'More Than This' by Patrick Ness Review

     AS levels have begun and I'm now a year 12 student so my reading time has been significantly reduced due to homework and revision unfortunately :( However, here is my review of Patrick Ness' 'More Than This'. This is done in a different style to what I usually do without subtitles but is still my opinions of the book. This is now one of my complete favourites and you don't understand how much you need to go out and read this! There's a teeny spoiler in this review so I've pointed it out if you want to avoid it.

   I received a review copy from Movellas in order to review this.

"Here is the boy, drowning."

   Seth awakens from death. But, he’s alive. Naked and alone in his old home back in England, he is haunted by vivid dreams of his life. He begins searching for answers in this ‘after-life’. Is he really alone? Or is there More Than This?

   I think Patrick Ness is a great author and this book proves this further. At first, I actually expected perhaps a paranormal story, which is quite popular within the YA genre, but it already started off with a twist and ended up being a suspenseful dystopian novel. It was a pleasant surprise.

   ‘Here is the boy, drowning.’ What a way to begin! Starting with the death of the main character really hooked me as well as indicating that this story takes place in the after-life, setting the scene without chunks of boring description. He is referred to as ‘the boy’, which I loved because it’s subtle but gives us readers an indication as to who to root for when reading, suggesting importance.

   However, the first chapters were quite slow for me, which kept up the suspense but did get a little boring after a while. Nevertheless, it quickly became more fast-paced that kept me wanting to read more. So stick with this story or you’ll regret it!

   The middle was exciting, introducing more flashbacks (which are perfectly placed without getting too long that we forget the actual storyline, dripping in more information about our protagonist’s past.) and introducing more interesting characters.

   Each character stood out because, although they are very different, they felt real. They contrast nicely with appropriate reactions to their situations. They have different stories, with different backgrounds but they unite in something they all have in common; finding out if there is ‘more than this’. They experience many real issues we do today, like murder, poverty, abuse and the world seeming to try and reject who you are. It’s so realistic it’s scary, with the internet taking over too. This really could happen in our future! It is really amazing for an author to create a new world and make it appear so vivid to the reader.

   The twists kept on coming and the final turn I loved. 

(SPOILER AHEAD: When The Driver “dies” SPOILER END), 

I really wanted another obstacle to appear in the way of our protagonists because I didn’t feel that the story should end just yet, but I wasn’t expecting what did happen and was almost shouting at the book to let there be a happy ending!

   Then, the impossible happens and the final flashback is beautifully carried out, rounding our knowledge off. It was a miracle that seems impossible, but is actually probable, and everyone is left confused by the unexpected. But that is because that’s what life is; you don’t know what’s around the corner. I thought I might be over-thinking the plot after finishing this but I have come away satisfied with the cliff-hanger.

   Overall, Patrick Ness has done a brilliant job yet again. ‘More Than This’ is full of twists that keep you going until the very end. If you enjoy Sci-Fi/Dystopian YA novels then this is for you. I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 14/15 because it contains swearing and mature issues. However, I’ll only be giving it 4.5/5 because it did take me a few chapters to really get into the story, but I loved reading this novel and I'd certainly like to read more books like this :)

~White Ravens~
 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10321725/white-ravens-writing

Stung by Bethany Wiggins Review

   My review of Bethany Wiggins' Stung. These are all just my opinions so don't hesitate to share your own below. :)

Rating: 

   2/5 – This book has an exciting world premise and started off well, but I can’t give it more than two because I feel the plot was too fast, leaving me confused and the parts of the story not fully developed.

Who I think it's for:

   This contains a lot of violence with some reference to mature issues as well as being a young adult novel, so overall I think it’s aimed at 13 – 21 year olds. I wouldn’t let anyone younger read it because of the blood and references. This is a sci-fi novel and if you like the Hunger Games, which Stung is compared to, it is along those sorts of dystopian lines.

"There’s no cure for being Stung.”

Plot Summary: 

   Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. She has awakened to her house being abandoned, her neighbourhood being dead and her brother being changed into a beast. After running into the new, chaotic world, the strange tattoo on her hand makes her dangerous, so she is detained by soldiers dedicated to protecting the ‘uninfected’ inside the recently built wall from those branded as monsters. At any second, she could change into a mindless zombie, but how does the apocalypse all come down to something as small as bees?

The Characters:

  I found the main character, Fiona, very whiny and had to have men protect her and tell her what to do all the time. But, if you had just been flung into a world with no memory of how you got there or how it became so full of chaos, she seemed quite realistic and her reactions to her situation were too.

