Book reviews: Calamity | Wayward Son | Sent i november

Title: Calamity
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Original title: Calamity
First published: 2016
Genre: Sci-fi, YA, Dystopia
Series: The Reckoners #3
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 421
Finished: 17/10/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy. David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when the Reckoners’ leader struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . . But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.

My thoughts: I've finally finished this trilogy! This series has been a very solid 4/5 star series, which is not to the looked down upon, because not many series manage with such a consistency in quality until the very end. This conclusion was well thought out and executed in a great way, with a ton of explosions and epic fight scenes. It was all I wanted it to be. I don't have a more to say, but feel free to check out my reviews for previous books in the series, which you'll find on this blog (just search for "Steelheart" and "Firefight" in the search bar). I highly recommend this series if you're looking for exciting action and super hero elements, along with a quirky and fun narrative.

Rating: 4,25/5

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Title: Wayward Son
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Original title: Wayward Son
First published: 2019
Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQ+, YA
Series: Simon Snow #2
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 368
Finished: 31/10/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! The story is supposed to be over. Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…
So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?
What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light...

That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West. They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…

My thoughts: Getting through this novel was a long process, despite the average page numbers. While I enjoyed this novel and had looked forward to continue following the characters from the previous book, I didn't get what I'd hoped from "Wayward Son". I believe this feeling is based on a few aspects that I'll be mentioning just quickly, because this is not a book that I disliked, it just wasn't what I'd expected or hoped for.
One thing I'd expected was for this to have more feel good elements to it. I assure you that I didn't expected it to be all lovey-dovey, happy sappy, golly good the entire time, but perhaps a tad more lighthearted. I knew that this novel was going to be about dealing with mental health, depression, and feelings of being lost in life. This novel delivered on those aspects in I way that I think was done well, but the angst wasn't really what I came here for.
The other main thing that actually disappointed me with this book was the setting. I just had a hard time enjoying the rapid road trip through America. I found it blurry and not descriptive enough. With such a fleeting environment, I'd have hoped for a more secure spot (such as the school in the last book of the series) that I could properly imagine in my mind. However, I found that this novel had few such places to offer.
On the more positive note, which I believe this novel actually deserves, I do think Rowell dealt well with the mental health issues in this book. I also feel that Baz's and Simon's relationship developed in a realistic way that can be hard to find in other YA fantasy novels. I also think that Agatha got a nice shot at character development. The plot had some pretty exciting points that I enjoyed, and overall it's a decent fantasy adventure story. It didn't have me loving it like "Carry On" did, but it's still a rather solid book.

Rating: 3,75/5

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Title: Sent i november (Late in November)
Author: Tove Jansson
Original title: Sent i november
First published: 1970
Genre: Fantasy, Classic
Series: Mumintrollen #9
Publisher: Alfabeta
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 161
Finished: 13/11/2019
Summary: 'They can't have moved away without saying a word!'
Winter is coming, and the Fillyjonk, the Hemulen, Toft, Mymble, etc. are all waiting in Moominvalley to see the Moomins return home. Winter doesn't seem right without them...

My thoughts: My love for the Moomin design has grown over the past few years, resulting in a small collection of T-shirts and mugs. This book, however, has been with me for a long time. It was gifted to me on the day of my baptism (19 years ago) and has remained in my possession ever since. However, I have no memory of ever reading it before. Hence is why I decided to do so now, in November. Fitting, since it's obviously titled "Late in November" in Swedish.
I was immediately drawn to the character depth in this novel, and I was surprised to find that it appeals to an older audience than I thought it would. In my mind, the Moomin stories are for children and I had therefore prepared myself for a children's book. Nevertheless, what I got was something more and something unexpected. I found a story that delved into the lives and minds of side characters that I knew very little to nothing about. These characters had surprising depth to them, and also substantial development throughout the story. I felt that the tale offered wisdom on expectations we hold for others and ourselves, and how we can easily be very disappointed when those expectations aren't met, and learning to live with life, one's self, and people as they truly are and appreciating that. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised and will be looking for other Moomin novels to read in the future.

Rating: 4,25/5

Book Reviews: We Were Liars | Call me by your name | Rör mig inte!

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Original title: We Were Liars
First published: 2014
Genre: YA, Mystery, Contemporary
Series: --
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Format: Paperback
Pages: 225
Finished: 15/07/2019
Summary: We Were Liars. I will LIE too, as to not spoil your reading. This is a book about a girl, about friendship, about summer. It's a book about money and a wealthy family. It's a book about values and about pretending. It's a book about LIES, those that we tell others and the ones that we tell ourselves. The LIES that are exposed and also, the hidden lies.

