Book Reviews #10: The Stand, By Stephen King

"Life was such a wheel that no man could stand upon it for long. And it always, at the end, came round to the same place again."
-Stephen King, The Stand

Finally, the review I've been dreading the most, The Stand by Stephen King, a book I started reading two years ago but didn't get round to finishing until now. Giving my opinion on this book is almost as daunting as starting the damn thing, but I'll have a crack at it regardless. 

The Stand is a book that is held in extremely high regard by Stephen King fans, and well, book fans in general, and it is often referred to as Stephen King's magnum opus, his masterpiece, so I don't think it's a stretch to say that my expectations for this book were pretty damn high. And did the book meet my expectations? It certainly did, laws yes, for the first book at least (the novel is split into three sections, titled "books", each spanning hundreds of pages), the rest, well I'll get to that but let's start at the first.

The first book in The Stand, titled "Captain Trips", chronicles everything that leads up to the whole post-apocalyptic part of the book (an idea that was still quite novel in the 70s) in which Stephen King intricately details every domino that went into causing the majority of the human race to die. I found this whole section of the book to be a particular addicting, riveting, thought provoking read. It was fascinating watching King jump from character to character, each unique and interesting to read on their own, and witnessing their plights as the plague fast approaches. The read felt akin to reading short stories that all take place in the universe, we'd be introduced to a character, we'd learn about them for 20 pages or so, and then they'd die, or live and become a main character for the rest of the book. And while yes you could argue that it's a waste of time introducing and getting us invested in characters that will just die in a few pages and not really effect many of the events in the rest of the book, I think that the stories were interesting and volatile enough to justify their inclusion in the novel. Furthermore, not only did it let the reader know that no all life is sacred in this book, but it really gives us a sense of the human race dying out. These are real people, not just numbers, and you really get to know them from their brief appearances in the book, it shows the flu taking away lives of actual people, rather than just showing everyone disappearing in a way that evokes no emotion and feels like just a plot point to get to the post-apocalyptic stuff. Another thing that makes "Captain Trips" so great is the introduction of the notorious, seemingly omnipresent, Stephen King character, Randall Flagg. From the get go this character was infinitely interesting, just his mere presence in a scene would make it so much more enjoyable. So yeah, the first book, fantastic, sets up the rest of the book wonderfully.

Now the second book, titled "On The Border", is where I feel my opinion on this book begins to sour a bit. The earlier parts of the second book are still fantastic, the survivors we're left with are all distinct and interesting to read about, and I was constantly entertained by their antics, seeing how they cope with living in an empty world, and how they react and interact with each other. I really felt that in this section of the book Stephen King was successfully exploring what would happen if ninety nine or so percent of the population died, what the world would be like, and how we'd cope with that. For example who brings up the fact that there are dead bodies lying around everywhere, and makes it a point to actually have a community of people who's jobs were solely to clean up the mess left behind by those who hadn't been so fortunate. Now onto the sour, it's somewhere in the middle of this book (when they start settling in Boulder) where Stephen King really starts delving into all the politics involved in starting up a new society of people, and while the concepts King plays with in this section are undoubtedly interesting and thought provoking, the pacing at this point was just terrible, and reading all the meetings the characters took part in just became mind numbing. I was floored by how dull this section of the book was, luckily it doesn't last for too long, but whilst reading it it felt like forever and I feel it really dragged the rest of the book down.

And the final book, titled "The Stand", well there's not really much I can say about this part without spoiling the book, but while I was still enjoying reading it, the climax, after 1000 or so pages of build up, was just, so disappointing. The book presents itself as this huge epic, with it's length and scope I was really expecting a climax that would really blow me away, but what actually ended up happening was just, underwhelming, and I came out of it befuddled asking myself "is that it?". And then after that happens the book kinda just keeps on going, which I didn't mind because I did enjoy the whole getting back to boulder section, but then the book just ends, it just fizzles out. I had run out of pages but there was no ending, no resolution, and while yes you could make the point that the ending is meant to symbolise that humanity is just one vicious cycle, that doesn't make it any less unsatisfying.

