Book reviews: Klara and the Sun | Wonderstruck | The Time Machine

Title: Klara and the Sun

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Original title: Klara and the Sun
First published: 2021
Genre: Sci-fi
Series: --
Publisher: Faber Faber
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 307
Finished: 21/11/21
Summary: From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

My thoughts: It's been such a long period of time between me reading this book in November 2021 to me writing this review in May 2022. What I remember of my opinion on this book is that I enjoyed it, but that the story had an anticlimactic ending and a writing style that never quite managed to pull me in. It was the first book I ever read by Ishiguro and despite my somewhat lukewarm feelings for Klara and the Sun in particular, I still look forward to reading more of his work, especially the books of his that are more beloved, like Never Let Me Go.

Rating: 3,25/5

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Title: Wonderstruck

Author: Brian Selznick

Original title: Wonderstruck

First published: 2011
Genre: Historical, Middle grade
Series: --
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 629
Finished: 17/05/2022
Summary: Ben and Rose secretly wish for better lives. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories - Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures - weave back and forth in symmetry.

My thoughts: I was lucky enough to find this in a pleasantly cluttered second hand in Morecambe on the coast of Lancashire. Having read Selznick's earlier book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which is presented in text and illustrations in the same manner as Wonderstruck, I didn't hesitate in buying it and immediately reading it. I knew it would be a quick and fun read to get me started if I wished to engage in more reading for pleasure this summer. Indeed it was a relatively fast read, for I bought it only three days ago. I'd summarize it as a fast, almost too fast, and enticing reading experience. The storytelling that is woven between Ben's text and Rose's illustrations is compelling as a format. I must argue, however, that the format needs the support of a strong story to reach its full potential. What I found with Wonderstruck was that despite finding the 400+ pages of artwork enjoyable, I was not so invested in neither Ben's nor Rose's tales. I hoped that Ben would achieve his goal, but I got no satisfaction in following his journey. With Rose, I found that the lack of textual storytelling created a gap between me and the character - a hole that was never filled. I didn't get to know her, didn't make a connection. The concept of deafness, both long-term and temporary, could have been explored at an even deeper level. I could have been prompted to feel deeper sympathy for Ben, or to share his panic even more. But I didn't, and that may in part be due to the relatively small amount of text in the novel as well as the writing style. The sentences are generally very simple and didn't invoke much emotion in me. The writing style felt flat and plain, which resulted in Ben sadly being a rather mediocre focalizer. In the end the novel achieved what I wanted it to, which was to offer a quick and interesting read to get my desire to consume literature on a roll. I appreciate the format and the artwork, but other than that this wasn't a great hit for me personally. I'd definitely recommend The Invention of Hugo Cabret over this.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: The Time Machine
Author: H.G. Wells

Original title: The Time Machine
First published: 1895
Genre: Classic, sci-fi
Series: --
Publisher: Fab Audio Books
Format: Audiobook
Time: 3h 36min
Finished: 30/04/2022
Summary: The time? 802,701 A.D. The place? An Earth stranger than you can imagine. The people? A pretty, childlike race, the Eloi-and their distant cousins, the Morlocks: disgusting, hairy creatures who live in caves and feed on the flesh of-what? Enter the Time Traveller, who has hurtled almost a million years into the future. After the Morlocks steal his machine he may be trapped there...and at their mercy.

My thoughts: The Time Machine was part of a Victorian Literature course I took this spring. I decided to consume it in audiobook format because I was running out of time to read it before the deadline and my brain was too tired to read text. Regardless of the format, I ended up really enjoying this short novel and the ideas that Wells presents in it. So much so that I wrote about its villains/monsters, the Morlocks, in an essay about the links between evil, physical ugliness, and contemporary Victorian issues. My focus while working with this novel was on class and the Victorian idea of degeneration in the lower classes of the UK. The Morlocks reflect that in that the Time Traveller imagines them to be the future evolution of the working class, whereas the beautiful but weak Eloi are a progression of the upper class. The description of the Time Traveller's panic in seeing what the future has in store for the human race was intriguing, and the way Wells presents his ideas was interesting and entertaining. I absolutely look forward to reading more or his work in the future, and will recommend this novel to anyone who has an interest in sci-fi and classics.