My thoughts: “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart became an object of hype and mystery within the YA reading community upon its release ca. four or five years ago. Its biggest selling point is that the reader should have as little knowledge as possible about the plot when diving into the novel, hence I won’t give a summary of the plot itself in this review. I will, however, discuss my thoughts about it.
We follow the protagonist and teenager Cady Sinclair; the eldest grandchild of a filthy rich old man who, amongst other things, has three daughters and a private island, which the family visits each summer. Cady hardly made a good impression on me. Usually, I tend to favour protagonists that have flaws; it makes a character more relatable. However Cady didn’t offer any other characteristics than spoiled, boring, and slow. Not even the mystery of a rich family’s dirty secret could save her from being plain, and neither was she saved by the attempt of a poetic writing style.
Yes, this is my segue to talking about the writing style. At first, I was annoyed by it, because it reminded me of other disappointing novels with failed tries at unique and poetic language. Nevertheless, it wasn’t too bad, and I got used to it in the end, though I sometimes found that the style of writing clashed with the personality of the protagonist. And though I got used to the style, it never got good.
So what made this novel? Well, in the end this book is held up by its selling point, the mystery. It’s the mystery, unravelling, and reveal that made this book worth the read. And these things are executed well by the author; I could tell that the resolution was thoroughly thought out and plotted by Lockhart, and I’m glad to say the ending made an impact on me. However, I need more than the climax of the novel to affect me for it to be considered good. In the end, I’ll remember this as a book with a grand finale, but not, unfortunately, as anything else.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: Call me by your name
Author: André Aciman
Original title: Call Me By Your Name
First published: 2007
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ+
Series: Call Me By Your Name #1
Publisher: Brombergs
Format: Hardback
Pages: 262
Finished: 21/07/2019
Summary: A sudden and powerful romance blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliff-side mansion on the Italian Riviera. Unprepared for the consequences of their attraction, at first each feigns indifference. But during the restless summer weeks that follow, unrelenting buried currents of obsession and fear, fascination and desire, intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them. What grows from the depths of their spirits is a romance of scarcely six weeks' duration and an experience that marks them for a lifetime. For what the two discover on the Riviera and during a sultry evening in Rome is the one thing both already fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy.

My thoughts: I watched the movie adaptation of this when it came out in 2017 and pretty much loved it. In February of this year (2019), I finally purchased the novel at the annual Swedish book sale. And now, in July of 2019, I’ve read it.
The movie and book are rather different; since the novel is mostly based on Elio’s thoughts, fantasies, and observations of Oliver, the movie became a compilation of the few actual scenes that the book offers, resulting in a slow paced, silent, and atmospheric film. However, we never realise the full extent of Elios feelings for Oliver in the movie, because we miss out on everything that goes on in his head. This is where the novel fills in.

Elio is beyond taken by Oliver; he’s all he can think about, really. Every page has a paragraph dedicated for Elio’s thoughts on the American, though despite everything being about Oliver, I felt that I rarely got to know him. He’s more the object for Elio’s desires and fantasies, rather than a character that we become familiar with. We truly only see him as Elio sees him. This has a charm to it, because while Oliver remains as some sort of centre for the plot, Elio really takes up all the space in the novel. “Call me by your name” is just Elio, who is just about Oliver, if that makes any sense.

I have a hard time finding things to say about this novel. I enjoyed the writing style and the depiction of Elio’s total obsession. It was a nice summer read, and I’m glad I’ve finally read it. Though I think I liked the movie a bit more, I want to say that the two really compliment each other well. I warmly recommend them both.

Rating: 4/5

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Title: Rör mig inte!
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Original title: Shatter Me
First published: 2011
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Dystopia
Series: Shatter Me #1
Publisher: B. Wahlströms
Format: Hardback
Pages: 302
Finished: 22/07/2019
Summary: Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