So, in conclusion, I'd say The Stand, was, for the most part, fantastic. Especially that first section of the book, which I personally thinks everyone needs to read. But as a whole, it's hard for me to recommend this book, it's such a huge investment of time that culminates in, for me at least, an extremely disappointing ending. There was a lot of stuff I loved in this thing but, it was just dragged out so much that it's hard to love the book as a whole. So if you are intrigued by this book, or a fan of Stephen King, then I don't think reading it is a waste of time, it is after all a good book, just, don't go in expecting too much.

Book Reviews #9: Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell

"Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice, it was supposed to make you feel something."
-Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor and Park

Originally, when I started this book, I thought it would just be a fun little distraction while I took a break from Stephen King's epic "The Stand". I thought it would just be a fun, short, somewhat campy young adult romance novel, nothing terrible, but nothing that would blow me away, or be that much better than the young adult romance novels I had encountered prior to reading this. Well, I am happy to report that I was wrong, this book became so much more than just a distraction, it became a priority. I was addicted to this thing, and upon completion it wounded up being one of my favourite young adult romance novels I have read, if not my actual favourite, and certainly one of the best books I have read in the past year or so. In fact the more I think about this book, the more it climbs up the ladder to becoming one of my actual favourite books, ever.

Okay, so lets get all the problems I have with this book out of the way first. I don't really quite understand why the book was told in third person instead of first, Rainbow (awesome name by the way) doesn't really do anything that third person that she couldn't do with first person, and most of the narrative is so firmly placed into the character's heads that it might as well have been in first person. It's a minor complaint, and it doesn't really detract from the book but I just don't get why Rainbow felt the need to go with third instead of first, I'm probably the only one who was bothered by this but yeah,I just find that strange.
Secondly, I found that the parts that were focused around Eleanor's family in the first two thirds of the book felt a little bit tedious, and whenever they came up I just wanted the focus to go back to the actual romance between Park and Eleanor. I understand that they are necessary to expanding on Elaenor's character and for setting up the ending but I just didn't find these sections of the book all that entertaining. Also I don't really enjoy spending time with Eleanor's family either, I mean I get that her parents aren't meant to be all that likable, but I don't really find her siblings all that interesting either. I don't think any of them, apart from Maisie, were giving good enough characterisation for me to actually care about, well, any of them. However not too much time was spent during these scenes, so it isn't thaat big of a deal.
Also the constant popular culture references at the beginning of the book felt like Rainbow was constantly bashing me over the head with the fact that this book is set in the 80s, but they become more and more sparse throughout the duration of the book, so again, not a big deal.
Despite my nit-picking of the usage of third person and my frustration with the detours taken from the main focus of the book, I found the rest of the novel to be a fluid, seamless read, which was entertaining throughout, and never truly faltered. I loved how the main two characters were portrayed, they were given some depth and actually felt like real people. My problem with a few John Green books is that his characters just feel too perfect, they're too witty and too intelligent, to the point where they just aren't even relatable characters for me, whereas in "Eleanor and Park" all the characters feel grounded in realism, and all of them have flaws. None of the characters felt purely bad or purely good, apart from arguably Richie, but as bad as he is we still see glimpses of him not being completely heartless. All the characters had layers, when Park's parents felt like they were being unreasonable, it doesn't come off like that, it comes off as them just wanting the best for their son, whether it aligned with what Park wanted or not. When Richie was being an all around horrible human being, while what he was doing was very, very wrong, in certain scenes it actually comes off as him just wanting to have a family, but going around it very bitterly and aggressively. And while I didn't find Eleanor's mum to be the most likable of characters, I could tell she really did want the best for her family, she was just so mentally defeated by Richie that she felt there was nothing she could do. Still though, I can't quite work out whether or not she actually loves, or even likes, Richie,or if she just defends him because she's afraid of what might become of her if he ever caught word of her speaking ill of him. And Tina, while she also is nowhere near to being a good person, came off as genuinely caring about Park, and maybe she her cruelness to Eleanor was fueled by her jealousy, however I do wish Rainbow went into more detail on Tina and why she's so mean spirited, that would've been.
And last but not least our two main characters, Eleanor and Park. I found them both to be really compelling characters who I just, loved spending time with, and I loved watching them spend time with each other and watching their relationship grow throughout the book. The romantic scenes with these two never felt corny or cheesy, and when they did come off as cheesy, the book actually acknowledges this instead of just passing it off as realistic dialogue. Everything they said to each other, and the way they treated each other and reacted around each other felt believable, natural, it never felt forced or contrived. Watching them be together throughout the book, and all the hardships and difficulties they experience as a couple, and them trying to tell each other how they feel throughout the book really came off as endearing, and you can't help but to just, fall in love with the two of them. I love how insecure the both of them are as well, as much as they try to hide it from each other. I especially enjoyed seeing moments in the book where both of them act selfishly, or at least are just thinking about themselves, neither of them were ever unlikable, it was just nice to see that they were both human. The chemistry between the two was wonderful and just, perfectly adorable, and it was a joy to simply read about them doing the mundane of things.
The ending was also pretty great as well. It actually gets pretty dark but still stayed grounded, so while I did feel like stakes were raised, it still felt intact with the rest of the story. I also liked how the ending was left ambiguous and not every question raised throughout the book was answered. It was a nice way of showing that you can't just tie life up in a neat bow at the age of 17, and instead of ending, it just continues, beyond the pages.
All in all, I adored this book, and I am happily surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience of reading the whole thing, and I definitely feel inclined to read some of Rainbow Rowell's other works, if the opportunity were to present itself. I would recommend this book to anyone really, especially if you're into romantic young adult fiction books, in my opinion, this is undoubtedly a must read if that's your thing.

