Mockingjay

Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us! 

After being rescued from her second turn in The Hunger Games, Katniss soon realises that the games are not only held in the arena but all around her

As I’ve said before the one thing that drives me mad, in any series, is when the character gives an overview of what’s already happened and in Catching Fire this was done in the same way that other authors had done before. For some brilliant reason Mockingjay doesn’t just repeat what has already happened but does in a far more intelligent way, showing Collins’ development as an author throughout the series. Although The Hunger Games will always be my favourite, Mockingjay also has strong parts although not necessarily the action of Catching Fire.

After the destruction of district 12 Katniss feels somewhat in debt and without knowing has become a symbol of the rebellion across the country. Although she has been saved it has come at a cost, that cost being Peeta. After time Katniss agrees to become the face of the rebellion, the Mockingjay to match the pin she has been worn through the games that nearly destroyed her. It feels like the whole series was supposed to build up to this incredible moment but as with the other novels it felt slightly rushed, I wanted to know more about what Katniss was thinking, her feelings. We know she’s damaged by the games but maybe more heart?

I found that there were some points in the novel where I lost interest. It wasn’t the same as the first two in the series, where I couldn’t walk away even if I tried. This novel seemed to focus too much on the Katniss- Peeta – Gale part of the story and it irritated me in the middle of what was supposed to be a war. That said, I found the war and ideas surrounding it to be incredibly realistic and well thought out, especially the effect that the games and the war have on Katniss and her fellow tributes before, during and after.

I’m going to give this 3 stars ***. I did enjoy the novel and it was well written, but as with the other novels I felt like I was rushing through. There was just this sense that things went from moving too quickly to slowing straight down and then back again. Also without spoilers I would say that the ending is quite controversial and I’m not sure how I feel about it again maybe more detail? All in all I’ve enjoyed the series as a whole and would read it again but the later books very much rely on each other instead of standing as single novels.

So many books!

Hello all, 

 

I hope you’ve all been enjoying just how many books I’ve been reading lately. I’m pleased to announce that regular reviews every Sunday will be back from now on! You might have noticed I’ve been trying to get these back for a while and I’m really pleased with the ones I have coming up for you all! 

The site will have some mind improvements made, getting things all up to date and hopefully I’ll post some short stories and things over the summer. If you’re ever wondering what I’m up to while I’m not writing reviews for you all remember I also have my other blog http://www.chloemetzger.wordpress.com pop over and let me know what you think! 

 

Thanks for all your support and enjoy the new reviews! 

 

Chloe 

The Fault in Our Stars – John Green Book review *****

‘Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book’- Hazel

As my regular readers know I posted this originally last year but having seen the film I can say both film and book go hand in hand perfectly. I’m so pleased that one of my favourite novels ever has been made into a cinematic masterpiece. Although this review is for the novel I urge people who loved the book to see the film, you wont regret it! 

This novel shattered my heart into a million pieces and made me laugh more than I have in a long time.   From the first pages The Fault in Our Stars I was laughing and I fell in love with the character of Hazel.  I loved her brutal honesty, her train of thought and just how normal she tries to be. It wasn’t until I finished the novel that I realised just how much of a good job Green had done at getting into the head of a sixteen year old girl with terminal illness. There were no flaws in her monologue, decisions or actions. I felt that Hazel was real, at first I was a little taken aback with how mature she was about dying but this is not uncommon in novels of this kind. These types of novels have been dubbed ‘sick lit’ by the press which I think is just pathetic and immature. The novel isn’t out to ‘glamourize’ death or terminal illness and I think it is an insult to the tireless research authors. In a nutshell this novel is about falling in love, having hope, excruciating loss and life after death.

 

I’ll admit that at first I was incredibly sceptical of the love life between Hazel and Augustus. I rolled my eyes a little when the beautiful boy turned up to take her troubles away. Usually I would have been able to put the novel down at this point but Green’s charm made it so that I could not walk away ( I seriously mean that, I took my Kindle EVERYWHERE until I had finished). There is something unique in the relationship between Hazel and Augustus. Some may be sceptical but how do we know how we would act if we were in love and time was running out?