Rating: 4/5

Book reviews: The Cuckoo's Calling | Stolthet och fördom | Ædnan

Title: The Cuckoo's Calling
Author: Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
Original title: The Cuckoo's Calling
First published: 2013
Genre: Crime, Adult
Series: Cormoran Strike #1
Publisher: Sphere
Format: Paperback
Pages: 550
Finished: 27/07/2020
Summary: When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. A war veteran, wounded both physically and psychologically, Strike's life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's complex world, the darker things get - and the closer he gets to terrible danger.

My thoughts: I read this together with some friends over the course of a few weeks. Unfortunately, we were all very disappointed in it. The writing style is definitely Rowling's, and that's good when we're talking Harry Potter. However, it did not work as well in this context. Rowling mixes in crude words and attempts a harsher style, which doesn't go naturally with her normal style. The clash wasn't pleasant. Another thing is the change in perspective. We switch from Cormoran to Robin now and then, but they both have the exact same narration. The POV would also change in the middle of a chapter without warning, which was confusing and lead to annoyance. Overall, the characters had little depth. I think part of the fault here is the sheer amount of characters explored in the murder investigation. There were so many that most of them became only shallow figures based on stereotypes. Then there's Rowling's way of describing black people as opposed to white. She only described skin colour when observing a black character, and many times such characters would be described with words like 'exotic'. Also, the only characters who had written out accents were black. Need I say more?
What of the mystery? Well, the investigation was mostly tedious and to someone like me who has read close to no crime novels before, this was not the one to make me more interested in the genre. In the end I became too bored to feel any curiosity. I stopped wanting to know who was the murderer, if there even was one. The resolution was unsatisfactory. I didn't buy the motivation for certain things.
Overall, I don't recommend the book, but it could've been worse. I liked most of Robin's character, and Cormoran was okay at times. I will most likely never continue with the series.

Rating: 2,5/5

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Title: Stolthet och fördom
Author: Jane Austen
Original title: Pride and Prejudice
First published: 1813
Genre: Classic
Series: --
Publisher: Albert Bonnier
Format: Danskt band (??)
Pages: 462
Finished: 31/07/2020
Summary: Mrs. Bennet has but one aim in life: to find a good match for each of her five daughters. Mr. Bennet, a mild and indolent man given to witty cynicisms, refuses to take this vulgar project seriously; he ridicules his wife instead of giving her support in her schemes. One of the daughters, Elizabeth, becomes prejudiced against her future suitor, Darcy, because of his arrogance and his uncalled-for interference with his friend Bingley’s courtship of her sister Jane. In interfering with Jane and Bingley, Darcy is influence by Mrs. Bennet’s undisguised husband-hunt and her impropriety in general; he mistakenly believes that Jane is only seeking an advantageous match and that her feelings are not sincere. In spite of his disapproval of the Bennet family. Darcy cannot keep himself from falling in love with Elizabeth, and he proposes to her. The tone of the proposal (it is evident that his love for Elizabeth is a blow to his pride) and her own prejudice cause Elizabeth to coldly reject him.

My thoughts: Probably one of my new favourite classics, and definitely one of the best books I've read this year. Austen writes characters and relationships in an expertly manner and I instantly felt at home in the historical setting with its balls, intrigues, and minor scandals. I loved the bond that Elizabeth had to her sisters and parents; it actually felt like a real family. Each sister was their own person, and her parents were truly polar opposites of each other. There's also a lot of humour in this novel, and I had to laugh out loud at several points while reading. To think that the wit of a British lady who lived two hundred years ago is still funny! Furthermore, this is of course an iconic work of romance. Reading about Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet was exciting and romantic. However, I want to point a finger to the wonderful feminism that's sprinkled over the story, even despite of the time it was written. Elizabeth is a woman with an independent mind and will, with obvious feminist values that were thoroughly refreshing for a classic. If all this sounds intriguing to you, I highly recommend you pick up this book soon!
Note: 'Danskt band' is a format for which I can't find any proper translation. It means 'Danish bind' and is a mix between paperback and hardcover. It has the shape of a hardcover but the soft bind of a paperback.

