Tag: young adult

Lovely War by Julie Berry - Book Review by Ended Up Reading

Book Review: Lovely War by Julie Berry

Published on by Yhel @ Ended Up Reading8 Comments

I’m not a big fan of mythology. But Greek gods and goddesses telling two love stories set in the Great War? Feel free to sign me up!

I was quite hesitant, at first, to pick up Lovely War. In my reading goals post, I mentioned that I was curious how the author would handle the romance in this book. I was afraid that Julie Berry would romanticize war.

But I was pleased with how she managed to weave a multi-layered romance while staying true to the horrors of war. There were so many unspeakable things that happened in this historical fiction novel, but the romance part was really handled well.

Lovely War made me smile. It made me cry. It made me hope for a happy ending for the four young people who have seen and suffered so much. And if these feelings are not enough to show how much I love this book and highly recommend it, then keep reading to find out my full thoughts about this novel!

Book Title: Lovely War

Author: Julie Berry

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Date Published: May 30th 2017 by Greenwillow Books

Rating: 4 stars

Content Warning: War, Murder, Hate Crime/Racism, PTSD

Synopsis

(From Goodreads) It’s 1917, and World War I is at its zenith when Hazel and James first catch sight of each other at a London party. She’s a shy and talented pianist; he’s a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. When they fall in love, it’s immediate and deep–and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.

Aubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. A gifted musician who’s played Carnegie Hall, he’s a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that’s before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who’s already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.

Thirty years after these four lovers’ fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.

Book Review

Writing Style

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Lovely War is written in multiple first-person POVs of Greek gods. But since they are merely telling the main story of two couples, the book is mostly in third-person POV.

I love the way Julie Berry wrote a story within a story. The subplot of the Greek gods were hilarious and witty. It’s clear which god is narrating the stories of the main characters because their voices are so distinct.

But Julie Berry’s excellent writing style stand out the most through the main plot of the two couples. I love the way she described the romantic feelings of the main characters in a unique way!

Everyone’s familiar with first loves (racing of hearts, butterflies in the stomach, secretive glances and longing stares). And I’ve read countless romance novels that describe the feeling of being in love with a person.

BUT!

There’s just something about Julie Berry’s description that sets this romance story apart from the rest. I absolutely love how she manages to capture the raw emotion of being in love. It made me connect to the characters, understand their yearning for their beloved, and sincerely hope for them to be happy.

Aside from effectively showing the romance between the characters, Julie Berry also managed to depict the horrors of war. The writing style is vivid and realistic. It was hard for me to read about the life in the trenches and the ever-present racism during that time.

Overall, Lovely War has a heart-wrenching and beautifully written prose that elevated my reading experience. My only critic is that the first-person writing can be distracting at times, so it took me more than a week to finish the book. This is mostly because of the framing of the story which I would discuss in detail below.

Plot

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The idea of Greek gods narrating two love stories is a nice twist to an otherwise typical historical romance. In fact, that’s the main reason why I want to read Lovely War. It’s just unique!

However, as much as I love the idea, I’m not a big fan of the plot execution. I found the stories of the Greek gods to be distracting. Sure, I did enjoy their banter and their distinct narrative voices, but I just didn’t care for them!

I wanted to read more of the four lovely characters—Hazel and James, Colette and Aubrey. I wanted to read their stories without the Greek gods subplot. I know, it’s confusing. I love the idea, but I wish I got the two love stories alone instead.

Aside from the “distracting” subplot, I also didn’t like the slow pacing. And no, I’m not talking about a slow-burn romance because there’s none of that—it’s mostly insta-love and attraction (much to my slight desmay). I’m talking about the long pauses in between the romances.

I mean, sure, the tension of the war kept these couples from being together. I understand that and I absolutely enjoyed reading the yearning and the get-togethers. But it just took too long to get anywhere for my taste! I feel like if Lovely War was shorter, I would’ve loved the plot more.

Lastly, the last third of the book felt contrived in my opinion. I badly want the story to finish, but Julie Berry still have ideas to throw out which seemed so random. That’s all I’m going to say because I don’t want to spoil things for those who want to read this book.