The one way I can tell if a novel is worth reading and passing on is if the characters are still walking around my head a week after. You wonder endlessly about them, as Hazel does herself in regards to her own favourite novel, An Imperial Affliction, with that ending (see now you have to read it to understand what I’m on about).  I still think about the characters and have endless questions for Mr Green if I ever had the pleasure of meeting him. The characters really do come off the page, I feel like they were my friends and at certain points I had to stop and fight off tears by the pool side (especially as I had an outburst of ‘No!’ with absolute agony in my voice making my family look at me very strangely the day before). It felt like just as you were getting to know the characters and thought you knew how they were going to act and what they were going to do you were thrown off balance and had to revaluate what you previously thought. I feel that the relationship between Hazel and Augustus has been portrayed in a very interesting light. Green has not set out to prove that a teenage love lasts forever, nor does it make everything better which I believe adds to the magic and reality of the novel. It is not only the relationship between Hazel and Augustus that is explored within The Fault in Our Stars there is the relationship between Hazel and her parents. It is rather incredible that Green has not stuck to the stereotypical parents in many aspects. I cannot spoil the plot for you but Hazel’s mum is not as clingy as she seems.  Green has instead portrayed an emotional father and a mother who is not pressuring her to pursue endless treatment; she wants her to have a life. It is because of her parents that she finds herself in the support group for cancer and although she hates it by the end you can see their logic and the effect of Cancer on the family unit, they deal with it the best they can. The reader also experiences the world through the eyes of a cancer patient and Green goes as far as to make a point out of the Cancer Perks which the characters themselves do at times find amusing, for example Augusts’ driving skills.

I was surprised to find that the novel did not depress me, yes it made me sad and I felt heartbroken but it also made me appreciate the struggles of people with Cancer as well as inspiring me.  As a writer who is researching terminal illness I found Green’s ability incredible as well as his empathy with his characters.  There is a point in the novel which I found to be both beautiful and brutally honest in regards to the previously mentioned ‘Cancer Perks’. I will not spoil the plot for you but I will say that Green makes it clear that even when you have Cancer the world can still screw you over, making the characters more normal. I will give this novel five stars ***** it really is a unique novel and I urge everyone to read it or at least try it.

The Second Life of Amy Archer – R.S Pateman *****

Your daughter has been missing for 10 years, she’s standing at your door and hasn’t aged a day.

For the past 10 years Beth Archer has been struggling to cope with the disappearance of her daughter, Amy. Although slowly rebuilding her life Beth is reluctant to let go and makes annual visits to psychics, one of which tells her ‘the little girl…she’s coming soon’, although not as she expects. As a young woman, Jenny, stands at her door claiming that she knows Amy is alive and introduces her daughter Esme, who has a chilling resemblance to Amy and memories that no one else can understand, they claim she is Amy reincarnated.

The novel really is full of twists and turns, although the concept of reincarnation is not one that I had come across in a novel before I absolutely loved it and it was a daring move to place the use of psychics within a crime novel.  It’s hard to believe that this is Pateman’s debut novel. This novel is more than just a thriller it’s engaging, stimulating. As a reader I didn’t just get to know the characters I considered theories of reincarnation, afterlife as well as getting stuck into Beth’s mind as she confronts something that none of us could even imagine.

The character of Beth has received some criticism but I personally thought she was a great character. She reminds me of real life mothers who I have seen portrayed in the media, blames for their children’s deaths or not being careful enough. She is distraught and desperate for some or any connection with her daughter, as I believe any mother would. The pain radiates through the pages as she struggles to deal with the ten year anniversary of Amy’s death as well as Esme’s claims and intimate knowledge of their family life prior to the kidnapping.

Your thoughts mirror Beth’s, is any of this real? How could this ever work or is this all just a clever and devastating ruse to ruin her life. I have to admit that at times I found Beth’s character to be selfish and incredibly fragile but then I considered how anyone would react when faced with this situation. Even if you have to put the book down (which I wouldn’t recommend) it’s simple to fall seamlessly back into and read continuously for hours.

I want to give this book 5 stars *****! I can’t even begin to describe how much this novel excited me, it’s so refreshing to find a novel that is not only full of original ideas but also taps into a complex set of characters. The only other thing is that I would have liked to have known a bit more about Libby, but this may have hindered the plot, so I think it’s for the best. I was also fortunate to talk to the author (who is also lovely!) and discuss the ending, which has received mixed opinions but in my opinion you’ll absolutely love it!

 

Review by Chloe Metzger

Lovey – Mary MacCracken

 

‘Me lovey’  – A remarkable story of a girl and a woman who refused to give up on her.

Working in a school for children with severe emotional problems and learning difficulties, Mary is often faced with challenging students but often puts a positive spin on things. On the first day of term, however, her well organised plans are thrown out of the window with the news she will be taking on a new student this year in her small class of four, a student no other teacher has been able to control. Before even setting foot in her classroom Hannah begins to resist, the child can only be likened to a ‘wild animal’ but despite all odds Mary manages to calm her down enough to get her into the classroom.

