, and was the first indication that I was in for a futuristic book like I’d never read before.

Part 2 cemented that. Bleak and upsetting, life in the silo is progressively getting stranger.

Part 3 begins with a bang, a one page chapter that I literally had to read twice to believe. This is where I really started to get engrossed in the story, the mystery, the depths that the antagonists would go to keep the secrets of the silo safe. Part 3 ends with a bang as well, and I was clambering to get to the next part.

Part 4 changes the story entirely. It's the best part yet and that says something. I have been having trouble physically tearing myself away from the book.

Part 5 was the best part of the book. I was up really late. Enough said. 

Incredible. I can't wait to read more of Hugh Howey's work. Just... Unreal. I really enjoyed Wool, and that doesn’t even begin to explain it. I had to digest this for a little while. But easily one of the best post apocalyptic books I've read. 5/5

Quick Hits from November, December, and January

Long time, no blog entries. Mostly, this is because I haven't read anything that I've really loved in the last few months. But that's not entirely true, because I have entries written for a few books that I've had an opinion on, and haven't posted anything because I feel like I can't go out of order, and just ignore the 15 or so books that I've read in between ones that I want to talk about.  Another problem is that I read a LOT of sequels, which I always have problems talking about, because I don't want to spoil anything. 

So in order to fix this, I've decided I'm going to just write down some quick thoughts for books I don't have anything huge to say about. Here goes. 

Read 9/25/12- 11th Hour by James Patterson- Exactly what you'd expect for the 11th book in the Women's Murder Club series. As usual I am disappointed with James Patterson and haven't really loved one of these books in awhile. I read them because I care about the characters, but he's even starting to ruin that. Please see reviews for 10, 9, 8... etc. 3/5

Read 10/28/12- Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand- Good, not great. Interesting but not engrossing. I was hoping for more from this book since I loved Unbroken so much. Read this one for book club in October and really only finished it out of obligation. 3/5

Read 11/4/12- Dances with Dragons by George RR Martin- I actually have a lot of opinions on this one, but feel uncomfortable voicing them, as they're spoilers. Still loving this series and anxiously await book #6! 4/5 (only because I still liked the first three more than this one)

Read 11/24/12- Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor- Really enjoyed this sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Crazy and an incredible fantasy book, but not as good as the first one. Will re-read for sure though!! 4/5

Listened to 11/26/12- The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore- Wanted this to be better because I really enjoyed the first two in the series. But still good. 3/5

Read 12/11/12- The Black Echo by Michael Connelly- Expected more out of this because I'm a big Connelly fan, but it was kind of boring and predictable. I hope they get better. I'll keep reading, but not if they're all like this one. I wonder if back when this was written the ending was more novel and all kinds of thrillers weren't writing "twists" like this one. 3/5

Read 12/16/12- Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich- What can I say? I like Evanovich's writing even if her books are simple, girly, and let's face it, kind of pointless. Liked this one though. Currently, I'm liking this series more than Stephanie Plum books. 3/5

Read 12/21/12- Where We Belong by Emily Giffin- LOVED this chick book. Very cute and very much meets the standard that Emily Giffin's past books have set. The problem is that I just don't have a lot to say about it. It's very similar to her other books. 5/5

Read 12/24/12- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens- I think I read this back in grade school but I didn't remember much about it. And tis the season right? Dickens is one of the few "classic" authors that I enjoy. May be returning to some of his other books in the future. Really liked A Christmas Carol. 4/5

Read 1/2/13- Graceling by Kristin Cashore- Very much enjoyed this book. Another YA Fantasy series that has been popular recently. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series. 4/5

Read 1/3/13- One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp- Different kind of book for me. Not a novel, but more of a book for reflection and finding happiness in every day life. Her writing is a bit flowery and overly detailed, but I liked this so much. 4/5

Listened to 1/3/13- Redshirts by John Scalzi- Really liked this book, it got me through my driving to and from home over Christmas break. Different and crazy, but once I bought into the completely unrealistic premise, it was interesting and I really enjoyed it.  4/5

Read 1/11/13- Defending Jacob by William Landay- Very well written, but upsetting book. Fairly dark and twisted, but engrossing nonetheless. Highly recommended if you like Grisham, lawyer books, or thrillers. 4/5

WHEW. 

