Bookhaul - September 2016

Yes, we are well into October, am late in posting this one! Better late than never right!? Considering the growing piles of unread books in my room, I really need to stop buying books (No, am just joking!). So , here is my very loved September haul!

Firstly, I decided to try and buy books around the theme for The Biblio Box, as it helps me organize my book buying. This time around the theme was Classics, and so I decided to buy Vinegar Girl, which is a retelling of one of Shakespeare’s books. Apart from this, I bought the entire series of books that feature Anne, of Anne of Green Gables. This  set of books by Puffin is simply adorable and was on my list for a very long time!

The month of September also brought to me some lovely used books from UK, sent by a very dear friend. Harvesting the heart, Rebecca, An impossible Marriage were some among them.

The biblio box had  Elligible (I already had one of the books they had in the box, hence I replaced it with this), Hemingway in Love and I upgraded it with The Great Gatsby- another book that I’ve been wanting for a while now!

Apart from these, I received some interesting titles like Dark Matter, Rau etc for review from the Publisher,  which have been getting amazing reviews from the readers. I also received two books from the authors themselves. One being, The Memory of Lost Dreams which is a dystopian novel  and the other is The Morning tree- a retelling of a fairytale. Lastly, I finally WON A GIVEAWAY! (do the capital letters show my excitement enough!?)  hosted by a friend and fellow blogger, I won the giveaway he hosted and got Shattered Dreams, and All yours, stranger.

Overall, September has left my room with a little hurricane of books that I am only too glad to clean up.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

'Sometimes I think these scarves aren't sent to the Angels at all, but unraveled and turned back into balls of yarn, to be knitted again in their turn. Maybe it's just something to keep the wives busy, to give them a sense of purpose. But I envy the commander's wife her knitting. It's good to have small goals that can be easily attained.' 

Such are the thoughts of Offred. Her days are comprised of demeaning activities, and nights. Of course, nights which are sometimes less eventful than the others, but still, eventful. Margaret Atwood scored a nomination for Booker prize for this book in 1987 and since then it has become probably the most read book of her. A modern classic, as often bracketed in, this book is a great amalgamation of theories such as feminism, war fiction and science fiction. 

Cover page 

Vintage's future edition is the copy I posses. These editions have a common cover designs. There is an image on the cover which is maligned by the continuous lines through in one direction as seen through a futuristic scope. This image looks like a peek into the future which is continuously haunting. The back cover is swirl into the darkness. The spine is clean. It is where the information is, such as the title, publisher's name and bar-code. There are, seemingly, nine books in the editions. I intend to acquire some more of these soon, not just for their cover but clean typography. 

Characters 

The book is story of Offred during wartime. It is time where each citizen is required to be useful and it is what is expected of Offred too. Offred is expected to make use of her breeding ability to grant her commander and his wife a child. Male preferably, but child more so. Offred is a calm woman who has a tornado swirling inside of her. She wants to be loved, to be teased and hopes for a future other than what she is bestowed upon. She is trying to understand the difference between 'freedom to and freedom from' and finding the silver lining where she could be happy in her state. She has also lost her own identity. She wants all of it back. 

There is Commander in whose household Offred works. Commander is a sly male who secretly hates the current regime where women are either boring or sacrificial. He is looking for a tinge of tease in life. Just a spark enough to light a fire but not burn his house down.

Selena Joy is the wife of the commander. Selena is jealous of the handmaids who come to her house and get to lie naked in front of the commander once a month. This is when she is not busy with pointless activities such as tending the plants in her garden and knitting. These activities must have been meant for bored housewives who wanted to distract themselves from their preoccupied cheating husbands and a houseful of maids who talk behind their backs. And so they found a perfect fit in each other. 

Content 

There was a time where the birth rate was in huge decline. These maybe due to the recorded increase in the birth control measures, the nuclear plants accidents, leakages from different biological sites and extensive use of insecticides and other sprays. Several states began reacting to these by shutting down abortion clinics and use of birth controls. The fertility and births were proportional to the wages one received. Several resorted to polygamy but certain sects disobeyed it completely citing religious reasons. 

History changes. Government topples. Women lose their jobs. Second marriages, live-in relationships de-recognized, same sex marriages were scorned upon. Women were used by the upper class to breed. 

All this, was a slow jolt to Offred who used to be an independent woman who made choices for her own life. She was in denial for a long time but when she planned her escape is when she got caught. Now she finds herself in the house of her Commander and his wife, dressed in red and sent for, once a month, to conceive a child. 