Although it sound cheesy, this book is a journey. I loved following the story and it felt like I was right beside Mary, Hannah and the rest of the boys in the class. The boys are also loveable and sweet, each with their own challenges and despite initial resistance to Hannah the boys become a key part in her recovery and the steps she takes.  As you’d expect though this is not a smooth transition of recovery, as well as being a teacher Mary needs to be extremely caring and attuned to each child’s individual needs. It takes someone very patient and very special to work with children with learning and emotional difficulties and Mary’s strength is an inspiration to us all.

Now I’m not saying the book is light, fluffy and an easy read because it’s not. Your heart aches for both Mary and the children. These children are so young but have been labelled and have been through traumatic experiences for their age but little by little Mary begins to build their confidence and deal with any set backs they have. Her use of calming techniques and focused attention mean these children get what they need and for Hannah being called ‘lovey’ by anyone makes her explode with joy.

As we move through the year with the children I doubt anyone could not marvel at the children’s response to Mary and the environment of the small school. It made me think about the facilities that are needed to help students like this get better and back into mainstream education, more as a transition stage rather than a permanent fixture.

I want to give this book 4 stars ****, I absolutely loved it! I initially expected a novel full of sadness and misery but was greeted with something very different. This is a story of hope, hard work and determination, although I warn you the ending is definitely bitter-sweet. It also spreads a wider message, even children with difficulties are so worth it and we should never give up on them. Mary is an extraordinary woman and the children had a place in my heart from the start. You’ll be pleased to know we do get to hear what they get up to later in life but you’ll have to wait and read to find out!

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

Liesel Memminger is only a child when she first meets death, but it will not be the first time 

The Book Thief contains a few things you need to know about. A young girl, an old couple, a Jewish fist fighter, Hitler and Death. Sounds simple, right? After finding herself in a new town with new foster parents, a doting foster father and a sharp tongued foster mother. But Liesel Memminger is haunted,  haunted by the ghost of her younger brother whom she watched die. Another thing you should know she is a thief, but the novel is about more than that.

The novel is a about a young girl that we get to watch grow and about a country that will never be the same after war. As Liesel, Hanns and Rosa hide a young Jewish man they know they are risking their lives but what comes out of it is so much more. The problem with novels as good as this is that you don’t want to ruin any part of it because you love it so much. I will say though the novel is a long one but in a nice way. It’s the kind of book that you can take a break from but as soon as you turn another page you fall straight back into the story.

Another character I have to mention, because I know you will fall in love with him is Lisle’s neighbour Rudy. A sweet boy who idolises black athlete Jesse Owens in the middle of Nazi Germany. As you can assume this does not work in his favour. The relationship between him and Liesel is one of my favourite parts of the novel though, without him I doubt the Bbok Thief would have become who she was.

Although it’s a questionable concept, Death makes and incredible narrator and he was one of the best characters. Who would have thought death could be so kind, caring and thoughtful. Oh and lets not forget funny, there is great humour in the book even if it seems sad. I laughed more than I ever wanted to cry and it wasn’t just little laughs that would escape me, it was loud laughter which is rare.

At times the book made my heart hurt. I could see the scenes playing out in my head, I wanted to look away but I couldn’t. I wanted to reach out but I wasn’t really there. What Zusak has done with his magical description should not be taken lightly. I have not read novel like this that is so vivid in a very long time. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry and I wanted to make sure nothing like this could ever happen again. It’s incredible that even though this is fiction, it feels as if it could be real and that is the magic of a good story teller, they made you believe the book is real.This book made me cry, and I’m grateful. It is a stunning piece of literature that I want to read again and again.

I can’t give this book anything less than five stars *****, something I don’t give lightly. I remember not reading this book years ago when I had the chance and I wish someone had shaken me! Zusak is an incredible writer, so much so that if he never wrote again this book would be enough. If you haven’t read it, you should need to, it is beautiful.

 

Review by Chloe Metzger

Daddy’s Little Princess – Cathy Glass

When 7 year old Beth was placed in Cathy Glass’ care the situation was considered normal. A young girl with nowhere to stay after he father is taken ill is almost text book in the life of a foster carer and despite Beth understandingly being upset to be away from her father there is nothing out of the ordinary. While Beth adjusts to family life and Cathy deals with some struggles of her own things take a drastic turn. Cathy soon realises that little Beth has not be having the normal life of a little girl. As Beth’s behaviour begins to show signs of trouble from home, Cathy is faced with concerns from Beth’s school teacher as well as her own feelings that something isn’t right. From that point on Cathy has to fight to make herself heard and hopefully save Beth.