My thoughts: First book read for "The Reading Rush" 2019! This one was read for the challenge "read an authors debut novel". I completed it within my schedule, which means I read and finished it within the first day of the week.
I have a few scattered thoughts about this novel that I took notes on with my phone, so this review will be a sort of coherent compilation of those notes.
The best part of the book was the beginning. I felt compelled by the writing style, which I’d heard a lot about from the time when this novel blew up back when it was first released. Yes, the style is worth noting, and yes, I liked it at first, though I felt that what I enjoyed about it (which is mostly the crossed out parts of the text) ebbed out as the story progressed. Hence, what I liked most about the writing style sort of went away the more I read, which was really too bad, though I can understand it was used as a tool to note the character development of the protagonist and improvement of her mental state/health. 
I quickly noticed that Adam, the main love interest of the book, seemed to be built on rather weak and ambiguous descriptions. That’s a nicer way of saying his character lacks depth, and this is a problem basically from the moment he’s introduced and for the rest of the novel. I actually found that this was the case with pretty much every character besides Juliette, but even she wasn’t a striking exception. I’d hoped Adam would grow with time, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Nevertheless, it’s very possible that we see a greater change with him in future novels of the trilogy, hopefully along with all the other characters.

Furthermore, speaking of Adam, I found the main romance pretty boring… It started off as sort of intriguing, but their falling for each other went way too quick and didn’t feel motivated enough, despite the author’s attempts.

Another thing that annoyed me were the shallow descriptions. It seems this novel is overflowing with metaphors, yet I rarely got any elaborate or imaginative descriptions on the environments that Juliette finds herself in. Perhaps that’s something that was lost in translation, but I honestly doubt it. The shallowness also affected character descriptions overall; new characters were introduced clumsily, mainly because Juliette was annoyingly quick to judge them as good or bad. Because of that, I as a reader felt that the author was trying to tell me outright to think a certain way about a character, rather than actually showing me the nature of their character with actions and interactions. For example, Juliette is at one point introduced to a new character, and she has legit not known him for more than an hour before she starts making statements like “I could never imagine This Character ever being surprised at anything!”, which I found highly unrealistic and clumsy. Really, this book would have needed an extra 100 pages or so to delve deeper into characters, relationships, and world building in order to truly convince me that this is a decent/good book.

I sound negative, I know. But despite my many remarks, I did enjoy reading this a bit. Maybe not as much as I’d hoped, and the faults of it were a tad too many, but I think I would consider reading at least one of the sequels. The plot was rather fast paced (maybe too fast, actually), and I can see the potential. Overall, it’s not a book that I struggled with completing because of its flaws, but I didn’t really fly through it because I enjoyed it a lot.

Spoiler thoughts (mark white text in order to read it): Adam’s motivation of risking so much for Juliette is very weak! Why would he risk the safety of this younger brother, which should be his main priority since he’s his brother’s only guardian, in order to save Juliette? I didn’t buy that their love was strong or deep enough at that point in the plot for him to be so reckless.

Rating: 3/5

Book reviews: Just Dreaming | Rebel Belle | Miss Mayhem

Title: Just Dreaming
Author: Kerstin Gier
Original title: Das dritte Buch der Träume
First published: 2015
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: The Silver Trilogy #3
Publisher: Square Fish
Format: Paperback
Pages: 349
Finished: 06/05/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! The course of dream travel never did run smooth--at least, not in Liv Silver's experience. Able to visit other people's dreams (whether they want her to or not), Liv has solved mysteries, unearthed difficult truths, fought madmen, and escaped life-threatening peril, all from the comfort of her own bed. But Liv's troubles are just beginning...

My thoughts: I didn’t let as much time go by as I did between reading the first and second book of this trilogy. I read “Dream On” in January and realized that I wanted to finish the series soon, before I forgot too much. Now I’ve completed the whole thing, and I’m happy that I did so now and not later on.
I appreciate Gier’s writing mostly because of the way she portrays her protagonists. Both Gwen from the “Ruby Red” trilogy and Liv from this trilogy share the same humour and absolute awkwardness when it comes to pretty much everything in life. I feel that I have been able to relate a lot to both of these characters’ quirky and insecure sides, as well as their sarcastic and snarky ones. What’s more, I love the interactions between Liv and other characters; she has such different ways of acting with them, which I find very realistic. The romance was also chill; it wasn’t necessarily explosive or too dramatic, like most young adult romances. No, it was more laid back, and their relationship went through problems that I felt are more true to actual teenage couple problems. I appreciated that a lot.

The main problem I found with this series was its handling of mental illnesses; more specifically psychopaths. Liv has the same assumptions about psychopaths that most people seem to have; that someone who “acts crazy” and has bad intentions is immediately labled as a psychopath. I found that the way in which the topic was treated in this series heavily alienated the illness in a way that definitely isn’t good for anyone. Ultimately, this is what lowered my grade from a 4,5/5 stars to 4,25/5 stars. It’s not a huge change in rating, but it matters to me.
Besides that flaw, I recommend this series to anyone who wants to read quirky and fun young adult fantasy, and to anyone who has enjoyed other works by Gier. Let’s hope more books by her get translated into English!