This is Offred's story. And many others like her. This is a story of women whose worth were measured by their fertility. 

Language 

Offred is not meant to say much. Or anything. So she thinks. She thinks a lot in her head. Her thoughts wander. And so does Atwood's writing. The writing is spilled all over like how thoughts are. There are too many descriptions. Too many feelings. Too many inferences. There are also alternate scenarios which the character imagine in her head and then the line of reality and imagination blurs till she doesn't quite know which version of it in her head is the real one. 

Overall the language is dreamy. It is coming directly from someone's head, therefore its viscous. 

Good points 

Everything. The cover page is thoughtful. Vintage segregates the genre with its covers beautifully. The characters are multidimensional. They all possess a need for something else and this drives them into action. The concept is as close to reality as it could be. The narration is hauntingly beautiful. 

Bad points

The end could appear a little abrupt but the historical significance towards the end explains the sudden end. But there is definitely an eagerness to know more. 

Overall 

The book is a classic, true to the word. 

Who do I recommend this to 

This book is for classic lovers. Those who like unusual narration are going to enjoy this. Those who like dystopian novels but are tired of young adult fiction are going to enjoy this one. Feminists are going to find this book appealing. 

Quotable quotes 

There is more than one kind of freedom, said aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it. 

It gave us more freedom. When we lived in the gaps between the stories. 

Even his singing worries me. We've been warned not to look too happy. 

But remember that forgiveness too is power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest. 

We are two-legged wombs, that's all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices. 

For him, I must remember, I am only a whim. 

It's over, in seconds, and the traffic on the street resumes as if nothing had happened.
What I feel is relief. It wasn't me. 

I'm sorry there is so much pain in this story. I'm sorry it's in fragments, like a body caught in crossfire or pulled apart by force. But there is nothing I can do to change it.

A dozen damsels we love.

One of the things a bibliophile is guilty of is falling in love with characters who have been brought to life by our favorite authors. While some are irrevocably in love with that ideal man/woman from their favorite books, some others seek inspiration from some memorable characters who give us useful insights on life and the like.

Celebrating the spirit of womanhood this entire month, here is our  pick of our favorite dozen of women straight out of  the books that we absolutely adore. While some are symbols of inspiration and bravery, some others though not extraordinary in the true sense of it still give us life-lessons and  their journey and growth is extremely relatable in the most elemental way.

Jean Louise Finch (Scout)- To kill a Mockingbird / Go set a Watchman

Harper Lee has created a very impacting character in Jean Louise a.k.a Scout. Apart from being a courageous  and curious one, she has an adventurous and humorous side too, which makes her even more appealing to the readers and a definite look-out.

Scout has portrayed, in numerous incidents, that she can definitely take care of herself but her otherwise  romantic streak makes her all the more adorable. A compassionate one too, which we can see in her  behavior towards her father, her small town and her people, Scout has always given me the hope that  no matter what changes in one's life, one should always stay connected to his roots and his self.

Scarlett O’Hara – Gone With the Wind

Life during a civil war calls for choices to be made. These choices define us. While Rhett Butler maybe infamous for the choices he made during the war, he is has decide to love a woman fiercely, and Scarlett doesn’t deserve anything less than the uproar of ‘Aphrodite’ himself. Scarlett is naive. She is spoilt and stupidly in love with a boy who will soon go off to war. Civil wars are not for the ones like her but she is meant to survive it, any which way. Married to three men in her life, she seems to cast a spell. Men seem to fall for her every time she walks past but she craves for only one- The one she can never have. She is strong when she needs to be and a flower when she craves. Scarlett O’Hara is one of her kind.

The author died before she realized she has given a book to be remembered for generations to come. Scarlett was a female lead that everyone anticipated for during that time and the author fulfilled the wish, and how!

Anne Shirley -Anne of Green Gables.

Anne  was introduced to the world in 1908  as the lead of the novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. At the age of eleven, Anne was sent from the Hopetown orphanage to the neighbouring province. Unfortunately, she was sent there by mistake as her sponsors, the siblings duo she ends up living with wanted to adopt a boy to help them on their farm.

Thus begins the journey of this innocent girl who has zeal for life that will make you fall in love with her instantly. She is everything you and I are – quirky, naive, prone to mistakes, and holding on to dreams & working on them tirelessly while growing affectionate bonds with people around her which might be another reason why one can relate to her instantly.