Rating: 4,5/5

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Title: Ædnan
Author: Linnea Axelsson
Original title: Ædnan
First published: 2018
Genre: Historical, Poetry
Series: --
Publisher: Albert Bonnier
Format: Hardcover
Time: 760
Finished: 
Summary: A mother and her youngest son rest with a few other women, elders, and children in a goahti. Ahead of them on the migration route, her husband and elder son push the herd of reindeer. They're headed for an island in northernmost Norway, where they will find pasture for summer. Nobody suspects that the border to Norway will close for them in a few years; that they will be forced to leave their home, and that future generations will face difficulties of a new kind.

My thoughts: Ædnan is old sámi and means the land, the ground, and the Earth.

This is a brick of a book, but it's read quite swiftly. I'm unused to reading in verse, which this is written in, but it was interesting to try it out. I think I've concluded that the format isn't really for me, or perhaps I should begin a search for a verse novel that suits me. Either way, I feel that the format was somewhat to this book's disadvantage. Being poetic can come at the cost of making the content of the story more difficult to understand and interpret. Whilst I feel that I grasped what the story was meant to tell, I fear a lot was still lost on me. Another factor to this was the way the storytelling switched constantly back and forth on the timeline, as well as between points of view. Had the story not been written in verse, I think it would have been easier to keep track of the different characters and their stories. However, I could never quite grasp who was who and what relationships the characters had to each other or what happened when and what consequences things had. I wish we'd just followed a maximum of three characters the entire book, and not jumped back and forth on the timeline. Like I said; a lot was probably lost on me because of the way the story is told.

Still, this book has some powerful scenes. And I did learn some things. It was emotional to read about the sámi people being forced to alter their lifestyle by the cruel ambition of Swedes. They were stripped of their land, their rights, and their dignity when the Swede decided through 'scientific racism' that sámi were beneath them, inferior and undeserving. It's a dark and despicable time in history, and the sámi deserved so much better. The book does a good job of explaining what the sámi people have been exposed to and how they're still affected today by the actions of the Swedish people. I dearly wish that whatever steps can be taken for the sámi people to regain their rights, their land, and their former lifestyle will be executed as soon as possible. They deserve respect and love. I'd like to read more fiction or books by sámi people and about sámi culture and history. Perhaps I will have a greater chance at understanding the message of a book written in traditional prose.

Also, wtf Vattenfall? Rude!!

Rating: 3,25/5

Book reviews: The Young Elites | Nattens cirkus | This is How You Lose the Time War

Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu
Original title: The Young Elites
First published: 2014
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: The Young Elites #1
Publisher: Putnam
Format: Paperback
Pages: 355
Finished: 22/11/2019
Summary: Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever marked by a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Branded as a malfetto - an abomination - she is cast out from all she has ever known and loved. Adelina finds sanctuary with other malfettos and discovers that the disease has left her with more than just a scar - she has a mysterious and powerful gift. She is a Young Elite.
But Adelina's ability is stronger than any Young Elite before her. And unless she can control the vengeful darkness growing inside her heart Adelina could be a danger to them all.

My thoughts: I picked this up after struggling with another book for a solid 2+ weeks and getting no further than 60 pages. That book was "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs, and I ended up putting it down for now after realising that it just wasn't the sort of book I was in the mood for. Instead, I drew inspiration from the monthly theme of reading a book with a weapon on the cover and chose this.
This story started out good. I honestly had no idea it would be historical high fantasy fiction, but it turned out to be just that. However, for being a mix of genres that I ordinarily enjoy a lot, this didn't deliver. Yes, the story was promising (though perhaps a bit basic), and the main character started out interesting. However, as I kept reading, it quickly became clear what kind of style the story was written in, and that soon turned into an annoyance for me. What was the fault? Over-telling. The author was constantly telling the reader what they should be thinking, rather than letting the reader think and imagine on their own. There was also an abundance of telling rather than showing, which also put me off, as usual. These things alone made this book lose very much potential, which is disappointing since I'd started getting my hopes up.
What's more, Adelina turned out to be a self-pitying, sour, low-intelligent, and downright rude character. I understand that we're seeing the perspective of an "evil character", but I've read such stories before, like "Vicious" by V.E. Schwab, that actually make good work of that idea. "The Young Elites" didn't go in the same direction. I rather felt like the author was the evil character for writing such an awful protagonist. With that said, Adelina is not the worst I've read, but I often became very frustrated with her and had a hard time understanding her reasoning and course of action. I think she could've been written far better, and the same goes for most other characters in the book.
What's positive about this novel is that by actually following the perspective of an evil protagonist, it manages to break some of the YA fantasy norms. I also somewhat enjoyed the setting, especially since I dreaded a futuristic dystopian setting when going into the novel. It was also easy and quick to read, and I never really felt genuine hate for the book. It could still be enjoyed to a certain level, and I might read the rest of the series if I can get my hands on the second novel, and hope I don't forget this one until then.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: Nattens cirkus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Original title: The Night Circus
First published: 2011
Genre: Fantasy, Historical
Series: --
Publisher: Nordstedts
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 421
Finished: 27/11/2019
Summary: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