Rating: 4,25/5

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Title: Rebel Belle
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Original title: Rebel Belle
First published: 2014
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: Rebel Belle #1
Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardback
Pages: 345
Finished: 18/05/2019
Summary: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

My thoughts: “Rebel Belle” was the book that I decided to read for May month’s reading theme; something pink on the cover. If this cover isn’t pink, I don’t know what is.
I have earlier read the first two books in Rachel Hawkins’ “Hex Hall” trilogy, which I remember that I enjoyed a lot. This book had a lot in common with those books; the main character has the same type of humour and cluelessness in the face of epicness. “Rebel Belle” was a light read that didn’t demand much concentration or emotional dedication, which I can appreciate from time to time. Overall it was decent; the plot was pretty investing, the romance was nice, and the protagonist was entertaining. Nothing mind-blowing, but totally alright.

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: Miss Mayhem
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Original title: Miss Mayhem
First published: 2015
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Rebel Belle #2
Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardback
Pages: 272
Finished: 23/05/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.
Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or make her more powerful than ever.

My thoughts: Slight spoiler alert I'm sad to say that this second book in the series was a disappointment compared to the first one. I had several problems with it, though I admit I didn't hate it. I'm just underwhelmed. No one flaw was greater than the others for me, and had there been less of them, I might have liked this as much as the first. However, I expected more.
First of all, the story lacks character interactions in general. Because the main character does not interact with the other characters in the story (even though she mentions them in her narration) they fall flat, and the story starts appearing fabricated. Of course I know that the story is fictional, but a good book should have you feeling that the story has some truth to it. Miss Mayhem, or rather this series, does not deliver on that front.
Another problem was the plot of this book, which was typical for the second installment in young adult trilogies. Sure, things happened, but they were rushed through and easily forgettable, causing me to think that the author only wanted to brush over this novel in order to get to the third and final one. I can understand that urge, but a good trilogy contains three good books, not just two.
There were smaller things that it lacked as well. Most of all, I think it lost its charm. I laughed at parts in the first book, but I found no such moments in this one. I also found that the romance, which I enjoyed before, felt very bland now. In fact, all but one of the relationships between protagonist and supporting character were bland.
All of this, despite that I still kind of like the story and want to know what happens, urges me to give this book a lower grade than I thought I would. I will most likely not finish reading this trilogy.

Rating: 2,75/5

Book reviews: The Near Witch | Så talade Zarathustra | Red Queen

Title: The Near Witch
Author: Victoria Schwab
Original title: The Near Witch

First published: 2011
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: --
Publisher: Hyperion
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 282
Finished: 31/03/2019
Summary: The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. There are no strangers in the town of Near. These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

My thoughts: This is Victoria Schwab’s debut novel; since then she’s written masterpieces like Vicious and A Darker Shade of Magic. “The Near Witch” really shows how much Schwab has developed as an author. While this book isn’t bad, it did lack some things when it came to the characters; I never connected to anyone, didn’t care about what happened to them, and the relationships didn’t convince me. This led me to not enjoying this as much as I’d hoped for, but I’m still really glad that I read it.

It should be said that when I found this, in first edition, in a secondhand store in Lund, I was almost moved to tears. That’s how happy I was. One of my best finds and bargains ever, in terms of books.

Rating: 3/5 

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Title: Så talade Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra)
Author: Friedrich Nietzsche
Original title: Also sprach Zarathustra
First published: 1883-1885
Genre: Philosophy, fiction
Series: --
Publisher: Symposion
Format: Paperback
Pages: 317
Finished: 08/04/2019
Summary: Nietzsche was one of the most revolutionary and subversive thinkers in Western philosophy, and Thus Spoke Zarathustraremains his most famous and influential work. It describes how the ancient Persian prophet Zarathustra descends from his solitude in the mountains to tell the world that God is dead and that the Superman, the human embodiment of divinity, is his successor. Nietzsche's utterance 'God is dead', his insistence that the meaning of life is to be found in purely human terms, and his doctrine of the Superman and the will to power were all later seized upon and unrecognisably twisted by, among others, Nazi intellectuals. With blazing intensity and poetic brilliance, Nietzsche argues that the meaning of existence is not to be found in religious pieties or meek submission to authority, but in an all-powerful life force: passionate, chaotic and free.

