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: Our Man in Havana | The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay | Malamander

Title: Our Man in Havana
Author: Graham Greene
Original title: Our Man in Havana
First published: 1958
Genre: Classic, Mystery
Series: --
Publisher: Vintage Classics
Format: Paperback
Pages: 225
Finished: 16/04/2020
Summary: Mr. Wormold, vacuum cleaner salesman in a city of powercuts, is, as always, short of money. His daughter, sixteen, followed everywhere by wolf whistles, is spending his money with a skill that amazes him, so when a mysterious Englishman offers him an extra income he's tempted. All he has to do is run agents, file reports: spy. But his fake reports have an alarming tendency to come true, and the web of lies he weaves around him starts to get more and more tangled.

My thoughts: This is the first book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, following the prompt to read a book that would make me smile. I'm glad to say that it managed to make me smile a little! One of the strong suits of this novel is without doubt the witty and quick dialogue, of which there is a lot. Mr. Wormold (a brilliant name) is a very confused man, but he's always doing his best, and that made me really like him a lot. He is introduced as a very average man who is easy to look past, and who was few friends and a staggering relationship to his daughter. All of this reminds me of "Stoner" by John Williams, one of my favourite books of all time that I just cannot shut up about.
However, "Our Man in Havana" is quite different from "Stoner". In fact, the similarities end there. This book is much more lighthearted and breezy to get through. I understand why it's described as a humorous book. Unfortunately I liked the first 100 pages more than the rest of the story. I think I would have liked it to stay more focused on how forgettable Mr, Wormold felt that he was and how that affected him in life. The way things went, I felt I missed out on how emotional things had the potential to be. And though I liked some characters a fair deal, there were several others that I cared very little for. There was also an adult man who was uncomfortably interested in Mr. Wormold's 16-17 year old daughter. (Spoiler alert, highlight white text to read: he thought it appropriate to marry her and that the best time of life to bear child was at the age of 17. no thank you, disgusting creep. luckily, everyone else in the book seemed to agree with me). Nevertheless, I believe this novel was never intended to be the moody but charming story I wished it would have been. And though it lacked moodiness, it did try as best as it could to charm me. It kind of worked!

I did highlight some quotes that I liked (there were a few more, but they'd spoil the plot):
"You lost the remembrance of pain by inflicting it."
"Please would you mind telling me how they are going to murder me? You see, it interests me personally."

Rating: 3,75/5

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Title: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay
Author: J.K. Rowling
Original title: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First published: 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Fantastic Beasts Screenplays #2
Publisher: Little, Brown
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Finished: 17/04/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert! The powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

My thoughts: This is the second book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, this time for the prompt of reading a book set somewhere I wish I could go. I of course, wish I could visit the wizarding world.
Unfortunately, this was not for me. I was impressed the first screenplay (and movie), which is something I cannot say about this second instalment. I was uninterested in the conflicts, I could not understand Queenie at all, I don't care for the romance between Newt and Tina, and we didn't even get to see that much of the beasts. Also, "The Crimes of Grindelwald"? More like "Grindelwald sits in a room and doesn't do much, basically just talks". Well, I guess it's plain enough now that I was not a fan.
Nevertheless, I like Newt and Jacob quite and bit, and some of the other characters as well. I do love Newt's beasts, too. And the book is beautiful for the illustrations inside. These are kind of redeeming factors.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: Malamander
Author: Thomas Taylor
Original title: Malamander
First published: 2019
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Middle grade
Series: Malamander #1
Publisher: Walker Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 302
Finished: 18/04/2020
Summary: Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger...

My thoughts: This is the third book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, now following the prompt of reading a book with a house on the cover.
I think this might be the best book I read during this Reading Rush. "Malamander" is cute, adventurous, mysterious, and all around a delightful read. Herbert has an incredibly precious personality. He's so genuine and good and kind. I love him. I wasn't all-the-way gripped by the plot itself, but it was still interesting enough to keep me going. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it as much as I do seeing as middle grade was never my strongest cup of tea. But this is really cute! I definitely want to continue reading the series once the second book comes out this year. I want to know more about Herbert!

