If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Hello Everyone, today I will be reviewing and completing a small rant on the book If I Stay by Gayle Forman. From first impressions and suggestions from people I know, I expected far more from this book. There are spoilers so if you would like to read the book, I suggest not looking at this review as I highlight a few plot points that should be kept secret. 

OVERVIEW: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

REVIEW: After a horrible accident, Mia, the main character of If I Stay is within the intensive unit of a hospital. Whilst she is in the form of a coma, part of her is aware of everything that is going on outside of her body. Apart from reading a few books with a slightly similar concept and other films, I found this technique and idea refreshing - although the execution is something to be questioned. So often the reader only gets to see what is happening from an outside watcher, where in this book the reader gets to journey with her as she struggles to make the decision of whether to stay or go. Throughout the novel, Mia was weighing her options on what to do and I myself was not completely sure up until the very last minute. Most of the relationships in If I Stay seemed unatural, I found at times the book an dialect to be forced, fake and cheesy. 

Mia is eighteen years old and has the ideal family and a boyfriend that can only exist in an unrealistic and fictional world. Her talents include her being a very talented musicians and is about to be accepted into Julliard. The book revolves around her choice to stay or go. She can follow her love for music and accomplish her goals and fulfil her cellist dreams, or she can follow her family and lose the love of her life. Either way, she has something to gain and something to lose. When a tragic strikes Mia’s life and word, everything she knows changes. The only thing that remains and is continually questioned is if she should stay or if she should go.

The negatives of the novel included the overall character of Mia. To me she seemed a little too perfect, and that her idol status around those who knew her didn’t seem real. I found it odd that Mia's parents and brother recently died, yet none of the family reacts to it. It is all about Mia. Although the focus should have been on her since they were at the hospital visiting her, I felt that there should have been more acknowledgement of the three members of the family who didn't make it. Also, in the flashbacks Mia seems to be at the centre of everything in a way that screamed Mary Sue to me.

What didn't work for me in this novel was Mia, and to a smaller extent her immediate family. I did not relate to Mia at all and I found her mostly unlikable. Part of this was because her character was inconsistently written. There was a disconnection between what we're told about Mia and what we're actually shown. For example, Mia constantly brags about how humble she is. Someone who is truly humble doesn't brag about it. Additionally, I didn't think her actions showed her to be a modest or humble person. 

The story is told in a serious of flash backs where we get to see that Mia is a normal teenager, living in Oregon, with a bright although conflicted future ahead of her. She is a brilliant cellist with the prospect of going to Julliard, across country in New York, once she graduates. She has a boyfriend, Adam, with a common passion for music, albeit opposite genres. If fact, if it weren't for music they probably wouldn't have got together, Mia starts noticing him stare at her while they practice. Her with cello, him with guitar. Adam's future is also on the rise but in a very different direction. He is the lead singer/songwriter of a rock band on the verge fame. 

In conclusion this book was of average appeal to me. Most of the time the characters personalities clashed and were very obnoxious and very annoying. I appreciate the effort Gayle Forman applied to writing this book, but I felt as if there were so many things missing. I have decided to read the sequel, so I can see if the plot and character development gets better.

OVERALL RATING:

★★ 

Two and a half stars

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Hey Everyone,
First just let me say that I am sad to see this series finished - although I enjoyed all three books. In this review I do give away some of the ending and key points, so if I were you I would go and read this book right away!

OVERVIEW: Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

REVIEW: I still cannot believe it is over. The Infernal Devices series is certainly one of my favourites. Having started Clockwork Angel only a mere week or so ago, this series has just captivated my attention, acquired my imagination and made a very good impression. Now that I have completed the series, I am not sure what to do.

Cassandra Clare’s books can have so many meaningful quotes that it is impossible to count all of them. That quote bellow from the book essentially sums up my feelings and thoughts while I was reading Clockwork Princess. There was no way this book could have ended without some sort of heartbreak. And believe me the ending was very heartbreaking but also so sweet.