My thoughts: I read this book for philosophy 2. I’d never laid my hands on a Nietzsche work before, so I thought now was the perfect time. From hearing about his works earlier, I’d gotten the impression that this book would be a challenge. Was I going to understand anything? Would I even be able to read the entire thing, with its tiny text and 300+ pages?
In the end, I finished the book after more than two months of reading, but understood very little of it. I think I’ll appreciate it more if I read some essays to help me understand what Nietzsche is trying to convey. Though, I did understand that Zarathustra, the main character, dislikes women, priests, religion, Jews, Romans and people in general. On the other hand, he enjoys caves and complaining, and has a love for being dramatic.
My overall thought it that reading this book was very interesting, and it’s cool to be able to say I’ve read something by Nietzsche. While it was a long and slightly painful experience, I somehow enjoyed the dramatic narrative and Zarathustra’s whiny personality.

Rating: 2/5

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Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Original title: Red Queen
First published: 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian, YA
Series: Red Queen #1
Publisher: Orion
Format: Paperback
Pages: 383
Finished: 21/04/2019
Summary: The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

My thoughts: Somebody told me this was supposed to be some good shit, so I read it. To be honest with you, I went in with hesitant expectations. I remember when this book first came out; it was hyped to the brink of starting a new religion (or so it seemed on the YouTubers I was watching at the time), but the reviews that came out of it were mixed. Some said it was amazing, perhaps the best book of 2015. Others said they'd expected more, that it was over hyped but bland in an ocean of similar young adult fiction. Keeping that in mind, and being someone who backs off in the presence of hype, I didn't have sky high expectations going into this. So, what side did I end up on; the praisers or the shruggers?
After finishing “Red Queen”, I unfortunately have to admit that I belong to the group that weren’t very impressed with the novel. But hear me out; I do believe I have some valid points, and I’m not about to throw this book in a muddy puddle and let it rot.

There are several good aspects of “Red Queen”, some of which I think strongly contributed to its success. One is that it’s a mix of fantasy and dystopia, two genres that have been massively popular the past 10+ years. Along with that, super powers are another popular aspect to modern time fiction, as we can clearly see in the success of Marvel productions. “Red Queen” manages to mix elements of both “The Hunger Games” and the Marvel franchise, creating something that is tailored to modern tastes. Furthermore, this results in an idea and world that are definitely cool and worth exploring. I’ll also admit that the plot, along with the world, has potential to develop into something promising. With these words, I’ll leave the praising part of this review in favour of criticism.

Despite the potential of the premise, “Red Queen” did not, in my personal opinion, live up to even half of the hype. I say this with regret; of course I want to love it. I even started out by consciously ignoring the flaws I saw with the novel at least 100 pages in, but when it continued to produce flaws, both new and similar, throughout the whole book, I found it hard to overlook them. Even when I did overlook them, there was little else for me to actually enjoy about this book. If you like this novel and feel insulted by my review, you are welcome to stop reading here, as I start my list of complaints (consisting of two major faults). I will try to keep myself short.

1: The storytelling. First of all, the author seemed to have a hard time showing rather than telling. Instead of describing what the main character felt in a discreet but understandable way (such as “I clenched my fist around the fork handle, glaring at my plate in barely upheld silence” to signal anger, would instead be “I was fuming with anger and therefore tried to stay silent so I wouldn’t say anything rude”). With such a hyped book, discovering this as a common fault throughout the book makes the author seem unprofessional. Secondly, the exposition was poorly executed. Once again, exposition is something that should be unravelled in a careful, natural way in the storytelling, rather than being dumped on the reader all at once in a clumsy manner. I found that this graceless exposition could have been made so much better than it was. Thirdly, the plot was rushed where it shouldn’t have been. In exciting and important scenes, the reader should get a good description of the events that led there, and in no way should details that could enrich the atmosphere be left out. What I mean by this is that a lot of exciting plot points in this novel were weakened by rushing through them. Thus, where it could have turned epic, to me, it often fell flat. My last complaint with the storytelling is that the characters were poorly built; not in that they weren’t individuals, but that I as a reader didn’t get to see them enough in the plot to bond with them, and therefore I only cared for what happened to less than a handful of characters.

