Blind Faith

Blind Faith - Ben Elton 
Rating: 7.5/10


Imagine a world where everyone knows everything about everybody. Where 'sharing' is valued above all, and privacy is considered a dangerous perversion. Trafford wouldn't call himself a rebel, but he's daring to be different, to stand out from the crowd. In his own small ways, he wants to push against the system. But in this world, uniformity is everything, and even tiny defiances won't go unnoticed. 


summary by Goodreads.com


A powerfully thought provoking novel that challenges a culture devoted to blind faith. I found this presentation of the future fairly disturbing, Ben Elton's Blind Faith is unlike anything I've read before in terms of crude and questionably risque content. I found personally that the violent and ugly nature of the book sought to challenge the reader to consider the controversy of a world dictated by religion and yet operated by science, the struggle between faith and reason. As well as the strong concepts behind the novel I found the book well written and captivating. I would recommend to those who enjoy reading about societal controversy and the battles between science and religion.  


Good Points: 

• well written, captivating
• thought evoking   

Bad Points:

• controversial, not universally tasteful. 

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Borrow

Catching Fire

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Rating:9/10

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol.


summary by Goodreads.com


Another great book from the Hunger Games series. The strong female protagonist Katniss is back. The story line picks up right from where it left of in the Hunger Games and delivers the same outstanding results, completely absorbing, once again another book to be wary of if you value sleep in any way. As an extension of the first book I personally loved Catching Fire, the only thing I found fault with was a lack of immediate action in the first third of the book , this was made up for in progressing the depth of the plot and many other ways anyway. I would recommend to any one with an interest in reading, (having read the first one first of course.) Definitely a must read.


Good Points:

• An excellent sequel - does not disappoint.
• Intense characters and plot

Bad Points:

• none - so go read the first one. :P 

(if you haven't already of course ...)

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Buy 

The Brides Farewell

The Brides Farewell - Meg Rosoff
Rating: 6.5/10
On the morning of her wedding, Pell Ridley creeps out of bed in the dark, kisses her sisters goodbye and flees — determined to escape a future that offers nothing but hard work and sorrow. She takes the only thing that truly belongs to her: Jack, a white horse, and small mute Bean who refuses to be left behind. 


Summary by Goodreads.com


Another story by Meg Rosoff, as simple and lacking in complexity as What I Was, with a hint of a sub-story that the aforementioned novel definitely wanted. The story itself was sweet and reminded me of a much lighter-hearted equivalent of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Again for a romance novel it lacked a great deal of the romance that the blurb suggested. However, what little it contained was sweet and charming and the conclusion was by far better than What I Was.

Good Points:

• Easy ready, comfortable and just nice. 

Bad points:

• Doesn't quite live up to the claims of the blurb.
• Lacks sincere complexity.

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Borrow

What I Was

What I Was  - Meg Rosoff
Rating: 6/10

Toward the end of his life, H looks back on the relationship that has shaped and obsessed him for nearly a century. It began many years earlier at St. Oswald’s, a dismal boarding school on the coast of England, where the young H came face- to-face with an almost unbearably beautiful boy living by himself at the edge of the sea. 


Summary by Goodreads.com


Whilst I vaguely enjoyed the story, the characters, the plot I was disappointed to find them simple, linear and straightforward. The novel lacked for me the strong romantic aspect that the blurb suggested and the ending proved to be unfulfilling, merely a method for collecting loose ends in an unsatisfactory way. The whole novel led to a feeling of expectancy, constantly waiting for something that would barely appear, this detracted from an overall enjoyment of the book. However a unique portrayal and sense of writing saved the book from being utterly unreadable, the book was spot on for its target audience of young adults/ teens and I would not dissuade others from reading.

Good points: 

• Nice easy reading

Bad points:

• Lacks the strong romantic aspects of a romance novel
• Unfulfilling, misfit conclusion

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Borrow

Lord Loss

Lord Loss - Darren Shan

Rating: 8.5/10

Grubbs Grady has stiff red hair and is a little big for his age, he hates history and loves bacon, rats, and playing tricks on his squeamish older sister. When he opts out of a family trip, he never guesses that he is about to take a terrifying journey into darkness. Hungry demons and howling werewolves haunt his waking nightmares... and threaten his life.


With some awesomely gory imagery, this book brings to life characters of nightmarish qualities and imaginative concepts. I found that the book had just the right 'scare-factor,' if it were targeted at older audiences then the novel would have been beyond my comfort zone, not one to normally jump straight into horror stories, on the other hand due to being aimed at slightly younger readers than myself I found the book lacked a certain finesse and quality of writing that I have recently grown accustomed to. All in all an enjoyable story that definitely makes me want to read on in the series.
Good Points:

• Suitable for a range of readers from 10+
• Imaginative plot lines and characters 
• Great thriller/gore scenes 

Bad Points:

• Found myself wanting the book to have contained more blood and gore than it did. 
• Slightly alienates older readers.

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Buy - I got it super cheap from Waterstones - £1 

Hurry while offers last ;] 

Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Rating:8/10

Readers experience the entire life of a geisha, from her origins as an orphaned fishing-village girl in 1929 to her triumphant auction of her mizuage (virginity) for a record price as a teenager to her reminiscent old age as the distinguished mistress of the powerful patron of her dreams. Golden puts us right in the tearoom with the geisha; we are there as she gracefully fights for her life in a social situation where careers are made or destroyed by a witticism, a too-revealing (or not revealing enough) glimpse of flesh under the kimono, or a vicious rumor spread by a rival "as cruel as a spider."


summary by Goodreads.com


Having a personal interest in Japanese culture I found this book a fascinating insight into the world of the geisha, the author is clearly very familiar with the subject, providing as close to an accurate novel as fiction gets, this only serves to better bring Sayuri and Gion to life. The exotic characters are inspirational and the plot succeeds in keeping the interests of the reader completely. I would recommend to those who are interested in japanese culture and/or geisha.


Good Points:

• Intriguing exotic characters and environment 
• Insight into a "now vanished world" 

Bad Points:

• The romantic love story woven into the novel is unfulfilling 
• Not universally appealing

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Borrow - Its a good book in my opinion but not for everyone

The Painted Man

The Painted Man - Peter V. Brett

Rating:9/10

As darkness falls each night, the corelings rise–demons who well up from the ground like hellish steam, taking on fearsome form and substance. Sand demons. Wood demons. Wind demons. Flame demons. And gigantic rock demons, the deadliest of all. They possess supernatural strength and powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards–symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and mystery, and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile.


summary from goodreads.com


At first I couldn't get into this book, it was a whole new genre and I certainly had my reservations, it started slowly with increasing amounts of gore. However, after pressing through a few chapters and growing accustomed to a more adult style of literature I found myself pretty much hooked, devouring the story in a mere two days. I admired the morals and strength of the characters through personal trials but above all the skill in which the tale was told. I would recommend to those who enjoy dark fantasy type novels and are not adversed to certain amounts of blood and gore.


Good Points:

• Engaging and page turning after initial chapters.
• Gritty, no sugar coated reassurances 
• Has a sequel! :P 

Bad Points:

• Slow to start.
• For older teens and adults, not suited for younger readers.
• Not universally appealing.

Buy/Borrow/avoid:

Buy/borrow