Book Reviews #8, A Short Story Review: The Last Rung On The Ladder, By Stephen King

"Then I stepped off into space, holding my nose for effect, and as it always did, the sudden grip of gravity, yanking me down brutally, making me plummet, made me feel like yelling: "Oh, I'm sorry, I made a mistake, let me back up!"
-Stephen King, The Last Rung On The Ladder

This, roughly twenty page, short story from the Night Shift collection is a gripping, albeit rather tragic, tale of two young children and the temptation of adventure, no matter how dangerous. Starting off, I was unsure about how the story would go down, I let my guard down, believing that I couldn't possibly get attached to any of these characters enough to actually feel anything upon completion, however King somehow finds a way.
The story's hook is the suspense of what the letter, that a lawyer called Larry received from his sister, Kitty, said that was so shocking that Larry feared telling his father of the contents of the letter would give him yet another heart attack. So from the get go, to me at least, the success of this short story hinges on whether or not he reveal was satisfying, and let me tell you it sure as hell was. If I hadn't been giving say, 15 pages to really get attached to Larry and his sister, both of which King writes as mischievous but also loving and endearing, the contents of the letter wouldn't have meant all that much to me, but after getting to care for these two characters, it feel like a punch in the gut, a strangely beautiful, poetic punch in the gut.
So yeah, if you've got twenty pages to spare, and you too feel like being satisfied by a punch in the gut, then I would definitely recommend checking this thing out.

Book Reviews #7: Will Grayson, Will Grayson...By David Levithan and John Green

"Will, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."
-John Green, Will Grayson,Will Grayson
"i am constantly torn between killing myself and killing everyone around me."
-David Levithan, Will Grayson,Will Grayson