With all that being said, I appreciated that Lovely War is historically accurate. Julie Berry certainly did her research before writing this novel. I learned about the treatment of women, the birth of Jazz music in Europe, the experiences of Black people during World War I, and so much more from the historical notes at the end! I also loved reading a glimpse of James Reese Europe’s life. I think it was a wise idea to feature real-life people in a fictional work.

Characters

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The characters of this book are all so endearing in their own unique ways! And if you don’t already know, I’m a sucker for character-driven stories! So despite the slightly disappointing plot, I still loved reading Lovely War because of the characters.

Hazel and James. Oh, how my heart hurts so much for this couple! I wasn’t a big fan of this pairing in the beginning because their romance does develop quickly (insta-romance). But damn it, near the end of the book, I cared for them more than Colette and Aubrey!

By themselves, Hazel and James are a bit vanilla (ordinary and boring) compared to the complexity of the two other characters. However, when together, the romance between them is incredible and undeniable. I absolutely enjoyed reading their love for each other and even made me wish for a love as great as theirs. (LOL! Single and hopeless romantic alert!)

“If you think I can live without you, Miss Windicott,” James said, “you don’t know me at all.”

Colette and Aubrey. If Hazel and James hurt me, then Colette and Aubrey BROKE my heart. What lovely characters who have been through so much! I’m so glad that they found each other!

I love the way that music played a big part of their romance. I also enjoyed reading Aubrey, the self-proclaimed King of Ragtime, lose his confidence (even just a tiny bit) whenever he’s near Colette. I just LOVE everything about their relationship because it’s so complex just like their personalities.

“They’d found each other once, then found each other once more. Here she stood—not a jazz singer, not a glamorous Belgian, but a grieving girl who understood.”

And the friendship between Hazel, Colette, and Aubrey? As mademoiselle Colette would say, magnifique!

Of course, my book review of Lovely War wouldn’t be complete without discussing the Greek gods themselves. They’re so witty and hilarious which added lightness to the story.

I really enjoyed reading Aphrodite’s inner monologue whenever she does what she knows best. She wouldn’t let everything left to chance, especially when it comes to love. I also liked reading the perspective of Apollo and Hades!

“Let them start their dreadful wars, let destruction rain down, and let plague sweep through, but I will still be here, doing my work, holding humankind together with love like this.”

Overall Thoughts

Rating: 4 out of 5.

If you’ve made it far into this review, then I’m pretty sure you have an idea of how much I enjoyed reading this book!

Lovely War is definitely one of the best Young Adult Historical Fiction novels out there! It will make you smile, laugh, hope, cry, and most importantly, learn many things about this time period. I highly recommend it to readers who like to read war stories and of course, romance!

Lastly, don’t forget to keep tissues nearby. Trust me, this book will hurt you. I won’t tell you if it’s the good kind or not. Figure it out yourself and read Lovely War asap!

Book Rating (Summary)

Writing Style: 4 stars

Plot: 3 stars

Characters: 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4 stars

My book review for Lovely War can also be found on Goodreads!

Let’s Talk!

Do you like reading historical fiction novels? Any lovely book recommendations?

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia | Book Review by Ended Up Reading

Book Review: Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Published on by Yhel @ Ended Up ReadingLeave a comment

Book Title: Eliza and Her Monsters

Author: Francesca Zappia

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Date Published: May 30th 2017 by Greenwillow Books

Content Warning: Anxiety, Depression

Synopsis

(From Goodreads) Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Book Review

I’ve recently suffered from a reading slump (a.k.a. burnout) for the past two weeks. I tried to read mostly historical books for this month because I’m trying to read outside my comfort zone. Sadly, I got exhausted pretty fast and temporarily DNF’d my “current” read—Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.

Anyway, moral of the story: don’t try to read historical books in such a short time (especially if those books revolve around war) because you need to reflect and take in such heavy and serious subject matters.

So now, you might be thinking what’s this experience got to do with my book review today. Well, in order to “get out” of my reading burnout, I decided to pick up a book that I’ve been wanting to read for a while—Francesca Zappia’s Eliza and Her Monsters.

And I’m so glad that I did because damn, this book is AMAZING!

It follows the story of introverted and socially-awkward Eliza Mirk who anonymously created a popular fantasy webcomic called Monstrous Sea. When she meets a fan of her webcomic in real-life, she starts spending more time in the real world instead of the online one.