   Bowen was the character who struck me the most because he is strong and determined but has a softer side. He seems to be the traditional cliché hero but he starts off as on the side of the “bad guys” but changes after taking matters into his own hands, trying to make out that he’s doing it to save himself but really isn’t as inhumane as we first thought.

  Sadly, I did not like the romance between Fiona and Bowen. The story is quite fast-paced (which is a highlight) but sometimes leaves parts behind to catch up so the love appears very rushed and unnatural. I wasn’t really expecting them to become lovers, but it rather felt like they were friends trying to survive in the apocalypse.

Why I read it:

   This was on the top books shelf in the library and claimed to be the next Hunger Games, which I really enjoyed reading, so obviously Stung caught my attention. The blurb was interesting, the idea was original. However, the way the story was carried out was disappointing slightly, with a beginning that kept me going for a while but few holes were filled in my knowledge and I felt like the story could have slowed down a little at the end and let us give more. The main story line felt undeveloped and as if nothing had really happened. I forced myself not to abandon this book to see whether it got better by the end, but I was left confused with still many questions left unresolved. I don’t think I’ll be carrying on to read the sequel.

 

Why you should read it:

    It’s a very interesting concept, though I wouldn’t jump to recommending it to anyone. This is all just my opinion though, so if you like dystopian novels with a fast-pace leaving you behind, you might want to give this a try.


The sequel to Stung, Cured, is planned for release in 2014.

 

~White Ravens~ http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10321725/white-ravens-writing

Divergent by Veronica Roth Review

   My second review is of the book Divergent by Veronica Roth, a YA dystopian fiction :)
   I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post again. Thankfully exams are all over (FREEDOM!!!) and now I will probably have more time to myself to read, write and post :)

Rating: 

 

   4/5

  This book really keeps you on the edge and I love female leads kicking butt ;) I read it every day to try and finish it, but I've only given it four out of five because I didn't want to read it every second of everyday.Yes, I did finish it quite quickly but it didn't captivate me so much that I wanted to get to the end within an hour. I'm very picky with my 5/5s :)
   

Who I think it's for:

 

   Although it can get rather bloody and contains a few kissing scenes, there's no adult themes so I would say it's for 13+. It is a young adult book so, obviously, that is the main target market but I'm sure many adults would love it too, with it's strong and fresh characters, interesting plot and important themes. If you love sci-fi and dystopian fiction that this is for you. I'd say girl's would be drawn to it more but it has enough action to appeal to both genders.

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” 

Plot Summary:  

 

   In a dystopian future where Chicago is split into five factions representing specific qualities important to their citizens: Amity for the peaceful; Abnegation for the selfless; Candor for the honest; Erudite for knowledge; Dauntless for bravery.

   It is sixteen year old Beatrice 'Tris' Prior's turn to choose. Torn between staying with her family or changing for her own future, she decides upon her faction, shocking all, and is hurtled into their grueling initiation trials. Juggling friends, love, having her life on the line as well as coming to terms with being 'Divergent', a secret underlying her city could change everything they ever knew.

The Character that stood out most:

 

   Caleb Prior, 'Tris Prior's brother, stood out a lot to me. He, too, makes a shock decision at the Choosing Ceremony, which he took at the same time as 'Tris, but appeared as a very determined character. However, what really made him stand out was how much he changed throughout the book.

   In the sequel, 'Insurgent', he is obviously easily manipulated by the 'Faction over Blood' message that every child has had drilled into them from birth. Under this manipulation, he does something completely unexpected, which really disappointed me about the book. I knew that the society had misled him, but I have my own sister so I don't understand why he would do what he did. (I don't want to give anything away so that is all I will say about the matter)

   We'll have to wait for the final book, 'Allegiant', to find out why Caleb took this abrupt turn.

Why I read it:

 

   Dystopian fiction for young adults are all the rage now so naturally I was drawn to the book. I remember one of my friends recommending Veronica Roth as a good author a while back, so when I saw the name in a book shop, I thought I'd give it a go :) It had gained good reviews and I also saw that it would become a film next year, so I wanted to read it before I saw it.
  

Why you should read it:

   

   It had me hooked from the beginning. It has something for everyone, with action, love, friendship and trying to find yourself in a difficult world, which everyone can relate to. It's great for teenagers and I would recommend it to anyone. If you want to see the film, I think you should read the book first because I like to know what's going on and how it differs :) It's a very popular book amongst YA readers too :)


   Well, that's my second review done :) I will get to writing the remainder of the character questions soon. Leave your thoughts in the comments :)


~White Ravens~


  The final installment of Veronica Roth's best-selling series, 'Allegiant', is out October 22nd, 2013 and the 'Divergent' film release is in 2014 - 21st March 2014 in the USA.