From a naive orphan blending into the town to growing into a fine lady, and her journey all the way, Anne is a lead  in Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne's House of Dreams, Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne of Ingleside. All these books trace the life and journey of this girl which touches one’s heart in the most gentle ways as every phase that is documented in these books is very relatable in the most intimate way.

Margo Roth Spiegelman – Paper Towns

Quentin believes that everyone gets one miracle in their life. While he may not land in outer space or become a pop star, he has Margo Roth Spiegelman living next door, which is his miracle. Margo is an enigmatic character. Her life is filled with epic adventures. She has spent three weeks with a circus and could have been the girlfriend of a bassist of a popular band. Margo reads. She quotes Whitman. She wants to live her whole life like today is the last day. She is a great friend to have. She rains fire on her enemies and leaves her signature after every attack. She might as well be a ninja.

John green is known for his epic characters and this particular book has been no disappointment. Thank you Mr. Green for giving us Margo. We shall always cherish her!

Laila-The Thousand Splendid Suns

 

One of the protagonists in "The Thousand Splendid Suns", Laila is another character that takes us through her journey and how sometimes  accepting the situations we are in, and making the best of it seems to be the best option.

The absence of both of Laila's older brothers, who have gone to war makes her a smart and sensible girl for her age and  fills her with a sense of purpose.

Laila wishes to use her intelligence and education to for the betterment of the world around her. Falling in love with her best friend at the age of 15, she loses him too as he flees the country due to the war. Continuing to lose her loved ones to war, Laila's parents are also a victim of a rocket attack which leaves her wounded after which she is nursed  back to health by a childless couple.

Laila's idealism and independence are challenged when she decides to marry Rasheed in order to give her unborn child by Tariq a father. The book takes us on a journey of the growth of  this young girl and how the war and the situations she is thrown into, change her. It throws light on how motherhood changes Laila, and how  she is willing to accept limitations  she once would have  mocked. While this character  ranges between varied frequencies which are not necessarily progressive, it shows how in life often the situations we are in bring us down, change our course and make us question every action we take.

Sabina-The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Individuality. That is the perfect description of the character woven by Milan Kundera in his novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". Sabina is the one who sees beyond what a common man can see, who perceives notions which the average cannot. Her artistic nature gives her character an added depth that gets to your soul and at the same time leaves you abandoned with her queries about the betrayal hidden behind the concept of idealism.

Every decision she made, and every move  she chose got her closer to her longing for betrayal, or let's say, her longing to not cast away her thoughts to the oblivion existence of idealism. Her journey of and to this spiritual realm, is what got to me.

Jenny – Love Story

Jenny is a commoner. She is smart, witty and passionate. She loves music and despises men who don't. Jenny is everything Oliver with a roman number behind him,  shouldn't fall for. But he does and then begins an epic love saga. Jenny is easily the most loved female character in a love story. She provides the backbone for the entire story and teaches us what love means- never having to say that your are sorry. 

Jenny makes the book a classic and Eric Segal immortalized her.

Katniss Everdeen - Hunger Games Series

Katniss Everdeen here has a great responsibility on her shoulders. She is the sole breadwinner in her family and a life support for her little sister. As a heroine Katniss is very different from other characters that we read about. She is a regular teenager in a dystopian world where she is trying to live by. And one picking changes her life altogether. She is commanded by the fierce instinct to protect her sister. She is brave, she can shoot a bird in the eye and she can fight for survival.

Katniss Everdeen is one of the strongest women in literature. She evolves during the course of the story which makes her all the more interesting. The world of literature owes to Suzanne Collins.

Nancy Drew- Nancy Drew Mystery Stories

She’s the daughter of famous mystery case attorney and it looks like flair for crime runs in the family. This daring 16 year old  has from the very beginning posed a fine  challenge to gender stereotypes as she has to criminals that she goes after.

A University of Iowa conference devoted to Nancy Drew declared that she was a true role model for young girls, citing her 'physical courage' as one particularly positive.She is not just brave, confident and daring but also polite, caring, sensitive and kind. In addition, she is a thoughtful daughter.

Be it tackling situations usually reserved  for her male literary counterparts, or showing her sharp intuitive skills as a crime solver, Nancy Drew is one of those female crime solvers who has inspired the likes of me to fall in love with mysteries and thrillers.  She is a fine mix of characters and traits, and she is portrayed as a girl skilled with auto mechanics as well as cooking, horseback riding, dancing, sewing and athletics.  She is a lead character in the Nancy Drew Series by  Edward Stratemeyer, and remains an inspiration for little girls getting hooked to stories dedicated to her field of interest.

