Analyzing Books

Tag: sciencefiction

  • Glass Sword

    Glass Sword

    Glass Sword was an amazing sequel to an equally amazing book called Red Queen. I found Red Queen at a local bookstore and decided to give it a try. I don’t have a copy of Glass Sword, but my fellow book-lover and friend lent me her (signed) copy to read. Needless to say, It was superb. Not only fast-paced from the first chapter, Glass Sword also introduced more character development (yay!) and the end was a plot twist that made me ready for the next book! All of the characters were uniquely written, and the author had me cringing, gasping, laughing, sighing, blushing, and grabbing for the next few words all throughout the book.

    Though Mare was definitely not my favorite character for the vast majority of the book because she was cruel and ruthless, I do appreciate flawed characters (Dumbledore and Snape, anyone?) and think that characters without flaws are flat and rather stock. Cal was, as usual, amazing (kind, intelligent, and, well, attractive) and definitely a new fictional boyfriend for me. Farley was amazing; a truly brave, strong young girl that today’s normalized society lacks in. I think all of the characters have matured greatly from Red Queen, especially Mare, who went from a little girl afraid and angry at the world to a mature young woman who understands the world (but is still afraid and angry).

    The only aspect of Glass Sword that I feel could be improved is rather small, but still worth mentioning. I personally think that some of the action in the opening chapter could have been held back until a little later in the book. There should be a balance between the first few chapters of a book filled with rather boring plot and jumping straight into the action, and I feel like Mare, Cal, and the Red Guard should have been given more time to adjust from the events concluding Red Queen before running into battle.  However, the rest of the book was brilliantly written, and I give kudos to Victoria Aveyard. Looking forward to the next book!

    Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars.

    Views: 6

  • A Whisper of Leaves

    A Whisper of Leaves

    A Whisper of Leaves was given to me by Full of Books to review a week or so ago, and I must admit that I was hesitant to read it at first. A small book at only 146 pages, I was worried that the resolution would be quick and the story too short to be interesting. Though I still hold that the book would be improved by adding more plot and, therefore, length, I was pleasantly surprised. I tore through the story, finishing it in a little over an hour, and found myself eager to read more when I finished a chapter. The ghost/thriller theme gave me chills, and I found my eyes darting around me as if the death spirit Shinigami itself were peering over me.

    A ghost story set in Japan, A Whisper of Leaves was written by Ashley Capes. Riko, and ESL teacher finds an old journal in the forest beneath Mt. Fuji and decides to take it home. As she begins to read through the journal, Riko begins to be threatened by a mysterious and angry force everywhere she turns and finds out more than she bargained for about the author. As strange events turn to dangerous (i.e. being held a gunpoint by your possessed ex-boss) and nobody seems to believe her, Riko must discover what happened to the author of this strange journal – and why a strange old man raking leaves in the forest seems to be connected.

    I enjoyed this book more than I first thought, but there were still some flaws. The grammar was slightly better than mediocre, as there were too many simple sentences for my taste, and using a semicolon five times per page gets annoying after a while. As I mentioned earlier, the book could have been longer – I felt that the story was good and complete, but I definitely would have read more if it was available and I felt that there was just something that was missing. Overall, a recommended read for anyone who likes ghost stories, or anyone who wants to dip their toes into the genre.

    Rating: 3.25 of 5 stars

    Views: 2