Book Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe is a book I was instantly interested in as soon as it came out. First of all, MAJOR COVER LOVE. But secondly and more importantly, the concept of the dystopian world sounded so gripping and psychological chilling that I couldn’t resist giving this one a go! When I saw additional review copies being released prior the Thunderhead (book 2) coming out I overenthusiastically put myself forward. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

Thou shalt kill.
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

The Death Cure by James Dashner Review 4/5

Overall Impression: A satisfying end to an overall enjoyable trilogy with memorable characters.

This series kind of reminds me of takeaway pizza.
What, you say? Bear with me.
You know how occasionally, just occasionally, that takeaway pizza yearning kicks in, and you kind of know that it’s not the healthiest thing for you and that there’s much better, more sophisticated food out there? But it just tastes so darn good and so you devour it with great speed, enjoying every bite, but if you eat too much of it you become bloated. So you know that even though you really enjoyed it, you wouldn’t want takeaway pizza every week? Yeah, that sums up The Maze Runner series for me. It’s not the best written story out there or the most complex so you wouldn’t want to read too much of it in one go, but it keeps you turning the pages and you really enjoy it, even if you’re not 100% sure why. The final book in the series, The Death Cure also followed the same pattern for me!

The trials are over. WICKED is planning to restore the survivors’ memories and complete the final cure for the Flare.
But Thomas has already remembered more than they think. And he knows WICKED can’t be trusted.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine. Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon Review 5/5

Overall Impression: A unique, immersive story with a smoldering romance.

The Bone Season is a book I picked up cautiously. It was hyped like crazy a few years ago and I was unsure whether it would be my kind of thing. Not to mention the reviews seemed mixed! But when I found the pretty hardcover for a good deal, I caved. I was in the mood for something a little unique and different, and The Bone Season definitely seemed to fit that criteria. With the opportunity to meet the author Samantha Shannon just around the corner, I decided it was the perfect time to pick up this novel. I’m so glad I took a chance and ignored the scary, off-putting hype because this turned out to be one of the most gripping and intense books I’ve read this year!

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing. It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth Review 4/5

Overall Impression: A thought provoking and bittersweet end to a trilogy with interesting concepts.

I put off reading this book for a long time. Partly because I didn’t want to pay the price of a hardcover, more so because after loving the fast paced, thrilling novel Divergent I was disappointed when the second novel Insurgent turned out to be so ‘blah’ and lackluster, but mostly because Allegiant got spoiled for me in a BIG WAY which made me feel all kinds of angry and sad. Especially as the spoiler was something I would have never expected or seen coming! Despite this, I finally gathered the courage to pick up the controversial final book in Roth’s dystopian Divergent trilogy and ultimately, I think it provides a satisfying, although flawed, ending.
(Also, this is a spoiler free review as long as you’ve read the previous books!)

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered – fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties and painful memories. 

Insurgent Film Review: A Case of Action over Substance

The Insurgent film release really snuck up on me, with life keeping me busy and university work in full swing, I probably would have completely missed out on seeing it in the cinema if it weren’t for a good friend of mine who reminded me! In a way, I kind of liked going without having been sucked into any of the hype, it meant that I could sit back, relax and enjoy without any preconceived ideas of how good it would be or how it would compare with the novel. I’m just a tad late with this review, but better late than never, eh?!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 5/5

Overall Impression: A mesmerizing book of ideas and what-ifs, set in a dreary, heartless future.

Whoa, this was one amazing book.
I had no idea what to expect from Fahrenheit 451 when I picked it up, other than that it was a novel about burning books and was generally held in lower esteem than its dystopian rival, 1984. When I spotted the novel last summer looking battered and lonely in the sci-fi section of a second hand bookshop I couldn’t help but adopt it. It had clearly been mistreated and needed a new home. The spine was torn, the pages orange with age and reeking of must, yet oddly it added to its charm. It almost seemed as if the novel had been through the same hardships that had occurred in the story, that it had come a little too close to being incinerated in its lifetime and was now a scarred casualty of war.
Yeah, I know, I have an overactive imagination right?!
This book was also read as part of The Rory Gilmore Challenge.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house?
The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.

While I can easily say that Fahrenheit 451 is one of the best novels I’ve ever read, it’s also one of the weirdest and to begin with I had no idea what to make of the whole thing! From the first page you are thrust into the deep end,

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner Review 3/5

Overall Impression: A book with a promising start that loses itself along the way.

(To read my review of the previous book from The Maze Runner Trilogy, click here.)

Feeling amped up from the fast paced, thrilling dystopian read that was The Maze Runner, I bought and picked up its sequel The Scorch Trials almost immediately, desperate to solve my unanswered questions and tag along with more of Thomas’s life threatening adventures. So, did The Scorch Trials live up to my expectations? Well, no. Not really. Having said that, the first book was a tough act to follow!
I read this quite a while ago so some of the details are a bit fuzzy, but I will do my best to explain why I’m raining drizzling on this dystopian parade!

Please note: For those of you that haven’t read the previous book The Maze Runner, this review will contain spoilers about plots and characters from the first book in the blurb and first paragraph only. However, this review will not contain any spoilers for The Scorch Trials.