Dominique Francon-The Fountainhead

 

When Ayn Rand introduces and character to her novel, they depict the path the  entire novel progresses through. Dominique, is a dark and mysterious character. Her idea of living, of shielding  herself from being hurt or disappointed and her fear of losing things or people  that make her happy is what intrigued me while reading the novel.

Although the  novel has set a certain frame for the protagonist, Howard Roark (a definite  favorite character again), Dominique's journey to self-discovery eventually  leads the reader to the another exceptional concept behind this novel. From surrounding herself with bitter people and memories so as to keep herself from being hurt if she loses  the people she actually loves, Dominique's ways definitely stand out in this novel, which  has managed to grow around so many other characters.

Hermione Jean Granger - Harry Potter series.

Hermione is a fictional character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

She is one of the most famous and loved character in this fantasy fiction. A person with in-born magical abilities born to normal humans, she is chosen for her abilities to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione does show us that being smart is not only cool but desirable.

She is everything that we seek in a friend, like when Harry is overwhelmed by the pressure  surrounding him, it is Hermione that never gives up nor does she let her friends give up.It is Hermione that is the constant source of 'we can do this - we can survive'.

Another significant feature is that Hermione is flawed, she is ruthless, casts reckless spells with no remorse  etc but these are the qualities that make her likable and relatable as nobody real has ever been a perfect person. It is not only unrealistic, but unfair, to create the idealistically perfect character and hence it is characters like Hermione that make us realize that every one is flawed, every one makes mistakes and how one must gracefully accept their moments of shortcomings. All in all, she is one of those magical characters who casts a spell on us with not only how extra ordinary she is,  but how truly ordinary she can be which nonetheless does not stop her from being the ideal girl who is our hero (err…heroine).

Arjumand Banu a.k.a Mumtaz Mahal- Taj

Arjumand is the love interest of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and among many novels, Taj by Timeri Murari is a winner for me. The sheer intensity of this love story set in the royal Mughal household amidst politics, rebellion and greed for power is very gripping.

She is no warrior but a woman to reckon with nevertheless. It always intrigued me to understand how intense could love be, if it manifested itself into a building that is the greatest symbol of love, and it is Arjumand, later known as Mumtaz Mahal who answers my questions.

This pretty lass revolted for love, her faith in love for her Prince even when he is married off is commendable. The determination and dedication with which she loves unites her with her King. The book takes us on the journey of this innocent girl who falls in love with the Prince, waits for him to wed her against the very will of the king , and continues to love him intensely through her lifetime.

She may have never waged a war in the battlefield, but she always accompanied her King to most of his wars, as unpleasant as the conditions would be due to war and also due to her constantly bearing children.

Her journey, all for the sake of love often makes me ponder on the significance of it. Is love truly so consuming that one could go all the way for it? and Arjumand here answers for me, that yes love is all consuming and everything that is done for love, and with love is never an ordeal. Often when one says that behind every successful man is a woman and Arjumand’s life proves this.

P.S: The pictures used are either artist impressions or actors immortalizing the characters and are used for representation purpose only!

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

When I came across a few posts on different platforms where people were constantly battling for and against the almost 'cult' status of the book, 'the 5th wave', I decided to give it a try myself. 'The 5th wave' is going around fitting itself in the 'science fiction' genre and it irritates me enough to actually wish that I had read more books on this genre to negate the claim. 'The Martian' is science fiction. 'The 5th Wave' is not science fiction! And sadly my argument ends there! But I vow to prove my point in the review. 

Misplaced genre is not the only point that erks me about the book. There are many more. So let's begin! 

Cover page

The cover page is a good composition, no denying that. There is a girl who is looking at a city through woods. It fits the story inside as well. Accepted. 

Now try this. Think of this as cover page for hunger games. Does it fit? Now think of it as a cover of 'Flawed' by Cecelia Ahren. Does it fit? Exactly my point. This is becoming a trend. A cover page is designed to not stand out but to blend in. It is designed and then slapped on the books of similar genre. And we all agree that 'The Hunger Games' series is a lot different from 'Flawed'. And these two books are entirely different from ours truly. And where is science fiction again? 