The Rook- Daniel O'Malley

September’s book club selection, The Rook, was extremely impressive. Imagine first a world where people have incredible abilities… a bit like every sci fi show you’ve ever seen, then imagine them in a CIA-like setting. That’s what you’re getting here.

Of course it’s about more than that, as at the beginning of the book we meet “the second” Myfanwy Thomas, Rook in the secretive Chequy, (the organization described above) and a woman who can control people's bodies with her mind. Myfanwy has lost her memories, a direct result of a traitor in the organization, and finds herself standing in the rain, surrounded by dead people wearing white gloves. “the first” Myfanwy has left her letters upon letters, meticulously documenting day to day life within the Chequy, and leaving the second Myfanwy to choose whether to continue her life and find the traitor, or run away.

You can see how this might go.

I was really pleased with this book, which has come seemingly out of nowhere. I’m really glad it was recommended to one of our book club members and picked, because otherwise I never would have heard of it, and this book is right up my alley. Thriller, fantasy, intrigue… awesome. I had no idea for most of the book who the traitor was, and loved that it kept me guessing as Myfanwy goes about her job while working alongside people she didn’t know or trust. Genius. I hope the author continues to write.

I had initially given this book a 4, but now having realized how much I really liked it and have gushed on about it, I may have to update to a 5. I loved it, plain and simple, and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and what might happen next. it’s the first book in awhile that really got me.

Deadlocked- Charlaine Harris

As usual, I’m not going to get too much into this sequel, what seems like Sookie Stackhouse’s one millionth book. If you’ve read one, you know what you’re getting into, and as usual it was entertaining, cute, funny, and full of supernatural creatures.

In this case, Sookie has to uncover a plot that seems to be personal, starting with a girl that is found dead outside of Her boyfriend’s house, and ending in a way that is not entirely predictable. Of course I want to know where the next book’s going to go with it.

This may be the briefest review I’ve ever written, but seriously, I’ve got nothing. You like this series or you don’t.

3- mindless entertainment, not something I ever need to read again, but I keep going because I am invested in the characters. God love poor Sookie Stackhouse.

Brave New World- Aldous Huxley

August’s book club pick, Brave New World is a bit of a different pick for us. Rather than going for a pure entertainment standpoint with lots to talk about, this one was one of the first that we chose that is most likely read in high schools everywhere. Certainly a step up in the intellectually challenging department.

Brave New World is a book about a dystopic future where people drug themselves to happiness, don’t fall in love, don’t feel any major emotions. People are manufactured and conditioned to be in certain social castes, literature is banned, entertainment is only in the form of the “feelies” which are movies that engage all senses. It’s a distressing story of what the human race could eventually become. After documenting the society and its control throughout the first half of the book, Huxley switches things up a bit, and adds a character that resembles humans in society today, who is of course appalled by what he sees. Discussion of art, individuality, and true humanity ensues.

Even a month after finishing, I can’t decide what I think about this book. It was definitely weird, and certainly made me think. It’s unsettling and bizarre, but says a lot about humanity, and the fact that it was written in the 30s says a lot for Huxley’s imagination/perception of the future.

4, I would read it again... I think.

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4)- George RR Martin

And now I’ve arrived at book 4 in Martin’s wildly successful series. Sometimes I legitimately wonder what I’ve gotten myself into with these books, and whether I wouldn’t be better off quitting now to wait until Martin is done writing. This book was the first one that I saw a glimpse of why they drive people so crazy. There are some noticeably absent characters, which is not addressed until the end, in a note from Martin himself. Books 4 and 5 are apparently two parts of the same giant book, and all of the interesting characters are in book 5 (don’t worry, a hold has been placed). The kicker is that the resolutions to the problems characters had in this book may not have even been written yet.

After looking over reviews to see if everyone was as dissatisfied with this book in comparison to the others (the answer is undeniably yes) I realized that despite the note at the end of the book saying that book five is pretty much already written (as this was to be included) and would be out in a year, it was six. I worry about that. But at the same time, I look forward to the same feeling of anticipation for the end game of the series as I had with Harry Potter.