In this book Cathy broaches the subject of Emotional Incest, something which you probably haven’t heard of before. Let me point out there is nothing sexual in this, although it is known to develop into a sexual relationship unfortunately. As with other novels Cathy has been able to present this in a non judgemental way, something she is incredibly good at. It also gives a lot of information, the information she is given as time goes on in regards to the situation. I find it incredibly sad and go as far as saying that if people weren’t as judgemental maybe Beth’s  father may not have felt the need to hide them both away as a single father. That said, I did at times get shivers down my spine because ultimately it is a form of abuse even if it isn’t physical.

I’m Daddy’s Little Princess

Trouble also comes in the form of Beth’s relationship with her fathers girlfriend, who also shares her concerns with Cathy about the way Beth and her father relate to each other. Despite Beth’s obvious jealousy Marianne really does try which is nice, even in the face of such allegations she does not walk away and instead if a support figure.What frustrated me throughout was that he social worker didn’t seem to want to listen to Cathy’s concerns nor did she regard Marianne’s observations or Beth’s school teacher either. I wanted to scream at them listen! listen to her! It was so frustrating to watch it drag on and Cathy appearing to blame herself for not taking things seriously even though at this time I believe foster carers received little or no training.

One of my favourite things about Cathy’s novels is that she lets us know as much as she can about how the child is getting on. It gives the reader peace of mind about these poor children who go through so much, it’s impossible not to care about these children, you become attached to them and I don’t know how Cathy does it time and time again. She’s selfless and so are her family even when facing something that cause catastrophic results. Even in this novel when the children are so small themselves and having their own troubles they still find time to play with the new children and make them feel included and special.

I want to give Daddy’s Little Princess four stars ****. Once again Cathy has tackled an incredibly sensitive subject and given thousands the chance to see a glimmer of understanding and I hope that this will invoke change. Although at times it is difficult to read at the same time it can be a pleasure to see Beth grow into the little girl that she is supposed to be. It’s also important that Cathy’s reactions also match the readers, it makes her more human, especially as she so often shares things she felt she had done wrong or could have changed. As with her previous book Will you love me? we have another best seller in front of us and she rightfully deserves it.

 

Review by Chloe Metzger

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins

 

 

 As mentioned in my review of The Hunger Games I struggled to understand what could happen in a second book, what there was from the first novel that could continue the series on. I understood that something new had happened and two victors could spell trouble but I didn’t get an overwhelming sense of danger or intrigue from the end of the first novel. In all honesty the only part which I could see continuing was the are they, aren’t they relationship between Katniss and Peeta, which within the first few pages does.

As with The Hunger Games the majority of the novel is taken up this the lead up to the main event, which is frustratingly short. Admittedly this time is is a lot darker than before. There has been a dramatic change in District 12 and Katniss is once again in the middle of a threat of death, however this time it follows her. While the love triangle saga continues to develop Katniss and Peeta embark on their victory tour of the other districts. As with the entire idea of their homecoming the victory tour is basically skipped over, there is little description or mention of the vast number of districts and who they are, although the most important districts in relation to later in the novel are given a little more time, although not much.

The novel switches between going at quite a slow steady pace to snatches of action and then back to a lul. I felt quite that the whole love triangle thing kind of overtook important parts of the novel. I wanted to go back to the gritty Katniss that we knew before. I couldn’t understand how Katniss, who had managed not to cry at all in the first book became a mess at the slightest thing. Of course I understood certain elements where anyone would feel overwhelmed but it was a far cry from the Katniss we knew!

 

***CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS***

I must say, however, the imagery and ideas for the arena in this book are brilliant and much more like what I would have expected in the last book. Frankly, it’s horrible, it is what our nightmares are made of and this is the part where I started to get hooked again. Yes putting Katniss back into the games was repetitive and at first I didn’t really understand it but once it got into it I was amazed that Collins was able to pull it off again! I was racing through the pages again at this point so excited and nervous for the characters. It was definitely a step up from the first games in the sense that more actually happens, rather than Katniss just sleeping in trees a lot!

***SPOILERS OVER***

I have to admit the ending for this part of the trilogy was a lot stronger. There were more mysteries and it was more of a sense that I had to know why rather than wanting to. Instead of a simple mystery this really grabs the reader in a way they wouldn’t necessarily expect.