Eliza and Her Monsters probably has the most adorable tropes and plot devices ever!

Written correspondence? Check!

Internet culture and fandom appreciation? Check!

Geek male character who has a high school jock build? Check!

Friends to lovers? Check!

Beautiful artwork? Check!

But this book is so much more!

It might seem cute and feel-good, at first, but I was pleasantly surprised that Eliza and Her Monsters tackled mental health so accurately!

Writing Style

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I absolutely adored Francesca Zappia’s writing style! It was so easy to read and there are no info dumps at all.

I love how she depicted Eliza Mirk’s struggles in daily life. I love how she showed me the subtle signs of Eliza’s mental health, instead of telling me. I feel like I’m breathing the same space and living in the same world as the main character. Heck, I feel like the webcomics and the forums really exist!

In addition, I’m stunned at how Zappia seamlessly incorporated the webcomics within Eliza’s character arc. I love how she shares a story of the webcomics in every chapter that is relevant to what Eliza is feeling on that specific chapter.

When done well, stories within stories can definitely elevate the book! It just shows how talented and detail-oriented the author is.

But that’s not the best part yet!

I was surprised to learn that Eliza Mirk’s Monstrous Sea webcomic is inspired by Zappia’s actual Wattpad novel, The Children of Hypnos. And Zappia herself has plans to write and publish the Monstrous Sea webcomic.

I love to see layers of the story! I’ll definitely be checking out those two works by the author!

Plot

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Like mentioned before, Eliza and Her Monsters is so much more than an adorable, feel-good book about the internet culture and fandom appreciation.

The blurb and the first chapter instantly gripped me. But the more that I read this book, the more that I love it because it gets so much better!

I didn’t have any complaints about the pacing (for the first time in a while!) and I really think that Zappia did a great job writing the twists and turns in Eliza’s life.

“She drew so many monsters that she became a monster herself.”

The first twist happened, of course, when Eliza meets the new kid at school, Wallace. They started to become close friends as they share mutual love for the webcomics.

I absolutely love reading how their friendship progressed to love for each other. I also enjoyed reading the conflicts that they had, how they reacted to it, and how it affected people around them.

The other twists were kind of predictable. There are also several convenient plot devices. However, those didn’t stop me from loving the character-driven plot!

There was one “reveal,” though, that I didn’t see coming and it just made my whole reading experience so delightful!

Characters

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Objectively, the characters in Eliza and Her Monsters are the best and most developed part of the book. They are all written well—complex yet one-sided at the same time—and depicted realistically. However, I can’t help but to nitpick some of the character’s behaviors.

Eliza Mirk seems like a typical walking cliché at first. You’re familiar with her as you’ve read her numerous times in countless books already: she’s the “weird” girl, awkward as hell but still manages to look somehow beautiful and charming. However, it’s revealed that Eliza is so much more complex than your ordinary weird girl.

“People are too much sometimes. Friends, acquaintances, enemies, strangers. It doesn’t matter; they all crowd.”

Yes, she is shy and introverted (basic recipe for “weird”). But she simply doesn’t like talking to people in real-life because she has social anxiety. She’d rather curl up in her bed and chat with her online friends than go out partying. She hates her family, and like most teenagers, she feels like no one understands her.

And that part irked me. I have a love-and-hate relationship with Eliza because as much as I appreciate how she is portrayed realistically, she also annoyed the hell out of me. It was such a struggle to read her inner monologue about how her parents don’t understand her, but at the same time, it was such a relatable read.

“I’m doing it again—I’m shutting everything out because I’m frustrated and tired and because the real world is difficult and I’d rather live in one of my own making.”

I used to be like Eliza in a way. I remember when I was in my younger teenage years, I loathed my family for stupid reasons. But at the end of the day, it’s all just angst, you know?

In Eliza’s case, it was a matter of both teenage angst and misunderstanding/miscommunication. Sure, her parents are indeed horrible for forcing her to do things she doesn’t like and berating her for spending too much online. But I feel like this unnecessary tension in their family can be simply solved by communication. Eliza should let her parents in. She should let her parents get to know her and she has to, at least, make an effort for them to understand her.

Wallace Warland, on the other hand, was more likeable than Eliza. He is a ray of sunshine. He is like a huge dog that can easily dwarf you, but he is just a total softie deep down.