The cover is not bad. But it fails to give the edge to the book. There is no personalization. This is enough for me to toss the book into the second hand book store and be satisfied with my kindle edition. If I like the book enough to have a copy that is. 

Characters 

There are multiple characters in the book and they are all similar to each other thrown in different situations. There is no depth. 

Cassiopeia does not like the name very much and prefers to be called Cassie. She is a regular teenager. She loves her brother and crushes on a guy from her high school. It all changes when the third wave sweeps in and she has to be more responsible now. Cassie began as a character who could be loved. She could be our next Katniss Everdeen. But no she chooses to actually melt into the arms of a boy with chocolate colored eyes. And she is saying things like, 'What is it about him that makes me want to slap him and kiss him, run from him and to. Him, throw my arms around him and knee him in the balls, all at the same time?'. There are few more lines that disappoint you so much that you just want to shake the girl up and tell, 'The world is on fire, woman!'. Cassie lacks a solid ground throughout the book. 

The next character is Evan Walker. So when you read sentences like these right in the beginning... 

On a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs. 

Runs from the beings that only look human, 

Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. 

To stay alone is to stay alive, 

Until she meets Evan Walker. 

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be her only hope. 

Now Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, 

between defiance and surrender, between life and death. 

.. You expect a great chemistry or at least a strong male character, which Evan was but he continuously kept vaporising in the air and then after sometime there was nothing special about him. There are two more 'main' characters but they too lack the kind of persona you would expect from a book which is majorly young adult. Not science fiction! 

Content

The book starts off from being interesting to bland to downright boring. The earth is apparently infested by aliens who are determined to kill all the humans on the planet and reside here by themselves. So they keep sending wave after wave and killing a few million people with every wave. The world awaits the last wave when the story begins. An interesting concept, but pathetically carried out. Waves are just fusing into each other and it gets difficult to understand which wave does what until Cassie comes to rescue on page 351 to summarise the waves for the readers. That's where the waves are understood. All but last one. But let's not blame Cassie because she herself is trying to figure out. She is running out of time though since there are exactly 109 pages left for the book to get over. The unnecessary sluggish pace gets to the reader almost halfway through the book. 

The book is filled with unnecessary references from other books, quotes from different authors and historical figures. There is one point where it looks like the author is trying to force feed so many references to the readers to prove a point. We get it. He is well read! But who needs forceful insertions of Dawkins, Hawking, Shakespeare etc throughout the book. 

The book is not much about the war but whatever little the author has tried to describe it, it fails to hold the attention. It is often seen that authors find it difficult to describe a war sequence, be it Salman Rushdie or Amish Tripathi. 

Last but definitely this is the most important point in the book. There is hardly any science in the story. Several words like 'aliens' and 'suture' are scattered along the pages but it does not quench the thirst. The author has shied away throughout from getting deep into the science aspect of the book. There are only green balls and wonderland in the book. Hardly enough. The book comes across more as a young adult dystopian novel rather than a science fiction. 

Language 

The narration switches often from one person to the other in the beginning. It makes it more difficult to understand the setting. There are plenty of beautiful lines in the book but the effect wears off soon and reader is left waiting for the story to move on. 

Good Points 

The concept is very interesting. Aliens watching us since the time pyramid was built can make a fascinating story. The narration is interesting. There are some beautiful lines in the book which are worth quoting. Someone who likes good writing is not going to be disappointed. 

Bad Points 

The cover page in spite of being composed well fails to stand out. The safe approach does not work for this book. The characters lack depth. They all seem similar to one another, only their surroundings change. The content does not live up to the expectation. It leaves the reader counting the pages left in the book so he can finish the book and move on to the next one. The novel does not do complete justice to science fiction genre. 

Overall 

The book is going to be a disappointment for science fiction fans and young adult readers alike. When there are so many amazing books waiting to be read, this one feels like a severe wastage of time and resource. 

Who do I recommend this to 

Those who find the movie trailer interesting and want to know the story well before, this book can be fulfilling. 

Quotable Quotes 

ALIENS ARE STUPID.
I'm on talking about real aliens. The Others aren't stupid. The Others are so far ahead of us, it's like comparing the dumbest human to the smartest dog. No contest. 

Daddy said the world was dividing into two camps: runners and nesters. Runners headed for the hills - or thunder mountain. Nesters boarded up the windows, stocked up on the canned goods and ammunition, and kept the TV tuned to CNN 24/7.