Overall I give this four stars ****, just as I did The Hunger Games although for different reasons. You can see Collins’ growth as writing in the novel with much more detail, although I still couldn’t shake that feeling of being rushed through certain parts. Overall though the novel is worth reading and is a must to prepare you for the third instalment.

 

Review by Chloe Metzger

An Abundance of Katherines – John Green

 “How do you just stop being terrified of getting left behind and ending up by yourself forever and not meaning anything to the world?” 

It’s a known fact that I think John Green is a genius and I ended up buying and devouring any book of his I pick up. I chose An Abundance of  Katherines as my third John Green novel to read about Paper Towns although this novel isn’t bad I wish I had chosen to pick up the latter.

Colin Singleton is a child prodigy, his mind is incredible and he is expected to do incredible things, that is until he hits a limit and start to wonder if he’ll ever have a ‘eureka’ moment. It doesn’t help that Colin has yet again been dumped by another Katherine, number 19 to be exact. To get away from it all, with the help of friend Hassan the two boys take a road trip after graduation and end up in Gutshot, Tennessee and end up having a very different experience to what they had planned.

While the pair find summer jobs in Gutshot and make friends with the beautiful Lindsey, Colin still has Katherine’s on the brain. He settles down to work on the mathematical likelihood of relationships, starting with Katherine one and working through them to perfect the equation. Although it doesn’t sound amusing it is and doesn’t take up the whole book which I was thoughtful for. What I think this novel is really about is a young guy who’s trying to work himself out through the only way he knows, math.

Although the novel was interesting and again Green has worked his magic at making believable characters and that loveable and slightly annoying nerd at the centre of it all, I wasn’t as hooked as I had been with previous novels. Throughout the novel I really didn’t understand the importance of all the Katherines and felt quite confused by it all! On top of that, to match Colin’s character there are a lot of foot notes with various explanations, comments etc and for me it didn’t help. I like getting lost in a novel and I just felt that the footnotes took away from that and made me think about them too much. Although that said I know people who found that to be the best part of the novel, so it really is down to personal preference.

I want to give An Abundance of Katherines 3 stars. I did like it but it’s not my favourite John Green novel. As with Green’s other novels you can’t help but feel as if you are friends with the characters and have your own hopes for them. I would have liked to have known more about genius Colin and what Lindsey did next but that’s not what this novel was about. From my experience of reading it I felt like it was about having that time before a big change to figure yourself out, as usual Green has been fantastic in getting into the teenage mind. I’d say if you’re a fan then you should give this a go but if you’re only just starting then try out The Fault in Our Stars or Looking For Alaska, my two personal favourites.

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins ****

May the odds ever be in your favour 

In the future a land that was once called ‘North America’ is ruled by the Capitol. Divided into districts residents have little or no information about the rest of the population other and are eerily separated apart from for The Hunger Games, a fate no parent wants for their child. The Hunger Games are deigned to place two children between the ages of 12-18 into the arena where the whole country watches as they fight to the death for victory, and Katniss Everdeen has just signed herself up.

I know what your thinking, does this girl have a death wish? No. After Katniss’ younger sister Prim is chosen for the games Katniss volunteers herself in desperation and knowing that she will die by the time the games end. Throw in a permanently drunk mentor, a boy who drives you crazy and stylists , fighting to the death sounds easy.

I’d heard a lot of good things about the Hunger Games before I read them but didn’t like the idea, kids fighting to the death? I decided to pick the novel up out of interested and ended up finishing it within a day with a set of new favourite characters. I couldn’t put the book down and I was sure as hell fighting alongside Katniss, I fell in love with her too. Although I was sceptical of her at first and slightly bored at the beginning I was soon absorbed and wanted to know every detail, what , why, how? and found myself surprised by some of the twists within the book. I was also able to visualise everything and have little drawings inside my head of what I think the characters look like, the only other series I’ve been able to do this with properly is Harry Potter.

On that note I do have some criticism, I feel like there were so many details but they were all rushed through to condense the games into one book. I would have honestly liked the first book to be split into two so we could get more action and more of a sense of the arena rather than the prep, although I sense this is important somehow. I do feel rushed though , for example the ending felt incredibly rushed, like there were so many ideas and leads to tie up before the end of the novel that they all had to be thrown in. I’m also confused and unsure as to what there is to the next book, although I am intrigued. What could possibly happen in  the next one if we get to the end of the games in this book? I suppose I will have to wait and see.

I will give this book 4 stars, **** I really enjoyed it and read it within 24 hours before going out t buy the rest of the series. That said I do think it can be quite a slow start and that could lose some people, stick with it! Katniss will not let you down and neither will Peeta in an unexpected way….