I enjoyed reading about his passion for both writing and sports! I also liked learning about his backstory and how it affected his everyday life. Lastly, I appreciate how realistic his reaction when Eliza’s secret was finally revealed. Again, there’s some part of me that thinks that he became selfish and annoying at some point but that’s so in-character of him!

The supporting characters are just as great as the main ones. I enjoyed reading the relationship dynamics of the Mirk family. I also can’t help but to smile when reading the friendships in this book. To summarize, I appreciated their role/part in supporting the main characters’ growth throughout the story.

Overall Thoughts

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Honestly speaking, I think Eliza and Her Monsters might be one of the best contemporary novels that I’ve read in a long time!

Again, I would like to praise Francesca Zappia’s writing style and her accurate portrayal of teenage characters.

I really appreciate how this book tackled so many different things at once—mental health, fandom and internet appreciation, friendships (whether online or in real-life), relationship between an artist and her art—and managed to incorporate each and every one into this magnificent story.

I look forward to reading more of the author’s books!

Book Rating (Summary)

Writing Style: 5 stars

Plot: 5 stars

Characters: 4 stars

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars

You can also check my initial thoughts about this book on Goodreads!

Let’s Talk!

Do you like reading books with mental health representation? If so, what is your favorite book that deals with such serious subject matter?

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith | Ended Up Reading - Book Reviews

Book Review: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith

Published on by Yhel @ Ended Up Reading3 Comments

Book Title: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Date Published: September 1st 2015 by Poppy

Number of Pages: 272 (Paperback)

Synopsis

(From Goodreads) On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan have only one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night leads them to family and friends, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?

Charming, bittersweet, and full of wisdom and heart, this irresistible novel from Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, explores the difficult choices that arise when life and love lead in different directions.

Book Review

After reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, I knew that I will need a simple and fluffy book to balance things out and avoid a reading “burnout.”

Fortunately, Jennifer E. Smith’s Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is here to save me. This was the perfect light read after my heart-breaking experience with historical fiction!

Writing Style

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I find it fascinating how Jennifer E. Smith can effectively write “one night stories.” To be fair, this is my first time reading her works. And upon researching her other novels, I found out that she likes to incorporate the element of time in her love stories. I do commend her for that!

In this particular book, I really like how she switches from present to past. This successfully showed the strong bond between Clare and Aidan, even though in the present, I’m perfectly aware that their relationship is coming to an end. I just appreciate how I can learn more about their relationship through the stops they visit in their last 12 hours together. It’s a nice twist to an otherwise typical romance/break-up story.

Plot

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The plot falls short for me. But since I have no expectations whatsoever coming into this book, I didn’t mind it.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is your typical run-of-the-mill love story. The drama between Clare and Aidan, the so-called “reasons” why they should break up, are downright petty. It’s there just for the sake of creating unnecessary drama. Basically, the whole story is pointless.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading their angst and obvious reluctance to break up. After all, I’m a sucker for characters pining over each other.

Characters

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I didn’t have any strong feelings for the characters in this novel. They’re average and pretty forgettable.

Clare is your typical brunette girl who thinks of herself as “unremarkable.” She has understanding and supportive parents, and she’s always ahead of her class. And oh, she likes to stick with rules and lists. That’s why she annoyed the heck out of me. I hate how she pushes this break-up thing with her boyfriend when it’s so clear that she still loves him. Not only is she selfish but she is also indecisive for the majority of the book.

Aidan, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Clare. He’s a go-with-the-flow type of guy—the carefree type whose mind is only on playing lacrosse. I was actually surprised that his relationship with Clare managed to last for almost 2 years, considering their differences and all. I kind of felt bad for him at some parts of the book. It seemed like he’s the only one who’s “giving” in the relationship. And he’s the only one who wants to try a long-distance relationship (because duh, technology).

Luckily, I still enjoyed reading about their dynamic. They do act like love-sick teenagers—which makes the book so cheesy—but I didn’t mind it as much since it’s a high school relationship anyway. I think some readers can relate to them, especially those who are going away to college or university. But as for me, I just feel indifferent.

Overall Thoughts

Rating: 3 out of 5.