This wasn’t a bad book. Putting aside comparisons to the others and trying not to notice that two of my favorite characters were absent, I can see that I enjoyed it overall and it’s necessary to the series. It’s clearly a transition. I liked it for what it is.

But what it isn’t is as good as the previous three. What it isn’t is book five, which I now have sky high expectations for since all of my favorites will be present and accounted for.

The fact is, despite the similar writing style and intriguing plots, which have become par for the course with this series, this was the first one that seemed to unnecessarily meander. Several of the POV characters were people who were unnamed, or who I didn’t care about at all. Lots of intrigue over who will have the Greyjoy throne, lots of Cierce going crazy. But I still want to know what happens, and that makes the book.

4. Retroactively I went back and gave the first three a 5 rating. These books have definitely grown on me.

The Serpent’s Shadow- Rick Riordan

The Serpent’s Shadow is the third book in Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles series. As I’m pretty sure I said in my review of the second book in this series, there’s not a lot to say about these books that hasn’t already been covered. This one is a continued story of Carter and Sadie Kane, brother and sister duo out to save the world from chaos with the help of Egyptian Gods. Basically if you pick up something from Riordan, you know what you’re getting.

That’s not a bad thing at all, though. The Serpent’s Shadow was entertaining, if a bit less engrossing than some of his others. I think my biggest problem with the Kane Chronicles is that they’re no Percy Jackson books, even though they’re trying really hard to be. It seemed like when I was reading those, I always could remember the supporting players and what happened in the previous books, even if I needed to look up a summary online it jogged my memory enough. With the Kane books, I have problems remembering who everyone is and what has already gone down in their version of the world, even when I look up a plot summary. Not a ringing endorsement, I suppose, but that being said, I did enjoy reading this last book in the series.

3- Good, not great. Not something I need to read again. Percy Jackson’s got this series beat, and judging by the fact that series is still going strong and this one has ended, I think Riordan knows it too.

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)- Cassandra Clare

Suddenly faced with an unexpected afternoon off, a pleasant day (in the shade!), and a library due date, today I finished City of Bones, which as of this morning I could not have been more than halfway through. Worth it.

City of Bones is a book not unlike many other YA series out at the moment, full of supernatural beings, heroes, villains, romance, and suspense. This particular one focuses on Clary Fray, who witnesses a murder at the beginning of the book and is suddenly wrapped up in the comings and goings of the Shadowhunters, humans that devote their lives to hunting demons and policing the part human, part demon citizens known as Downworlders (which is where the expected werewolves and vampires come in).

Admittedly, the book started slow. It took longer than I’d like to get into it, but it certainly finishes with a bang. This is another series I can see myself getting sucked into pretty easily. It’s not quite up to Harry Potter or Hunger Games level, and I would even say that I liked Divergent more, but I enjoyed it at least as much (if not more) than the Sookie Stackhouse books and Twilight. Definitely more than Matched. (enough YA ranking? I think so).

Another solid 4, thanks mostly to the ending. I’ve already put a hold on the sequel.

A Storm of Swords (a Song of Ice and Fire #3)- George RR Martin

Well, somehow I was up about an hour and a half past my bedtime reading the end of this one, and I think that tells you what you need to know about it.

As usual with sequels I’m not going to get into a lot of details on the plot of Storm of Swords, but this one keeps with the pattern of those previous. Multiple view points, battles, blood, love, romance, honor, kings, houses, and supernatural gods. It was just fantastic. With this one even more than the other two, I am astounded with Martin’s ability to write characters. How do you take someone like Jamie Lannister, Kingslayer, someone that you’ve grown to dislike throughout two books and make him sympathetic? It happened. I am shocked to report that I now actually LIKE the person that was set up to be the biggest villain in the first two books. it is truly impressive.

I still have some trouble keeping characters straight in these books, and of course the 1000 page length with multiple characters telling the story through multiple settings and countless events doesn’t help with that. I think that’s the only thing keeping this book from a five. But at the same time, I’m not sure I would like these books as much if it was just one narrator in third person explaining everything, or told from just one character’s point of view. I think my sudden turnaround on Jamie is proof enough of that. Sometimes I think I could be one of those people that read the books over again in anticipation of a new one coming out, but other times it seems completely overwhelming when I remember that I’ve already read nearly 3000 pages about Westros, with probably around 4000 to go. (seven books in the series, I think)

Regardless, aside from that small complaint, I am loving these books, and I put the fourth on hold at the library within five minutes of finishing the third one. This is somewhere between a 4 and a 5, my favorite one so far.