Around noon on my mission to keep my promise, I stop for a water break and a Slim Jim. Every time I eat a Slim Jim or a can of sardines or anything prepackaged, I think, Well, there's one less of that in the world. Whittling away the evidence of our having been here one bite at a time. 

He was lucky, my dad. All of us were. Luck had carried us through the first three waves. But even the best gambler will tell you that luck only lasts so long. I think my dad had a feeling that day. Not that our luck had run out. No one could know that. But I think he knew in the end it wouldn't be the lucky ones talent standing.  

Because if I am. The last one, then I am humanity. 

And if this is humanity's last war, then I am. The battlefield. 

I will teach you to love death. I will empty you of grief and guilt and self-pity and fill you up with hate and cunning and the spirit of vengeance. I will make my final stand here, Benjamin Thomas Parish. 

At the height of the plague, when people were dying by the hundreds every day, the panicky residents of Tent City would sometimes toss an unconscious person into the fire by mistake, and you didn't just hear their screams as they burned alive, you felt them like punch to your heart.

"Crazy people - they never think they're crazy. Their craziness makes perfect sense to them."

Flawed (Flawed, #1) by Cecelia Ahern

Sir Thomas More was defining a near perfect society when he coined the term ‘Utopia’. Utopia has been fodder for many fiction and derived fiction novels. Author Amish Tripathi’s ‘shiva trilogy’ is one such series. The book talks about a perfect society and the whole dynamics. A flaw can only be used to polish to perfection. A dystopian society can only lead to utopia. And these two terms are not mere two ends of the pole. They are the two chambers in the hourglass. Time passes and sand keeps slipping from one chamber to the other, thus reaching one end to the other. This is a cycle. Dystopia, just like utopia, has also been a frequently used theme for the work of fiction. ‘The Hunger Games’ series made the genre famous and now more and more authors are treading carefully into the cold waters. 

Cecelia Ahren is a prolific writer, her arena being love stories. This is the first time she is writing a young adult book that too with dystopian theme. ‘The Scarlet Letter meets Divergent’ is how the publishers are describing the book. Having read neither, it would be improper to agree with it or invalidate the claim. But this novel is going to be surprise treat for the readers, it is safe to say! 

“No, its not funny, comical, but its funny, peculiar,” I say, feeling slapped.
“Thank you, Thesaurus,” Juniper says under her breath. Its what she always calls me when I get bogged down by definitions.

Cover page

The cover page narrowly escapes the dungeon and keeps itself from being boring. Narrowly. The color white dominates the cover. The designers have used the character as branding on the book. The female lead of the book finds herself on the cover. There is also the much talked about ‘flawed branding’. For someone who has not yet read the book, the cover is going to be dull.

But this is different once the story is known. The cover-page describes the story inside perfectly well. The white color denotes the perfection of Celestine, our leading lady. And to shatter the crystal ball, there is a sear of ‘flawed’ on her. The cover page is thought provoking. Someone who reads the book is going to come back to the cover and ponder over it. Smart approach. 

Characters

I am a girl of definitions, of logic, of black and white.

Remember this.

The part one consists of these two lines. The lines are to describe Celestine North, the female lead of the book. Celestine is articulate. She uses the right words at right places. She is good at mathematics and she has a boyfriend who thinks she is perfect.

With all the perfection that Celestine possess, nobody would have thought that she would become the most flawed person in the city. She is going to bear the mark for her life.

The lead character is, no surprises, bold. She is a girl who fall into the situations she would not have dreamt of and learns to triumph during the course. There is a course of change that is seen in her over the chapters. The transition keeps the book interesting.

There are other characters such as Corlineus-Celestine’s grandad, Art-her boyfriend, Juniper-her sister etc. all the characters are written in depth. A novel which could have been a ridiculous idea, considering the dystopian theme, is made believable through the characters. 

Content

“Never trust a man who sits uninvited, at the head of the table in another man’s home.”

The story begins when Judge Crevan or Bosco has come for lunch to Celestine’s house with his son who also happens to be her boyfriend. Everyone at the table is nervous. Celestine does not understand this. For her Judge Crevan is just Bosco. She loves him like family and does not need to fear him.

The glass shatters when the events start to unfold and Judge Crevan turned out to be a completely different person than he appeared to be. Celestine falls into an unimaginable situation and everyone around her is trying to set an example out of her. Slowly she becomes a face of a revolution. The sand of time exchanging chambers again. 