To sum it all up, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is a cute and fun contemporary book. It’s the kind of novel to read if you need some cheering up or if you want to get out of a reading slump. No big, life-changing lessons, just pure and simple fluff.

Book Rating (Summary)

Writing Style: 4 stars

Plot: 2.5 stars

Characters: 3 stars

Overall Rating: 3 stars

My book review of Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is also posted on Goodreads!

Let’s Talk!

Have you read Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between? What is your favorite light and “feel good” book?

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments Series #1) | Book Review by Ended Up Reading

Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments Series #1)

Published on by Yhel @ Ended Up Reading2 Comments
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments Series #1)

Book Title: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Date Published: May 27th 2007 by Simon & Schuster

Number of Pages: 486 (Paperback)

Synopsis

(From Goodreads) When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…

Book Review

The Mortal Instruments book series has been so hyped, and I know I’m far too late reading it, but I’m going to do it anyway. Partly because I want to see if it lives up to the hype, and also because I already bought physical copies, as mentioned in my “2020 Reading Goals” post.

City of Bones (Paperback Copy) by Cassandra Clare

I vaguely remembered watching the movie adaptation years ago. However, I already forgot most, if not all, about what happened.

So, I did a quick research on Goodreads to learn about other bookworms’ thoughts about this book series, and oh boy, I was surprised! There were so many conflicting thoughts! Some people love it, but most hated it, and even posted an extensive rant about the book. Yikes, that is not a good sign.

That’s why I kept my expectations low for this book series.

I’m not going to lie, though, I feel like I’m not the intended audience for this series. And after reading the first book, City of Bones, it’s safe to say that I was right.

If I have read this book years ago, I knew I would have been obsessed with the series, but that was not the case. I think I’m too old to thoroughly enjoy this one. And I think I simply outgrew these kinds of YA Fantasy books.

In my opinion, City of Bones felt too simple, too cliché even. That’s why I was disappointed, but I wasn’t so angry at it either, unlike other bookworms. While I did enjoy reading some parts, I mostly cringed at the one-dimensional characters, weird pacing, and “tell instead of show” writing style.

Writing Style

Rating: 2 out of 5.

I was surprised to learn that this book was written in third-person POV. I actually thought that it would be told inside Clarissa Fray’s mind, watching the story unfold through her eyes. After all, a lot of reviews on Goodreads seem to mention how naive and annoying Clary is. So yeah, I was expecting to be stuck inside her head and suffer reading her thoughts (kind of similar to Alina Starkov from the Shadow and Bone trilogy).

Thankfully, that was not the case. In fact, I do kind of prefer reading third-person perspectives.

Sadly, Cassandra Clare’s writing style is too simplistic to me. While her descriptions were fine, most of it just seems too forced, instead of being flowy. There are far too many useless dialogue exchanged between the characters, which is there just for the sake of introducing the world or advancing the plot.

To put it simply, her writing style “tells” instead of “shows.” And I don’t like that.

In addition, I wasn’t a fan of Clare’s choice to switch between third-person limited and third-person omniscient. As readers, we are mostly stuck within Clary’s perspective and occasionally reading her thoughts. But there were also some instances when we are inside Jace’s, Luke’s, and even a demon’s perspective (in Chapter One). For me, if you’re just going to do it for a few times, then don’t do it all. It just made her writing feel sloppy and inconsistent.

World Building

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really appreciate the world-building and I can understand why people love the Shadowhunter chronicles.

I love how Cassandra Clare brought the Nephilims, demons, werewolves, vampires, fairies, and warlocks into life. I also didn’t have a hard time following it all because these mystical creatures basically live in the same world—there’s no need to introduce another fantasy “universe.” Ordinary humans, or Mundanes, simply don’t see the magic around them.

Moreover, I liked how there’s an introduction of the politics within these creatures (e.g. the Covenant and Accords) which I know would play a larger part later on in the series.

However, as much as I find the world fascinating, I wasn’t compelled enough to love the first book because of the writing style.

Most of the world-building was told to me through info dumps. For instance, a character simply explains the creatures to Clary, instead of showing her. I don’t want that! If I wanted that, I would have simply looked in the Shadowhunters Wikia page and read a brief background about them. Instead, I want to learn how these creatures move, what motivates them, what Clary thought of them, and so on.