My thoughts: I had the absolutely wonderful pleasure of reading this novel along with two dear friends over the course of two months. It was about time for me to finally get through this book, I think. I've had it for years and I've been meaning to read it for half an eternity (only a slight exaggeration). So now that I've read it, what did I think?
Morgenstern managed to create an atmosphere that felt unique to this novel, and that's something I really liked when reading it. The circus is a mysterious and exciting setting that we get to see through the perspective of several different characters. The historical setting adds to the, almost, eeriness of the environment we find ourselves in as readers. It is this that I enjoyed most about "The Night Circus".
I found some pleasure in following the different characters, though I never really found myself rooting for or against anyone in particular. This was not because the characters were too morally 'grey' to like, but purely because I didn't feel that any character appealed to me much. Most of them were interesting narrators, though, I'll give them that. Otherwise, I find myself indifferent.
The plot could've been stronger. It's a slow burn and feels longer than the book actually is. The narrations teased me into thinking I was headed for a grand finale, but alas, I found the climax a rather anti such. The romance wasn't much for me, either. I wasn't blown away by the writing style. Still, despite that, I didn't dislike the book or the story. I simply found it lacked the elements that could've made this book as great as I thought it would be. I still enjoyed the story to an extent, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read a decent historical fantasy with some engaging intrigue. Just don't expect it to take you on a roller-coaster ride.

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: This is How You Lose the Time War
Author: Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
Original title: This is How You Lose the Time War
First published: 2019
Genre: Sci-fi, LGBTQ+, Adult
Series: --
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 198
Finished: 30/11/2019
Summary: Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. And thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Except discovery of their bond would be death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That’s how war works. Right?

My thoughts: Along with "Wayward Son" by Rainbow Rowell and "The Priory of the Orange Tree" by Samantha Shannon, this novella was one of my most anticipated 2019 releases. I first found out about this book from Cece at ProblemsofaBookNerd on YouTube, and knew immediately that I wanted to read it. So when Book Depository included it in a campaign, I took my chance and bought it.
"Beautiful" is the word that comes to mind when I think of this story. For it is; beautiful in every way I could wish it to be. It's grand in a way that perhaps other novels aren't. The story of these characters is not written to be exciting, though it's in the setting of a time war. It's not meant to be funny or shocking or action-packed. It's meant to soften your heart when it needs comfort, to wet your eyes when they are dry, to embrace you when your body freezes, and to fill you with wonder at the way words can actually make you feel.
"This is How You Lose the Time War" is written in an utterly stunning way that I did not expect to find in something published in 2019. Reading it felt like being present, but also in the past. I guess it suits the theme of time travel well. I fell in love with the lovers and will do so again when I next read this book once more in the future. Until then, I hope you'll enjoy this novella as much as I did, if you get the chance.

Rating: 5/5

Book reviews: Matilda | Mor gifter sig | All the Light We Cannot See

Title: Matilda

Author: Roald Dahl
Original title: Matilda
First published: 1988
Genre: Children, Fantasy
Series: --
Publisher: Puffin
Format: Hardback
Pages: 232
Finished: 17/02/2019
Summary: Matilda is a brilliant and sensitive child, but her parents think of her only as a nuisance. When one day she is attacked by her odious headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to avenge herself!