"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" is a relatively easy book to read, and while yes that's partially because it's not all that complicated or complex, it's primarily because this book is such a compelling read. Despite it having it's dry spots, it still doesn't cease to be a page turner.
I think what makes this so compelling is that it's a collaboration between two authors, John and David, and despite them both being YA authors they're styles, at least in this book, are definitely different. John Green's sections of the book come off as warmer and more welcoming, while David's sections of the book feel a lot more lonely and pessimistic.
Personally, I preferred David's sections of the books, I feel like all of his characters had this sense that there was more to them than you'd think at face value. It's actually rather subtle how you get just a glimpse into the side character's inner struggles and turmoil. While David had less side character's than John, I did find them far more interesting; I can barely remember half of John's side characters due to everyone other than (the fabulous) Tiny and Jane feeling boring and two dimensional. He failed at convincing me that these people had lives when they weren't on the page. I did however thoroughly enjoy the character of Tiny, he was fun and eccentric and really brought joy and character to John's sections of the book. With him spontaneously falling in love with every guy he dates he felt like a genuine teenager, I especially loved how his insecurities were explored later in the book. I equally enjoyed the development of the relationship between (John's) Will and Jane, they contrasted each other nicely and i feel that the pacing of the progression they made together and the relationship itself was done nicely.
While I did enjoy John's sections of the book, I did feel that his Will Grayson was no where nearly as interesting as David's Will Grayson. John's just felt like your average joe, and I didn't really feel anything about his character really made him stand out for me, and while he did have his moments (him breaking down later in the book and him realising how much Tiny means to him being highlights of the book) overall he just felt rather generic and kinda bland. Don't get me wrong, he was a nice guy, he just wasn't all that interesting. He's not a bad character, but he's not great either. On the flip side I loved David's Will Grayson and just how much he grows during the duration of the novel. He starts off so bitter and angry, but also lonely and insecure. He's a flawed character, in fact there were moments in this where I really disagreed with his treatment of others, especially Maura, and just how self centered he can be at points of the book. He was very much in his on head too much and failed to see how he was affecting the people around him. But I think this was done intentionally, and by the end of the book he was a rather likable character. I just really enjoyed seeing him come to terms with himself and the people around him. I also enjoyed the dry, darker sense of humor in David's sections of the book.
All in all, I did really enjoy this collaboration between John Green and David Levithan. It was a fun, humorous read that actually had some really impactful, genuinely touching moments. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's already a fan of young adult fiction.

Book Reviews #6: I Am Legend, By Richard Matheson

"Full circle. A new terror born in death, a new superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever. I am legend."
-Richard Matheson, I Am Legend

"I Am Legend", at it's core, is a tale of human loneliness. It masterfully explores what it means to truly be alone, and the effect that that can have on a man, and just how desperate they can become for any form of companionship.
The main character, Robert Neville, exceeds in being believable, and really sells the idea of what the last man on earth would be like. The character's actual arc through out the story felt natural, and also very believable. At the start of the book, Robert comes off as very bitter, very reckless and somewhat suicidal. However, by the end of the book, he just feels like a genuinely better person, he's far more likable and it's really great to see the journey he goes on emotionally from when the beginning of the book, which is set only a few months after he became the last person on earth, and the end of the book, after roughly two years have passed since the beginning.
Another aspect of Robert's character that I think made the book a lot more relatable to the average reader is the fact that, unlike the film adaptations, he isn't a scientist, or anything special really. He's just your average Joe who happens to be immune to the virus. And while yes this makes it easier for the reader to relate to the character, it also makes seeing him survive for so long all the more interesting. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Robert would go to the library and take books home and actively try to research, and try to understand what exactly it was that turned everyone into "vampires", their weaknesses, if their was any possibilities of finding a cure. Watching Robert spending most of the middle of the book try to wrap his head around all these concepts, and theories in science, and watching him unable to fit the pieces together then getting extremely frustrated with himself only to finally come to understand these concepts and understanding why the "vampires" are the way they are was strangely fascinating.
Oh and I also loved how Robert would question why the people who were infected with the virus took on the characteristics and traits of vampires, a man made legend. A gripe I have with a lot of zombie stories, a perfect example is the walking dead, is that the characters never really show any signs that they are already familiar with what a zombie is, they always act as if it's their first time ever seeing a zombie. Sometimes they don't even call them zombies. It just always seemed strange to me, so it was a pleasant surprise when Robert would actually ponder on whether or not these superstitions about vampires became a reality, or it was mere coincidence.
So, to conclude, I highly recommend "I Am Legend". It was fast paced and engaging, but still managed to be thought provoking, and is a wonderful blend of horror and science fiction.