Plot

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The plot was average.

If I read City of Bones a few years ago, I know that my teenager self would be obsessed with the plot twists and turns. However, I predicted most of them in the beginning. Like mentioned above, I felt like the story was too simple and cliché for me. I didn’t care about it, and I didn’t care about what happened to the characters.

In addition, I have read numerous reviews on Goodreads that this book basically copied some aspects of the Harry Potter series and other novels.

Well, I can definitely see the resemblance. For instance, Valentine is similar to Voldemort. The Circle, which is loyal to Valentine, is basically the Death Eaters. Lastly, the Silent Brothers are quite similar to the Dementors.

I also couldn’t ignore some of the plot twists which reminds me so much of Harry Potter. I can’t discuss it because it’s obviously spoilers, but it has something to do with wolves. If you’ve read the book, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Characters

Rating: 2 out of 5.

The bookworms on Goodreads definitely did not lie about the characters in City of Bones!

I find most of them one-dimensional and downright annoying. I don’t connect to any of them at all, cementing my dislike (more like my detachment) for this book.

Clarissa “Clary” Fray is childish, selfish, and annoying. She goes from crying over her missing mother, then completely forgetting about her because she was busy ogling at Jace Wayland and hating Isabelle Lightwood (simply for her looks). While Clary does care for her bestfriend, Simon Lewis, she mostly forgets his presence.

I really grew tired of reading Clary’s petty thoughts and feelings for everyone. But at least, City of Bones wasn’t written in first-person POV, or else I would have suffered more severely.

And frankly, I don’t see what Clary saw in Jace either. Sure, he’s snarky and he made me laugh a few times, but he’s basically a walking stereotype, a Gary Stu even. He’s not that great, period.

Simon was just as annoying as Clary. I did pity him, but I couldn’t solely blame Clary. After all, Simon is a pretty forgettable character.

The Lightwood siblings, on the other hand, were far more interesting than the “trio.” Also, can authors stop the love triangle trope just for the sake of additional angst and drama? It’s so obvious who Clary’s gonna end up with.

Magnus Bane was also a promising character! In fact, the warlocks and vampires are even more compelling than the main characters.

In short: I hate the main characters, I love the supporting cast!

But that should not be the case…ever. I should like the main characters more than the side characters. If I did not, then that simply means the book fell short.

Overall Thoughts

I really don’t have any high expectations for City of Bones after reading the numerous reviews of other bookworms on Goodreads.

Before reading this book, some part of myself had already known that this would be far too cheesy for my liking and age. But I was still hoping that I would enjoy reading it.

I did, but there are far too many aspects that I really dislike, so I’m rating this book 2.5 stars.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

1 full star courtesy of the Lightwoods. 1 full star for Magnus Bane. And a half-star for the decent world-building.

I don’t have enough motivation to read the rest of the Mortal Instruments series. I simply want to read a summary or brief background story of what happened to the Lightwood siblings and Magnus Bane, then that’s it. I don’t want to read 5 more books that follow Clary pining over Jace while being completely oblivious to Simon.

But then again, I already have physical copies of Book 2-6, so I’ll probably read the whole series sometime in the future. Not anytime soon, though, because there’s so little time yet so many books.

Oh well, on to my next book!

Book Rating (Summary)

Writing Style: 2 stars

World Building: 4 stars

Plot: 3 stars

Characters: 2 stars

Overall Rating: 2.5 stars

Check out my book review of City of Bones on Goodreads!

Let’s Talk!

What are your thoughts on City of Bones? Would the book series get better or not, and should I give it a chance? Let me know below!

Wildcard by Marie Lu | Book Review by Ended Up Reading

Book Review: Wildcard by Marie Lu (Warcross Duology #2)

Published on by Yhel @ Ended Up Reading3 Comments

Book Title: Wildcard

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Date Published: September 20th 2018 by Penguin

Number of Pages: 341 (Paperback)

Synopsis

(From Goodreads) Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems–and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

Book Review

I came into Wildcard with low expectations as mentioned in my book review of Warcross. After my re-read, I realize that I didn’t love the first installment that much, so I don’t want to get my hopes up for the sequel.

But somehow, Wildcard still disappointed me.