My thoughts: Roald Dahl has written some of the best children's books out there, amongst them "The Witches" and "BFG". As a child, I used to love the movie "Matilda", which I'd watch at my friend's house next door. I was now tempted to read the book, as I'm going to watch the musical adaptation of the story live in Malmö next month. The book was quite what I expected; quirky and fun. Yet, it didn't live up to my expectations. I didn't fall for this as much as I did for his other works, and perhaps that is due to my age. Most likely it is; alas, that doesn't change my perception of the work, sadly. I did enjoy it, and the illustrations were lovely (as expected of Quentin Blake), so it lands on a middle rating for me.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: Mor gifter sig (Mother Gets Married)
Author: Moa Martinson
Original title: Mor gifter sig
First published: 1936
Genre: Classic
Series: Mia #1
Publisher: Natur och Kultur
Format: Hardback
Pages: 284
Finished: 23/02/2019
Summary: Mother gets married and Mia can’t imagine what good that will do. Her stepfather belongs to the category of adults who don’t think a seven year old child understands more than a three months old pig. Why women want a beautiful man who makes them pregnant is one of life’s great mysteries, which even Mia’s gifted mind fails to solve. Mia’s mother struggles to put food on the table, and the best thing in the world is a home with blue flowers on a chalked mantelpiece. But every time the adults bicker and fight, it leads to new and painful departures.

My thoughts: This is a Swedish proletarian classic from the interwar period. This period is said to be the golden age of the proletarian literature of Sweden, which was why this book was assigned for me and my classmates in Swedish class. 
It was a meh book. It was under 300 pages, but felt like it was over 500. Really, it was better than I expected, but it just didn't invoke any emotions in me, which I would have wished for it to do. It's cool to read fiction that accurately portrays Sweden in different time periods, though. So that's something. So: not a great book for me, but(!) an important piece of literature nonetheless.

Rating: 2/5

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Title: All the Light We Cannot See

Author: Anthony Doerr
Original title: All the Light We Cannot See
First published: 2014
Genre: Historical
Series: --
Publisher: Scribner
Format: Hardback
Pages: 531
Finished: 22/02/2019
Summary: Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance.

My thoughts: In honour of the annual book sale, I read a book that I bought on last year's sales. This was the one!
This was a Big Book™ in more than one way. As is expected of a book set during World War 2, this was heavy on the feels. I did some research to make sure Doerr wrote this story with historical accuracy, which he did, and that’s great. It gives me respect for him; that he’d take so much time to research these things. The book feels very realistic. We get to see the war from the eyes of a French girl (Marie-Laure) who becomes victim of Nazi Germany’s occupation of France, and of a young German boy (Werner) who joins Hitler’s forces to avoid a lifetime working in the mines. Both these perspectives are so interesting and gave me a new insight to the war that I didn’t have before. Werner’s story, especially, had a strong impact on me, because seeing Nazi Germany from the inside was frightening. Marie-Laure’s character was also written very well; her blindness added an unexpected element to the reading experience. Other than these two protagonists, we meet a bunch of other characters, who seemed realistic and who all had their own story that were definitely worth following. It’s strange how good writing can make a reader both love and hate a Nazi character.

All in all, it was a long and good read, but now I need to read some lighter fiction for a while.

Rating: 4,5/5

Book reviews: Så har jag det nu | Wonder | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Title: Så har jag det nu
Author: Meg Rosoff
Original title: How I Live Now
Genre: Dystopian, YA
Series: --
Publisher: Brombergs
Format: Paperback
Pages: 188
Finished: 15/5/17
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy. As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. 

My thoughts: Let me start off by stating that this was not particularly my cup of tea. I don't enjoy dystopian novels very much (though my Swedish teacher keeps throwing them as us) and I'm not too fond of bland, forced heterosexual romances that seem to only be there for the sake of it. I don't mean to take it out on this novel specifically; I'm just so tired of all these halfhearted love stories between and guy and a girl that don't do anything to enhance the story or add any depth to the characters. In fact, romances in general shouldn't stand as a major theme in most novels. I could name several that would do just as well, or even better, without the romance in the centre.
Anyways, back to the novel. The protagonist's name is Daisy and she has some issues. She's anorectic, a bit depressed maybe, and just generally sad and miserable most of the time. I can't say I enjoyed reading the story from her point of view. Not because she had issues, not at all, but because she was passive as all hell and didn't care about almost anything but her cousins, how thin she was (and proud of it), and her dad and his new girlfriend, both of whom she seems to hate a little. While there was an ongoing war around them, she still focused on eating less, ignoring all else. I was rather interested in said war, but nope, we don't find out much about it so....
The other characters are fine, though I never got to know any of them well enough to actually come to care for them. The novel is short, and there is little focus on anyone but Daisy overall. I would've liked to read it from someone else's point of view, Isaac's for example, but I was stuck with Daisy throughout the whole thing. Well-o-well. I didn't hate her character; I could sympathize with her despite me disliking her.
The story itself is interesting, or at least to a certain point. The plot has its moments of excitement, but I was never really into it enough to enjoy it. There will be other books, though. This is by far not the worst I've ever read.