Book Reviews #5: The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger, By Stephen King

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"
-Stephen King, The Gunslinger

That has to be, one of the most intriguing opening lines I've ever come across in a book. Right from the get go, King has already pulled me in, and he never lets go.
The first act of this book, to be frank, is amazing. In some ways it almost feels like a short story, it feels self contained. Stephen King introduces you to this world in a way where you know that this it's fantastical, and could possibly be set in the future, or a even different dimension, but he does it vaguely enough to intrigue the reader to keep on reading, if only to learn more about the world of "The Dark Tower", and the story behind the gunslinger.
One of the many things that I loved about this opening is how the gunslinger is introduced, he comes into the story very stoic, not revealing any secrets of who he is or his personality to the reader. At the beginning, I felt distanced from the character. I was interested in learning more about him, and I wanted to peel back his layers, but at first, I felt that I couldn't relate to the man. But seeing how fleshed out his character felt at the end of the book, compared to how little we know of him at the beginning, is a testament to how brilliant the character development is in "The Gunslinger". You really get the sense that you're traveling with these people, feeling the emotions they're feeling; When The Gunslinger is reminiscing about his past, while you know that he didn't have the greatest childhood, you still understand why Roland would miss such days, and constantly dream about them and relive them. But alas, the world has moved on.
The next three acts of the book, to be honest, aren't as gripping and exciting as the first act, which is mainly due to the fact that most of it is The Gunslinger traveling with Jake, Tolkien style.
In a way, I don't necessarily think that the middle of the book is worse than the beginning, it's just less action packed. Even with the lack of action, Stephen King manages to hold my interest. This is mostly done through the amazing writing found in this novel. King describes everything: the surroundings, their emotions, the magical aspects of the story, beautifully, almost poetically. This writing style really helped me picture every thing without a problem, it helped me grasp the more fantastical elements clearly, with out fully telling me the ins and outs of every single the thing that happens.
Another aspect of the story that keeps the book interesting is the flashbacks about The Gunslinger, they give you a wonderful insight on his character, and what made him the man he is today. And the showdown between him and his teacher was one of the most memorable scenes in the book, seeing him so young but already so skillful was exciting, and the creativity King used in crafting the fight was also great.
But my favorite part of "The Gunslinger", hands down, is the finale, if I can even call it that. You see, "The Gunslinger" doesn't end with a loud epic confrontation, but instead, a thought provoking conversation about whether or not we as human beings hold any significance in this universe, and the fact that we can never fully grasp just how big the big picture really is. This ending was a pleasant change of pace.
The final page of the book, left me ready, no, hungry for more. And I can proudly say that I am happy to keep holding on the steady hand of King, and let him guide me all the way, to the Dark Tower.

Book Reviews #4: Divergent, By Veronica Roth

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” 
-Veronica Roth, Divergent