Considering how things ended in Warcross, I know that the sequel will have much higher stakes than simply playing a virtual game. However, I wasn’t a fan of what Marie Lu did in this book. Maybe I just had different “low” expectations for this sequel, and it still didn’t deliver.

Writing Style

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

I liked Marie Lu’s easy-to-read writing style in the first book, although I wasn’t a fan of her bluntness and straightforwardness. I feel like she was spoon-feeding me as I read Emika’s story.

And in this sequel, it became worse.

Don’t get me wrong—I like how easy it is to read Wildcard. But most of the story was told to me, instead of shown.

From Zero’s backstory to the “hacking” aspect of this game, it was just written in a very dull way. It’s like Marie Lu merely dropped info bombs left and right. And I wasn’t a fan of it!

World Building

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I really love the world-building on the first book! I enjoyed reading about the game and the technology—I can definitely see it happening!

But unfortunately, Wildcard‘s world-building left a bad impression on me.

Most of the story revolves around Emika working with Zero and the Blackcoats. I barely get to see the Warcross game in action (which is what I absolutely love in the first book). Instead, the book focuses more on the Dark Web.

While I did enjoy reading more of the Dark Web, it wasn’t as quite appealing as the game itself.

In addition, Marie Lu introduced some questionable and illogical elements (at least for me) in the world which diminished the awesome world-building in the first book. I can’t say much without mentioning spoilers, so there’s that.

Plot

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Before reading this book, I already expected that the plot would be completely different from Warcross. It wouldn’t focus much on the games, instead it would mainly revolve around Emika trying to figure out Zero’s past.

At first, I didn’t mind it. In fact, like many readers, I was curious on what happened to Zero. I was also very intrigued by the Blackcoats and their mission.

However, once the real story behind his disappearance unfolds, the book become progressively worse.

I always love plot twists and turns (and this book absolutely delivered!), but it was also all over the place. I find it too bizarre and weird. There’s also a lot of plot holes…I just can’t!

Furthermore, the pacing of this book didn’t help. The “big reveal” behind Zero’s disappearance was so dragged out. I mean, it started halfway through the book (which I think was pretty early but then again, Marie Lu just dropped bombs left and right) and ended up stretching for at least 50-ish pages or so. Then the ending was rushed. Talk about sloppy.

And to make things worse, the plot was basically TOLD to us—either the characters are casually having long-ass dialogue or Emika is eavesdropping on someone.

Speaking of Emika…

Characters

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Emika is just the worse. She is very bland and rarely get things done in this sequel. She “piggybacks” on other characters (especially Tremaine and Jax) and trusts too easily. Plus, in the beginning, she’s still pining for Hideo, even after what he has done. I mean, girl, get your shit together! Do you really think you love the guy? You just practically known him for a few weeks!

And don’t get me started on Hideo! I don’t know why everybody likes him, but I refuse to hop on the bandwagon. He’s just as terrible as Emika. And I don’t care about their romantic relationship!

Zero/Sasuke was meh. It was cool reading about his backstory, but I don’t feel a connection to him at all.

Again, like mentioned in my book review of Warcross, I wish this were the Phoenix Riders’ story instead. I badly want to read Roshan and Tremaine’s relationship as well as Asher and Hammie’s. Imagine how interesting that would be!

Well, at least, I did get to learn more about them in this sequel. But I wish I saw more of them, you know?

Also, where the hell was Ren?! It’s like Marie Lu has completely forgotten his character. What a shame.

Overall Thoughts

I was really disappointed in Wildcard.

The story was sloppy, the plot’s pacing was so weird, and the main characters were just a shell of their former selves. And that’s really saying something, considering that I wasn’t a fan of them in the first book.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

So, I rate this sequel 2.5 stars. I’m actually tempted to rate it 2 stars, but the minor characters redeemed it for me, albeit barely.

I wished that I just simply read Warcross and not pick up Wildcard at all. At least, it’s all fun and virtual games and not this mess of a sequel. Oh well.

Book Rating (Summary)

Writing Style: 2.5 stars

World Building: 3.5 stars

Plot: 2 stars

Characters: 2 stars

Overall Rating: 2.5 stars

You can also read my book review of Wildcard on Goodreads!

Let’s Talk!

What are your thoughts on Wildcard? Did you love or hate the ending?