Insurgent- Veronica Roth

Spoilers for Divergent below!

The sequel to Divergent, Insurgent was every bit as engrossing and entertaining as its predecessor. Set in the same future world, the factions are now at war, with several of them having to choose sides throughout the book, and no clear line for many. Tris Prior, as the Divergent that stopped the hostile takeover of one of the factions, is now dealing with some serious PTSD, as well as the fallout from her choices in the previous book on her life and her relationship with Four (Tobias). Insurgent is very different from Divergent in several ways, much more about politics, secrecy, and war than a coming of age story, but even though it is different, it is still incredibly good.

I don’t know how much to go into here, because I think that if you’ve read Divergent you have an idea of what you’re in for, and I don’t want to spoil anything, but trust me, this is a good one. Roth is very good at keeping the reader engaged, with twists and turns that are occasionally predictable, but ultimately (relatively) satisfying. Unlike the other Hunger Games wannabes I’ve read in the last few years since my discovery of that book, this one is holding its own, and I have to admit that I’m impressed. Insurgent is one of the first books in awhile that I’ve been disappointed to finish, and I’m upset that I have to wait another year for the third book in the trilogy and to see where Roth goes from here!

4, but this is another one that is really close to a 5

Daughter of Smoke and Bone- Laini Taylor

My latest audio book was one of the rare books that I’ll listen to and then want to read, feeling that instead of enjoying the book as completely as I could in audio format, the best way to have encountered  this book would have been to read it. Notable other books that have made me want to read them, even after having listened to the whole story already: Unbroken and Ready Player One. It’s in good company.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is, at its most basic, a story about love, loss, and otherworldly creatures. Set in a human world, Karou is an art student who keeps company with both humans and the mysterious Brimstone, who has raised her from a baby, but is decidedly not human.  He is a monster, part of another world all together, and is in the midst of a raging battle, which we learn about piece by piece as the book unravels. Along with this war, we also discover the truth about Karou, her past, and her life, all of which has been a puzzle to her for the last seventeen years of her life.  

I do have to admit, this was a weird one. The Amazon description of this book barely hints at the depths at which it goes, and it expects a lot of suspension of reality. Not that it’s that difficult. In stark contrast to my last audio book, Shades of Grey, I bought into this world hook, line and sinker. This is the way it should be done.  I very much enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and eagerly await its sequel!

4, but pretty close to a 5. I’ll have to reread this one for sure!

Crossed (Matched #2)- Ally Condie

Crossed, the second book in the Matched dystopian series, picks up where we left off, with Cassia off in search of Ky, Ky’s life in question in the Outer Providences, and with the beginnings of a rebellion against the dictatorial Society.

Like with Shades of Grey, one of the biggest issues is that I don’t buy into the main premise. Why would the Society force these things on people? None of it makes any sense. This shouldn’t surprise me though, because the Society is not the main plotline of the book. That is of course, the love triangle.  As with Matched, Crossed’s biggest focus is on the Ky-Xander-Cassia issue, instead of on the more interesting rebellion against the Society. This rubs me the wrong way, and is my biggest complaint about the series. It’s clearly geared towards the Twilight crowd, but with even less of an outside plot and not very interesting writing (Cassia and Ky love each other SO MUCH! But Cassia might also love Xander! But Ky and Cassia write and recite poems to each other! They love art! The Society doesn’t like it! These seem to be the things that the author most wants us to focus on). 

It is also really irritating how the author constantly refers to things that the reader doesn’t know about.  Instead of keeping me invested, like it does with most other books, it frustrates me. When half of the book keeps referring to “Xander’s secret” like it’s some life changing thing with the stupidest, most obvious explanation being a “big reveal,” I am not interested, I am annoyed.

Yet, here I am, finishing the book in mere days. I don’t understand how this happened.  