"You know that feeling," she said, "when you are reading a book, and you know that it is going to be a tragedy; you can feel the cold and darkness coming, see the net drawing close around the characters who live and breathe on the pages. But you are tied to the story as if bring dragged behind a carriage, and you cannot let go or turn the course aside."

Once again, the characters in this novel were amazing and so very relate-able – they were realistic enough in the sense that you cared for most if not all of them. In books I find it quite hard to like a handful of characters, but in this series I had a special admiration for each character (with the exception of the villainous characters). All of the characters were unique and had their own secrets and struggles that made them who they are. After having dealt with so many horrible situations and circumstances, I am happy that Cassandra Clare provides most of them with happy endings.

The finale to a fantastic series could not have been written any better. Clockwork Princess was certainly much more of a darker read in comparison to the first books – it had be in tears through a few scenes. That aside, Cassandra Clare still managed to make me laugh and giggle, even have me shaking my head and smiling in response to what the characters were saying. The love triangle once again was just tear-jerking – there is nothing else I have ever read that can even compare. To be honest I was more towards Will than Jem, but in a way I also liked them equally as characters. Relationships was very important in this book, as it was the last one in the series. Will and Jem’s emotional exchanges were just beautiful. How much they both cared for one another was just wretchedly beautiful. I loved the flashbacks to when they first met and were young children, it was just adorable.   

From the start of the series, I expected Tessa to be the person who was labelled as “damsel” in distress. It was such a nice surprise to have been proved wrong. Even though she cannot fight exactly to the standard of a Shadowhunter, she is impeccably strong in her own way. Her character was so loveable and sweet that it was great to see her grow as a character.

Cassandra Clare has the ability to make me fall in love with a story, with fictional characters, and make it terribly hard for me to let go. The ending was very satisfying – many unanswered questions were answered and everything resolved in a nice conclusion. The epilogue was so lovely that I was crying too much to even read the last page, to close the book was such a struggle. This series was spectacular, and I recommend to anyone who is in search of a new series. Just make sure you have a box of tissues right beside you at all times – you are going to need it. And for now, I farewell a great series until I start to read them again.

OVERALL RATING:

★★★★★ 

Five Stars

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Hello Everyone,
I just finished reading Clockwork Prince, the second book in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. This book was just spectacular, I suggest and recommend this series to everyone!

OVERVIEW: Clockwork Prince begins as the London Institute of Shadowhunters are given two weeks to find the evil Magister, who is still determined to gain control of Tessa’s powers and bring down the Enclave. Tessa and the Shadowhunters must battle dreadful clockwork creatures, demons, and even treachery within their own ranks before everything around them is forever altered.

REVIEW: If you were dying for this second instalment in the Infernal Devices series, rest assured that it has been well worth the wait. It's full of great action sequences, a clever use of magic, and the hilarious dialogue that we've come to expect from these characters. Cassandra Clare has not failed to disappoint, this book was filled with a lot of character development, an engaging and addictive plot – Clockwork Prince, along with the first book of the series, makes it onto my collection list of favourite books of all time.

Through the duration of the book, each and every character develops and is forced to adapt and survive with the situations they are faced with. As I hoped, Tessa becomes more sure of herself and her ability, as well as with her relationships with both Will, Jem and the other Shadowhunters. Throughout the novel Jem unpredictably reveals charming side to him that we’ve never seen before, and Will’s tragic past is finally revealed.

Clockwork Prince does contain a love triangle; a strong female character torn between two very handsome and noble boys. There are reasons provided as to why Tessa loves them both, but even greater ones to why her heart belongs to neither. What makes this relationship between Tessa, Will and Jem is that she never forgets that aside for her romantic feelings for both of them – she has a lifelong friendship with them that she must honor and uphold.

