Sabriel by Garth Nix

I think that I’m going to have to make a rule, where I have to finish one book per week. Then I can not only get through my pile easier, but I can also actively blog. It’s a great idea, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!!! OH, and I have something to show you guys, check it out. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-europe/at-europe-london-closeup-the-amazing-staircase-042543 It’s a staircase/bookshelf! I want it! This is the first thing that I’m going to do when I’m rich and get to design my dream house. The next thing I will do is make a huge bedroom which is just a bouncy and comfortable mattress going all the way to the walls – but that’s irrelevant.

Growing up outside the wall of the Old Kingdom, living the life of a student, Sabriel is whisked off her feet by the news that her father is trapped somewhere in Death. Using all that her father has taught her about necromancy and sending dead spirits to rest – Sabriel travels into the depths of the Old Kingdom to rescue her father and to make sure that the dead are not freed from their bindings. Pursued by evil spirits and taking many crash landings on the way, Sabriel has to face one of the Greater Dead (possibly the greatest) and use all that she has learned from her father to defeat it. But can she do it without using Astarael – the Sorrowful – which when rung would make all who hurt slip into death.

This book didn’t start slow at all, and that made me happy. It wasted no time in the beginning, and went right to making you form in your mind what the hell was going on with the setting. It has magic and technology mixed together, and the way that the author eased you into the world that Sabriel lived in was perfectly done. I enjoyed this book very very much.

The one thing that I would say needs some work is some character issues. I know that in Nix’s writing style character’s personalities are all very simple, but still. I think that he could work on the main character being a little more interesting. She doesn’t really have personality traits and seems kind of neutral about everything. I just wish that there would be something else that made her unique, besides being full of courage just like every other protagonist in fiction books.

The setting was wonderful, I loved the time and the world that Sabriel lived in. This is a great book, and I recommend it. Here is Garth Nix’s website. http://www.garthnix.com/ I give this one a steady 4 out of 5. (The pictures with the stars are on my other computer, Sorry!)

Later Cheese Graters,

MRR

Gone by Lisa McMann

Wow. It has been a while. I read two other books before this, both I didn’t think were worth reviewing because I really had nothing to say about either of them. I have lots of books on the way though, as usual. When I finally start to think that my book pile is getting smaller, I walk by a Chapters and I have to go for more. I think that I might be a bookaholic.

 Things almost seem back to normal for Janie, after learning more about her ability to see other people’s dreams, finding the love of her life, and becoming an undercover police agent. Except there is a dreadful nagging image in the back of her mind that haunts her no matter how much she pushes it away. Just when Janie thinks that she’s decided, she’s slammed in the face with yet another surprise, that leads her to a brand new discovery about her dream catcher. But more importantly, will Janie ever be able to make her choice and get out of this Morton's Fork?

 

 

I got excited before I read this book. It’s the third in a trilogy and I read the first two in grade 8. They were both great books, and I loved them, so I expected this one to be a dramatic finish full of twists and turns that will make an excellent end to this series!

Well, I was wrong. This book is just plain boring. Nothing even remotely interesting happens until you’re half way through the book, and even then, the thing that is supposed to make you gasp with surprise isn’t very surprising at all.

Another thing was that I had the previous novels such a long time ago that I didn’t remember some things that happened, and when you start on this one it just dives in right away and I didn’t get some things until the very end, which was nice in a way because it gave some effect, but still. There were some good parts, but overall this was a crappy last book in a good series.

I give this one a 2.5.

To make matters worse, Miley Cyrus is going to be playing the main character in these books which are being made into a movie! http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/06/17/miley-cyrus-will-star-in-ya-thriller-wake/ Yay for bad actors ruining good books!

If you want to check out McMann’s website, here you go. http://www.lisamcmann.com/html/home2.html She has a new book coming out in Feburary if you’re interested.

Later Cheese Graters!

MRR