2- for some reason I still flew through this book, despite all the complaints. I still want to know where we’re going to end up in this series. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know. I think it’s because I am a sucker for any YA book about a dystopic future.  I’m still not in a hurry to read the next one though.  

Shades of Grey- Jasper Fforde

Set in a future world where people are classified by which (and how much) color they can see, Shades of Grey is a bizarre book about Eddie Russet, Red swatchman’s son and likely future prefect.  In general I didn’t really care for this one.  Throughout listening to the book (although the reader was very entertaining and excellent), thoughts kept popping into my head that prevented me from truly enjoying the story. 

Look, I can suspend reality like a champ. People living in fear of a tyrannical government that makes children fight to the death as a form of keeping rebellions at bay? People classified into factions based on a dominating personality trait? Wizards, witches, gods living among us? Done. For some reason with this one I couldn’t get past classifying people by how color blind they are. Why does that matter at all? Who gives a crap? If that was the only thing I would have had to accept as weird in the entire book, maybe I could have gotten past it. But in combination with things like spoon shortages (really? Is that supposed to be satirical? It makes no sense), colors fixing ailments and getting people high (sorry, what?), and night terrors (because they can’t see colors? Why?)? I just couldn’t. And that bothers me a little, but that’s how this went. Over and over. Instead of enjoying the book for what it was I kept catching myself questioning the author’s choices and not getting involved in the story or escaping into the book. It was all too convoluted and there was too much going on that I needed to just accept.  Maybe that’s the point. But I think what is meant to be satirical and funny only irritates me.

It did finally get me near the end, so not all of it is bad. I still had the same problems accepting a lot of what I was being told, but I did want to know what would happen, which remains the book’s saving grace, and the reason I gave it a two instead of a one. 

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) – George RR Martin

A Clash of Kings is the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin, and is just as excellent (and long!) as the first one. Continuing the stories and character arcs set up in the first book, Game of Thrones, this portion of the series is focused on the struggle for power between the houses of Baratheon, Lannister, and Stark, while also keeping us up to date on how things are going for Dany Targaryen, the last of the past king’s line.

I think what I like so much about these books is that aside from a few obvious examples, I have no idea who I’m rooting for. There are rarely clear heroes and villains.  The case could be made that so far the good guys are the people in House Stark, while the bad guys are the Lannisters, but there are so many twists and turns that I can’t help but put bias aside and just enjoy where the book takes me. My favorite chapters throughout the book were from a Lannister point of view, which goes completely against what I just said about who I think the villains are. And that is what makes this so enjoyable.

This one’s a solid 4, although if I keep enjoying these books so much it could retrospectively become a 5, when I buy the whole series to read again!

The Power of Six continues the story of John Smith from I Am Number Four. I don’t feel like I can say a whole lot about this one without ruining I Am Number Four, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed it as much as the first one. Spoilers for I Am Number Four ahead!

This one was a little bit different than I Am Number Four, but then again, it has to be, since now John can no longer stay in one place as he’s been exposed for the alien that he is. Travelling from city to city, Four and Six train together with an eventual goal of taking on the Mogadorians, with Sam along for the ride.

Interspersed with Four and Six’s story is that of Seven, Marina, living in Santa Teresa with her guardian, who has given up on the Loric cause. Both stories are equally interesting, and the narrators of both did a very good job.  

All in all, this one was an extra good three as well. I’m really looking forward to the third book in the series coming out this summer!

I Am Number Four- Pittacus Lore

My latest audiobook, I Am Number Four is another one of those YA books that I am a sucker for. Intrigue, excitement, fantasy, I’m all in. Let’s be real here, any YA fantasy book series that is good enough to have a movie made out of it, I’m going to read. Or in this case, listen to.

I am Number Four is the story of John Smith, Loric alien, who is being hunted by the mortal enemies of the Loric (and Earth), the Mogadorians. Nine Loric guard made it off of the planet and to Earth before the Mogadorians took it over, and those nine are being hunted and killed. Through a protective charm on the nine guard, they can only be killed in order. Three are dead, and John is number four.  

This was a fun book, and I immediately downloaded the sequel once I finished it. It’s about what you’d expect for what it is, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s an excellent 3. 