2: The protagonist. Her name is Mare, but I’ve met her a dozen times before in other young adult fantasy novels, written by other authors. To me, Mare didn’t in any particular way stand out in the crowd of female protagonists that dominate the YA category, and thus I had a hard time bonding with her and caring for what happened to her. It goes without saying that the bland and generic female protagonist that is so common is not to my tastes. Furthermore (this part contains spoilers, so mark the white text if you wish to proceed): the way Mare’s emotions shifted back and forth for Cal had me feeling that the romance was very plastic. I believe the author wanted me, as a reader, to root for Mare to end up with one of the brothers, and while Cal was probably my favourite character, I never really wanted him to end up with Mare. When she first fell for Cal, it came out of nowhere and had not at all been built up to properly. She then did several 180’s with her feelings for him, all of which seemed more and more dis-believable. In the end, I would rather have seen Mare die so that we could follow Cal as a protagonist instead, seeing as he was by far the most compassionate and interesting character (he even had a touch of a personality).

That concludes my review. Love it or hate it, that’s up to you. I am willing to give this series another go and read the second book. Like I said, I didn’t dislike everything about this book. It had its good parts and it still has potential.

Rating: 3/5

Book reviews: Bilbo: En hobbits äventyr | Steelheart | Cinder

Title: Bilbo: En hobbits äventyr
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Original title: The Hobbit
Genre: High fantasy, Classic
Series: --
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 306
Finished: 12/6/17
Summary:  Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.

My thoughts: Honestly, this time, I don't have a lot to say. At least not at the moment (being early in the morning just after I finished the book). What I can say is that I'm proud over myself for finally reading this and I'm very happy that I did. It's a fun, exciting adventure to take part in, even as a reader. Gandalf was sassy, Thorin Oakenshield was grumpy, Bombur was fat, and Bilbo just wanted to go home. A lot of things were different from the movies. Radagast wasn't in the book, and neither was Azog the Defiler, and I was at first very confused at his absence, as he plays a very big role in the movies. Not here, though, in fact he plays no role at all really.
All in all, I liked it! It's a great summer read for both fine days and bad.

Rating: 4,5/5

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Title: Steelheart
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Original title: Steelheart
Genre: Science fiction, YA
Series: Reckoners #1
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Finished: 18/6/17
Summary: Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

My thoughts: Wow. I can't believe I put off reading something by Brandon Sanderson for so long. I mean, I've been wanting to delve into one of his series for ages. I was originally planning to start off with the Mistborn trilogy, but I ended up purchasing Steelheart instead at the Swedish Bookfair in maybe 2015, I think? This book is half the size of The Final Empire, so I guess this was the better one to start off with. And I have no reason to regret that decision! It's action packed, fast-paced, and exciting beyond measure! I was so fascinated by the villains of the story, in particular Steelheart and Nightweilder. I love the idea of humans with superpowers going evil (hence my fave novel being Vicious by V.E. Schwab, hehe), so I knew from the start that this aspect of the story would appeal to me a lot. One of the small faults that I found in the novel what that since it focused so much on plot and excitement, it lacked somewhat in its descriptions of certain characters. Now, I don't mean that the characters were shallow and all the same; it's the opposite and I guess that's why I was disappointed when I didn't get to know some of them as close as I'd have wished. Cody and Abraham could definitely need some more time in the spotlight and I can't say that I know much about Thia either. These characters were all still awesome, though!
My reason for not giving this a full five stars is because I feel like there is room for improvement. I like the writing style and the characters and the plot, but I still felt like it missed that little extra that earns a full score. Of course I'll be continuing the series, because this was awesome, but I think I'll look into some of his other series first maybe... especially Mistborn :)

Rating: 4,5/5

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Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Original title: Cinder
Genre: Science Fiction, YA, Retelling
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publisher: Puffin Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 387
Finished: 23/7/17
Summary: Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.


My thoughts: I loved this. This was so great. It's so refreshing to read a YA novel that stands out from the rest; that doesn't stick to the norms and that dares to challenge the similar structure that most modern YA novels follow. Cinder was such an amazing book, and what made the experience even more wonderful was reading it together with my dear friends Matilda, Emmy and Karin.
The characters were on point. They weren't shallow or just there to alter the course of the plot; they had actual personalities and acted according to those, not just to be convenient. The writing style had me capture from the sentence to the last, and although it was not beautifully poetic it had a way of gripping me as a reader. The pages flew by and I had a hard time putting it down. The whole concept of the setting and the story is just amazing and I love it. I can't believe this book has been collecting dust on my shelf for so many years, but all the same I'm glad that I waited until now to read it. It was a good book for a book club! I just wish that we'd gotten to see more of the universe and that the book had been maybe 50 pages longer. Anyways, it was amazing!

Rating: 5/5