The novel is fast paced. The content is steady throughout the book. No rush. The book focuses on Celestine throughout. The book finishes with a cliffhanger. Other important characters are going to be unmasked in the sequel. The story is interesting. The cliffhanger is going to keep the readers desperately waiting. 

Language

The entire book is written in the first person. With so many writers using first person narrative these days, the narration may not seem extraordinary but the use of symbolism and personification throughout breathes life into the story. There are some thought provoking lines (find them in quotable quotes) in the book. To someone who loves good writing, Cecelia Ahren is going to be the new favorite. 

Good points

The characters in the book are as deep as the sea. The transition in them is a proof of good writing. The content is fast paced without rushing into situations. The writing is remarkable for an author who has not written a young-adult book before. 

Bad points

Even though the cover is derived from the story inside, it fails to attract any attention. Someone who reads the story and comes back to the cover is going to understand the point of it all, but it may be too much to expect out of a reader. 

“And he is one half of what made you, and that makes him a genius.”

Overall

This book definitely meets the milestones that ‘The Hunger Games’ has set in the genre if not beyond. What lies ahead is a long wait to read the next book in the series. 

Who do I recommend this to

This book is for the dystopian story lovers. Those who like strong female characters are going to find this interesting. Cecelia Ahren fans are going to enjoy this one too.

Quotable quotes 

My striving for perfection also includes wanting to have the ideal relationship with my sister, like in the movies I see and the books I read, the stories that tell you that sisterhood is the one real true love and relationship that you will have in your life.

I’m the poster girl. One side wants to use me to prove the Guild is biased; the Guild wants to use me to prove that it isn’t. The perfect girl to prove its power. It wants me to feed the fear.

“You are a pretty seventeen year old girl from a good part of town, no serious problems, girlfriend of the son of Judge Crevan. Whats not to love about this case? Plus they are looking for a new reality show, and it looks like you are their new target. You represent a generation that will be obsessed with every detail of every aspect of this case, a generation that is pliable, moldable, and just so happens to have more disposable income than any other demographic. Whatever shoes you wear today, they’ll want tomorrow. Whatever earrings you are wearing, they will sell out by the end of this week. Whatever perfume you wear, there will be a waiting list for it tomorrow. It will be the Celestine North effect. The fashion and sales industry will love you.”

We are to be held up to the rest of the world as a mirror of their worst nightmares. Scapegoats for all that is wrong in their lives.

I can’t make out anything anyone is saying, but if you could trap anger in a jar, this is what you would hear each time you twisted the lid. 

I have learned that to be courageous is to feel fear within, every step of the way. Courage does not take over, it fights and struggles through every word you say and every step you take. It’s a battle or a dance to whether to let it pervade. It takes courage to overcome, but it takes extreme fear to be courageous. 

It is pandemonium in the viewing gallery. I can feel their energy, their erratic, angry movements. My eyes move from side to side. I try to focus, but I can’t. I know why I’m here. I understand and then I don’t. I wish I’d never done what I’d done, and then I’m glad I did. I want to scream, but I don’t.

“Do it.”
“Sir, we have never seared a spine before,” Bark says nervously.
“Because we have never seen anyone so flawed to their very backbone like this lady. Brand. Her. Spine.”

“One, two”..
And the hot iron touches my skin, the noise I made is the loudest, most excruciating, agonizing, animal sound I have ever heard in my life, and it echoes through the corridors of Highland Castle for all to hear, so anyone and everyone knows Crevan’s poster girl has been branded.

I wake up. And just as I have done every day in the past three days since I’ve come home, I force myself to go back to sleep. I realize it was not all a nightmare. It is true. Sleep is my only friend these days, so I roll onto my side, for my back is in too much pain, move my head on the pillow, so that my temple doesn’t brush the fabric, try not to crease the skin on my chest so that it doesn’t sting, and leave my right hand flat and open, the dressings prevent me from closing it anyway. This is the only way I can find respite, though for a girl of definitions, I use the term respite lightly. 

It’s the first time I smile in almost a week. When the lows are so immense, the victories are small. But they are despite it. You just have to know them when you see them, little pockets of light and hope hidden away in darkness.

“How can they have learned what’s right and wrong, how could they have learned anything about themselves? About what they feel comfortable doing, about what they feel is beyond the scope of their character? The more mistakes you have made, the more you have learned.”

“Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge is often a responsibility nobody wants.”

* I recieved the book from the publisher. It has not influenced the review at all.