The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern

After all the hype about The Night Circus, I have to admit that it was a book I was really looking forward to reading. Top of the bestseller list, fantasy, romance, what’s not to like? But it was different than that, and also more. This was a book that surprised me.

The Night Circus is essentially the story of two young magicians locked in a duel that both were entered into without their knowledge. The setting of their duel? The mystical, fantastical night circus, which is unlike any circus that anyone has ever been to, because it is sustained by real magic.  Celia is an “illusionist,” who doesn’t need sleight of hand or distraction to create her illusions, one of the main events of the circus, who travels around from city to city. Marco is the assistant to the circus owner, supervising from afar and constantly adding attractions, while being tied to it through the circus’ constantly burning bonfire. The book is the story of Celia and Marco’s dance around each other, their duel, their mutual admiration, and their eventual love. But only one of the participants can survive the contest.

I really liked The Night Circus. I was expecting more action in a book centered around a magician duel, but all in all, this is more of a book about the circus itself, and beauty and magic. It’s very well written and engrossing. There was a spot around the middle where I started to get tired of the constant additions to the circus with seemingly no outcome or events that even affected the participants, but near the end I was sucked back in.  The way the story is told is somewhat scattered, jumping from time period to time period, interspersed with brief pages of description as if the reader is a participant in the circus, but somehow it works.

4- very good and I’d re-read it, but the slow part in the middle kept it from being a 5.

Matched- Ally Condie

Matched is a young adult/borderline children’s book that wants very badly to be either The Giver or The Hunger Games. Set in a futuristic world remarkably similar to that of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, all of our free will as a human race has essentially vanished. Calories and food are predetermined, jobs are assigned based on relative strengths, and romantic relationships are determined by the appropriate match of personalities. Cassia is 17 and headed to her Matching Banquet, and to her delight, is matched with her best friend Xander, in a match that everyone classifies as perfect. But the next day, just for a split second while reviewing her “courtship guidelines” the face of another boy shows up, and she knows him too: Ky. So, the question becomes, somewhat predictably, does she go with what is planned and reliable: Xander, or what may actually be her perfect, but unauthorized Match, Ky?

First, let me say for the record that I liked Matched. I like the concept, I like the main character, I like the future world. I was annoyed by the love triangle. Where Divergent was clearly a Hunger Games wannabe and I could not have cared less, this one is more obviously trying to target the audiences of mainstream teen books with its teen love triangle. I wish the author had focused more on the world around the characters, the choices Cassia and her family do have to make that aren’t already predetermined, and the ethics of having a Society that makes your life easier but steals your free will. It’s an interesting concept. I wanted to know more about it.

All in all, a good book and a good use of my time overall. I’ll be reading the sequel eventually, I’m sure. This one was somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me. But in order from favorite to least favorite of the recent dystopic fiction trilogies, my ranking would be: Hunger Games, Divergent, Matched.

Ready Player One- Ernest Cline

Fast paced, well written, and very original, Ready Player One is my favorite book of the year so far. I haven’t been sucked into a book like this one in a long time… maybe since I discovered The Hunger Games. What is truly astonishing to me, is that this was my latest audiobook, and I blew through it so quickly that I was done with 13 parts all over an hour long within a week. It was an obsession. I want to purchase it and read it over and over again. Go read it now.

You’re still here? OK, how about a quick summary? Ready Player One is a book set in the not so distant future, around 2040, where society is basically run through a virtual reality/ online multiplayer game called the Oasis. People work and go to school in the Oasis, make money there, essentially live there. The best part? It’s free for anyone to use. So when the creator of the Oasis dies, leaving his billions to whatever person who finds an Easter Egg within the Oasis first, the world goes a bit crazy. Wade Watts, the protagonist and narrator, is one of the many treasure hunters looking for the egg, and we follow his journey throughout the search as he solves puzzles, plays games, and sifts through millions of 1980s references (the creator’s obsession), all the while trying to stay clear of the sixers, the villains of the story, who are desperate to win control of the Oasis and monetize it.

This book was unbelievable. I loved it so much. Even without knowing and catching on to a lot of the 80s references, I was along for the ride the entire time and completely engrossed.

5- you have to read this. Go right now.