Going into Divergent, I was slightly worried. At first glance it pretty much just looked like "The Hunger Games", which I wasn't the biggest fan of, or just another young adult dystopian novel, with a strong, independent, rebellious but bland and generic female lead. And after the first few chapters of this book, while yes, I was enjoying the read to some extent, it felt very familiar. I was nervous to keep on reading, wondering if my hunch was right, wondering if it was just going to be another generic over hyped dystopian novel; With the factions, and the shady government, I genuinely thought that I new where this book was going. That it would end with the independent female lead starting an uprising and the end of the book teasing a war that will happen because of the main protagonist, Beatrice. That she would be a boring, poorly developed character who I was given no incentive to actually care about. That the book would consist of boring, uninteresting, unoriginal side characters, who I don't care who lived or died. So in short, I was nervous about being in for another Hunger Games. Normally I gain satisfaction from being right, but sometimes, I can have the same amount of satisfaction, if not more, from being wrong. Sometimes it's nice to be taken by surprise, and like "I Am The Messenger", this book really did take me by surprise. 
First, let me just get the things that I didn't like about this book, they're not necessarily all big deals, but I feel that they did hinder my experience slightly. Firstly, the opening of was slow and tiresome at times, maybe Veronica Roth was trying to portray how Beatrice felt when she was living in abnegation, and how life was, but it was still not all that great to read. Oh and like I said earlier, if felt very familiar and I wish it had opened just a little bit more originally, but this is Roth's first book so I suppose I could give her a pass on that. Fortunately, the book does pick up rather quickly and actually does become surprisingly original so this isn't too much of a problem, but it is still an issue nonetheless. 
Another thing that really bugged me in the book (and I don't know whether this has anything to do with me being a boy or anything but) was Fours. At the beginning I really enjoyed his presence, I felt that he was a strong, and at some points bad ass, mentor kind of character in the book. You know, someone for Tris to look up to, someone who'll give her wise advice and help her in hard times, I pictured him almost like a big brother to her. But, then, their relationship starts and his character, changes. Veronica Roth humanizes him a lot and reveals a lot of his weaknesses, and while at some points I really enjoyed him (like the scene when they go into his fear landscape) I did feel that in the end he was a weak character. In my opinion, he was one of the few things in Divergent that felt generic, he felt like the typical male love interest in these kind of young adult fiction books. He was tall, and handsome, and muscly, and pretty much physically perfect in every way, but he had dark secrets, and was mysterious, and intrigued Bel- I mean Tris. Geez, I wonder where I've seen that before. I am, however, grateful that the actual scenes with romance played well. They were well executed, and while yes, they were abundant at the end, they weren't a chore to read. Which is more than I can say for other young adult fiction that attempt romance.
OK, after all that rambling, now onto what I enjoyed about Divergent. I love the characters, and the journeys that they all take through out the book. I actually thoroughly enjoyed most of the side characters, and felt that they had some solid development and arcs. The fact that they felt somewhat real, and not like, cardboard cut outs definitely played a hand in this. Tris' friends were like how actual friends are like, you don't always like them. Sometimes they annoy you, sometimes they comfort and re-assure you, and Roth nails all of these traits. In scenes where she wants to translates Tris' frustration with her friends, or when she wants to show how they help Tris, and genuinely make her feel better at certain points, she does it wonderfully, and clearly gets the points across to the reader. Making it feel natural while doing so. I some scenes, I understood perfectly why they were friends, and I feel like that's a hard thing for some writers to achieve.
Another thing, that I adore about this book, is the creativity in the almost dream sequences. Well, the simulations, which are used to test the initiates in the book. I loved the vivid imagery that Roth portrays, I love how they all had a different meaning that was revealed towards the end of the books. I especially admired how surreal some of them felt, especially some of the fear landscape sequences, which actually had moments where you felt Tris' fear, which she would eventually learn to overcome. And when she does overcome these fears, you actually feel happy for the character, like she really earned it, which leads me into the next thing I enjoyed about Divergent. Tris.
What I loved about Tris' character, is that she really does feel like a flawed human being. There are those moments where she makes bad decisions, or questionable ones, and while you recognize that what she did wasn't the right thing, and that she could have reacted to some situations better, or maybe she could have been less brash, you do to some extent understand where's she's coming from, and her frustration and anger at certain things. Her being flawed, making mistakes, and sometimes not being the most likable person, makes her feel more real, it lets me as a reader, connect to her more as a character. 
Oh and the ending, ooooh, the ending. I won't spoil anything but I will say, I was surprised by the ending twist, and the direction that Roth takes the series into. She does some bold things at the end, things that definitely took me by surprise and was a thrill to read.
To conclude, Divergent was definitely a page turner. It's one of those books that just grips you, and you find your self reading from chapter to chapter to chapter, almost seamlessly. With the, at times, intense action, or intimate romance, or fun banter between characters, I felt that there was always something to enjoy in Divergent. I would recommend it to anyone into young adult fiction, dystopian novels, or just a light, fun read. While yes, it wasn't perfect and had it's flaws, it was damn good for the first book Roth had published, and a great start to what I hope to be, a great series.