Rating: 2/5

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Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio
Original title: Wonder
Genre: Contemporary, Middle grade
Series: Wonder #1
Publisher: Corgi Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310
Finished: 27/5/17
Summary: Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

My thoughts: As usual, I don't have as much to say about good books as I have with not-so-amazing books (*cough cough* How I Live Now *cough cough*). I did thoroughly enjoy Wonder, though! The novel is of reasonable length and I worship the short chapters. I'm especially grateful for them as I only have a 9 minutes train ride each morning to read and I'm a slow reader...
Anyways! The short chapters are not what made this book into what it is. This is an emotional ride following a young boy, August, who's struggled with poor self esteem his entire life due to a severe facial malformation that he's had since birth. We get to read the story from several different points of view, all of characters that are close to August. I enjoyed all the perspectives and I was impressed at how the author had really succeeded in successfully writing so many different perspectives and personalities in a believable way. I loved the friendship between August and Jack and Summer, though I'd wished to see more of Summer towards the end of the novel. I also missed the character of Miranda in the first half, but oh well.
In the end, I had a hard time putting this down while reading it. It's one of those books where you go "ah, just one more chapter" again and again. It was uplifting and inspirational and invoked a lot of sympathy in me. The reason I'm not giving it a full 5/5 rating is because I didn't find it exciting. That was the one element I missed during the entire story. I didn't get excited at any point really. Sure, it wasn't a fantasy adventure or anything of the sort so I can't have expectations that are too high, but even books like these can invoke some rush of adrenaline. Well, that's what I didn't get.

Rating: 4/5

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Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: Jack Thorne
Original title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Genre: Fantasy, Play
Series: --
Publisher: Little, Brown
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 330
Finished: 3/6/17
Summary: It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

My thoughts: My first impression when I started reading this was not good. I had dearly hoped it would be better than its Goodreads rating told me, but I was met with something that didn't even live up to that rating in the first place. I was about to give up on it completely, I kept going and in the end, it did sort of redeem itself. Here's my thoughts.

I read this along with my good friend Emilia. It was a quick read, though it still took me about a week to get through it, what-with schoolwork and all else that stands in the way. Let me start off by stating that I do not, and will not, consider this book to be a true part in the Harry Potter series. Partly because J.K. Rowling didn't actually write this, and because I do not feel it deserves it. Argue however you like, but this is my final judgement. When reading Act One of this play, I very nearly hated it. The old characters were wrong to me, and although I understand that time might have changed them, they were still just ghosts of how I remember them. However, where Jack Thorne failed with characters like Harry, he still did a pretty good job with the newer characters, like Albus and Scorpius (whom I ship together). Nevertheless, I got used to his Golden Trio in the end, thank dog. In acts 2 through 4, I thankfully encountered some real excitement and though there were some MAJOR PLOT HOLES, I still found myself captured by the story.

I had a hard time picturing this play on an actual stage. I'm sure the pros made it work, but some things in the script just seemed impossible to do even with cool light and sound effects. I guess I'll have to wait and see when they release the play on video.

My rating for this book was going to be a 2/5 rating in the beginning, but I ended up adding a star. The story really picks itself up in the second act and some scenes had me moved. However, I still cannot overlook the first act and the plot holes, and the major issues I had with some of the characters. I see it more as a passable fanfiction. Far from the best I've read, but still decent enough to give a try. As a fanfiction. Maybe it's better when seen as a live play? I don't know. As a script, though, it has some things to work on before I'm going to find it worthy as the eighth part of the Harry Potter series.

Rating: 3/5