Rating: 4,25/5

Book Reviews: Siddharta | The Copper Gauntlet | The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Title: Siddharta

Author: Hermann Hesse
Original title: Siddharta
First published: 1922
Genre: Classic, Philosophy
Series: --
Publisher: Penguin
Format: Paperback
Pages: 116
Finished: 26/07/2019
Summary: Siddhartha, a handsome Brahmin's son, is clever and well loved, yet increasingly dissatisfied with the life that is expected of him. Setting out on a spiritual journey to discover a higher state of being, his quest leads him through the temptations of luxury and wealth, the pleasures of sensual love, and the sinister threat of death-dealing snakes, until, eventually, he comes to a river. There a ferryman guides him towards his destiny, and to the ultimate meaning of existence.

My thoughts: My fifth read for "The Reading Rush" 2019! This one was read for the challenge "read a book with purple on the cover"; a challenge that proved difficult to fulfil! It seems that not many of my slimmer books have something purple on the cover, so I was lucky to discover that "Siddharta" delivered in my time of need ;)
Unfortunately, I didn’t find this book to be anything but boring. It is a work of philosophy, and it was easy to read and understand, but it offered me no new wisdom or view on life. Basically, it’s a repetition of “money can’t buy happiness” and a small bunch of other lifestyle ideals. The characters were boring, and I really didn’t care for Siddhartha going out into the world and finding himself and the right path of life. Overall, this book scores a low rating because it gave me nothing at all, without being inherently bad.

Rating: 2/5

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Title: The Copper Gauntlet
Author: Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Original title: The Copper Gauntlet
First published: 2015
Genre: Middle-grade, Fantasy
Series: Magisterium #2
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardback
Pages: 264
Finished: 27/07/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! Callum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall. It’s not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc. Call escapes to the Magisterium -- but things only intensify there. The Alkahest -- a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic -- has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes -- and get closer to an even more dangerous truth.

My thoughts: Behold: my sixth read for the 2019 Reading Rush! This was read for the challenge "read a book you meant to read last year".
This series is still a lot like Harry Potter. The similarities are just too many to go unnoticed. However, seeing as I read and loved “Carry On” by Rainbow Rowell, which also shares a glaring amount of similarities with Harry Potter, I guess I cannot fault this series for doing the same. And honestly? It’s a very decent middle grade fantasy series. As far as these first two books go, I’m enjoying them a lot and as the world and story unfolds, I am compelled to read more and more. We follow a worried and cynical protagonist with a character depth that I like, and I’d say almost all the characters are well developed and described so far in the series. I’m also starting to see how much parts of the series are similar to Cassandra Clare’s other works, though I can’t say the same about Holly Black with certainty, since I’ve only ever read one book by her.
All in all, a solid, suspenseful, exciting read!

Rating: 4/5

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Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky
Original title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
First published: 1999
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Series: --
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Paperback
Pages: 231
Finished: 28/07/2019
Summary: This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

My thoughts: My seventh and final read for the 2019 Reading Rush, thus completing the last two challenges on my list; "read a book with five or more words in the title" (this has 6) and "read seven books" WHICH I HAVE NOW DONE OMG. I am officially the best ever (for a minimum of 2 minutes).
This is a very special book. Did I cry? Yes. I don’t think I will say more than that.