PLOT: The plot can only be described as a roller-coaster, full of twists and turns, unexpected jumps and dives. Everything was structure so well, Cassandra Clare never fails to impress, only adding to the fact that she is an amazing author. Her skills demonstrate how effectively she can use her words to formulate a riveting storyline, her attention to detail is amazing - in the way that any reader can vividly visualise the settings in old London just as she described them. I honestly am not sure what even to say about the plot except my initial reaction when finishing the book was bittersweet. I felt shocked and hopefully and heartbroken and full of wonder all in one. I'm not going to lie and say this book will make you jump for joy (though some parts may), because this book is dark. There are mysteries I believe we have only just saw the surface of and I will be dying slowly until I can uncover them in Clockwork Princess.

OVERALL RATING:

★★★★★ 

Five Stars

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Hello Everyone,

Today I am reviewing Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Please note that I will spoil some things in the book, so I suggest reading the book before reading this review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

OVERVIEW: Tessa Grey is an American girl coming from New York to London in search of her brother. Things apparently go wrong from the onset. Her brother, Nathaniel, isn't there and she is taken by the Dark sisters. She learns fairly quickly that there is a whole new world she didn't know about. Where terms like Downworlders, Nephilim and Shadowhunters are commonly used. Her path will cross with that of the Shadowhunters and with them she will figure what happened to her brother, but like always there is something lurking behind the scenes. 

REVIEW: The cast of characters like in any of Cassandra Clare’s books are utterly compelling and you get attached to them almost right away. In Clockwork Angel there is an induced a sense of old-world glamour that was Victorian London. I appreciate all of the work Cassandra Clare put into this theme, having researched this era for years in order to write this book. I thank her for spending the time to do this, as it made the book spectacular.

Tessa Grey is the character who is newly introduced into the Shaddowhunter world. Her personality reflects one of a proper lady in the 1800s: well-mannered, gracious, courteous, deferential, modest and kind. It was a wonderful experience to watch her evolve throughout the novel into a courageous and stronger person, one who was willing to put her life on the line to protect those who she cares most about. I am awaiting the further books in order to see if she continues her quick witted verbal remarks and comments whilst also learning to use weaponry to defend herself.

Will Herondale is the Institutes scoundrel with a credible heart of gold. As well as being very handsome, he is cold, sarcastic and distressed – although the reader is able to get a small glimpse of his passionate, softer and kind personality. He is absolutely hilarious, half of my favourite quotes from the book are from his character. It was nice to see that Casandra Clare has continued to add humour throughout her novels. Jem Carstairs on the other hand is caring, warm and understanding – yet has been burdened with a heartbreaking circumstance. He is a pure example of being inflicted with cruelty and brutality. What I loved about Jem, as well as other characters in this novel was that they each had some form of secret or curse which made them into the character that they are.

What makes Cassandra Clares books so successful is that her stories never revolve solely on just one female and male lead. This is to illustrate that there is more going on than just romance within her world. There is always a large cast of characters that contribute to the plot, and the way in which they act gives other characters further complexity and personality. 

The plot to Clockwork Angel is thrilling, marvellous and hilarious. With just enough twist and turns, the novel is spectacular. The combination in which Cassandra Clare has composed – including the quests within the Victorian period is just amazing. The way in which she has presented this story is perfect, having both being character and plot driven, both done marvellously well. With all the characters Cassandra introduces, never once was I lost. Each character has their own story to tell, and with the ending of Clockwork Angel, I found myself flipping through the extra blank pages just to make sure there wasn't more of the story. I eagerly await reading the next instalment to the series: Clockwork Prince and am happy to say that this series has made a very good first impression.

OVERALL RATING:

★★★★★ 

Five Stars

Introduction

Hello,
I know no other way to start this sort of thing other than introduce myself. My name is Olivia, and I love to read. This hobby has been with me over the years, and only now have I decided to turn it into something more productive - so here I am.
I hope to publish all things related to books on this blog. I will be posting regularly with everything that I am reading, with in-depth reviews that illustrate all of my thoughts and feelings about the plots and characters.
So I declare this blog officially open!

WELCOME TO READING FROM COVER TO COVER
xxx Olivia