Rating: 4,75/5

Book reviews: The Iron Trial | White Cat | Days of Blood & Starlight

Title: The Iron Trial
Author: Cassandra Clare & Holly Black
Original title: The Iron Trial
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Series: Magisterium #1
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 295
Finished: 04/09/2015
Summary: Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.
Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.
All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.
So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing.
Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.
The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

My thoughts:
Okay, so here's the thing; this book has a lot of things similar to Harry Potter. I still loved it, but at the same time I felt the authors could've worked a little harder on making it less Harry Potter-ish. I mean, there's even a Death Eater on the cover (kind of)! But don't worry, The Iron Trial is in a lot of ways also its own. I especially liked Call, the main character, for many reasons, but I won't mention them all since I don't wish to spoil you. I just really appreciated his personality and humour and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story, his story, from his point of view. And the sidekicks were totally loveable characters as well and I felt they all developed through the story though it's not a very long book. Actually, the characters overall were pretty awesome.
Also, it built up to the ending in a really good way. I almost missed my train to school because I was so caught up in reading towards the end. I loved that! Plus, the story held a good pace and for the first time in a long time I felt I'd rather read a book than sit with my laptop. It was a great feeling and maybe I can throw this reading slump off my shoulders and start truly enjoy reading in my free time again.
I give this book a 4/5 stars. It would've probably gotten a 5/5 stars if I hadn't felt so many times that it was so alike Harry Potter. I think they could have tried a little harder to make it its own story completely. I expect more from the upcoming books. I'm so excited for The Copper Gauntlet! Aaah!

Rating: 4/5

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Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Original title: White Cat
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Curse Workers #1
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310
Finished: 07/09/15
Summary: Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn't fit in at home or at school, so he's used to feeling like an outsider. He's also used to feeling guilty; he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.
But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas and a plan to con the conmen.

My thoughts:
I admit I bought this book a little bit because of the cover. A little. But can you blame me, really? I mean, just look at it! It's gorgeous!
Anyway, White Cat is more than a pretty cover. It's not a normal YA fantasy novel. It's a bit different from all those books that are all the same, and that's what makes this book stand out so much. Firstly, it's written from a boy's point of view. I really wish we's see more of that in the YA community. It's always girls; almost as if it's part of the genre to have a girl as main character. I'm not saying it's not cool to read from the points of view of badass young women, but boys should be seen too. At least to encourage more teenage boys to read.
Secondly, the atmosphere is darker in a much more professional way in White Cat than in many other novels that try but never fully succeed. It loved the family relations and the relationship Cassel has with many of the characters. It felt very real.
Thirdly, the world was so cool and rather unique. Magic in a new way.
And may I just say I loved Barron as a character? So well done; I applaud you, Ms Black.
Overall, a truly unique book amongst the sea of YA. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good story with twisted elements of darkness.

Rating: 4/5

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Title: Days of Blood & Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor

Original title: Days of Blood & Starlight
Genre: YA, Fantasy

Series: Dauther of Smoke & Bone #2

Publisher: Little, Brown Books

Format: Hardback

Pages: 513

Finished: 08/09/2015

Summary: (Spoiler alert!) Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

My thoughts:
I've been meaning to pick this up for at least a year. Now I finally got that little extra push of motivation to read it, as I'm going to the Swedish yearly Book Fair this year, and guess who's going to be there! Laini Taylor! So I want to have read the whole trilogy before I meet her in the end of September.
I knew from non-spoiler reviews on Goodreads that this book was supposed to be pretty sad. It was not just "sad". It was heartbreaking. But in that amazing way that feels great no matter what way you put it. I was, I don't know, fifty-ish pages into this book and I was already both depressed and obsessed.
I can't say too much about it since it's the second book in a trilogy and I don't want to spoil anyone, but let me say a few things.
The characters! So real and so well described I felt I knew them in real life. I was so into the story, I almost felt I was the characters. I felt their sorrows and their grief and regrets. Not much happiness, because there's little of that in this book.
I especially like Karou as a female protagonist. I felt she was rather just a person than a girl. That's something I've come to realize I don't like about most YA novels; it's made so very clear that the female protagonists are females. I wish it could just be natural that they're girls rather than... forced.
What I liked less about this instalment of the series was the pace. It felt sooo slow at times and it was just misery and depression and badness. But, that's the only downside with this book, and I guess all the slowness was a build up and  it was a good way to introduce all the new characters.

Rating: 4,5/5