PLEASE READ THIS! VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Dear lovely readers of the blog, 

Now I have your attention. 

I would like to say thank you for coming and reading my little book reviews, but it is time for us to expand to new and exciting horizons not yet met by this here blog! 

JOIN THE NEW JOURNEY AT MY NEW WEBSITE! 

http://www.5ft2blog.com 

I will always love the bones of every one of you and well, it's been fun. I hope you understand my requirement to move as it seems blogger is not fulfilling my pursuits to the full. 

My website includes the blog posts, don't worry <3 

It also includes a bunch of other stuff like:
movie reviews,
vlogs (soon)
a page all about me (that is surprisingly short as I'm not that interesting)
And pictures of my lovely books that I would like to share with the world. 

Remember: get in contact with me if you wish - 

Twitter: @3ftMonster 
Gmail: iamthereal5ft2@gmail.com 

BEFORE WE PART!
Please take the time to participate in my university project by simply visiting a site: BooksForBitches.Wordpress.Com and get in contact with any improvements I could make (it's an assignment, as opposed to 5ft2blog.com which is my little site for all you lovely bookworms x) 

This is where I leave you,
I hope to see you over at my website and I can't express how excited I am to have this thing take over my life in the most decadent way possible. 

Watch me self-destruct. 

But, the party continues at my new website. 

I love you.

Forever,

5ft 2. xxx

The Cossacks

Leo Tolstoy's semi-biographical short novel is absolutely brilliant. The creation of identity, the lustre for a better world from this aristocratic dystopia is one to be admired. YES, I'm still on the Russian Fiction binge. There's a certain amount of dread when reading this novel as Tolstoy can get real deep and philosophical from time to time, but I have to say, this one is amazing. It's light for Tolstoy and weens itself away from political allegory - but retains its dark spearing sensation throughout. 

Again - here comes the Russian Fiction binge post. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Olenin. He was dark and charismatic a la Byronic Hero - but also had a twisted morality about him. Was he doing good things for his own self-gratifiction or was he just a kind person? Neither, he's somewhat kind and somewhat harsh - which I believe is meant to sustain this hyper-human image of him. A brilliant writing trait I believe is one of Tolstoy's many strengths. 

Themes:

I love the theme of darkness and uncertainty. Something that resides in Tolstoy's fiction often is the sense of uncertainty from the philosophical darkness - and well, it's done really well here. The fact that it's shorter sort of compresses the darkness and uncertainty together and makes it even more fluid. I loved it. 

Storyline:

I don't know about the storyline. I liked it, but it wasn't as compelling as Tolstoy's fiction normally is and I blame this on the fact that it was very short. I mean it was VERY short. Shorter than me even. I think the compression of the book was good for the themes but not so much for the story - something I felt could have been more adjusted for reader experience. But, I also figure that Tolstoy knows a lot more about this than I do - even if he is dead, he still knows more than me about this stuff. 

Verdict:

I give this book 8/9

100% for characters: Tolstoy's characters are always damaged and enthralling. Dark, deceptive, cunning, ironic and tragic in their own right. 

100% for themes: Tolstoy has proved to be one of the greats of not only Russian fiction, but a superpower of darkness and ambiguity. 

2/3 for storyline: Yes, I gave it two. Don't hate me, please. 

Resurrection

Again, part of my Russian Fiction binge - this one is by Leo Tolstoy and I was surprised to learn that not many people actually know about it. The characters that are both aristocratic and also of a lower class come through in the narrative voice in extreme amounts. I believe a strength of Tolstoy's is continuity in voice. He creates such strong character voices and it is also evident in "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" that there is a sense of the rich, but damaged character coming through these cracks in the narrative. 

As part of my Russian Fiction binge, I would like to share with you this exciting novel of redemption, prison, sin and glory. 

Characters:

Nekhlyudov is a character that was created by Tolstoy (I believe) to embody that cultural extreme of the rich and damaged. A brutal character with a dark and sinister sin that seeks redemption in helping a maid from imprisonment. There is a sense of foreboding that constantly follows him around like a shadow - and again Tolstoy's strength of character voices is (again, I believe) at one of its strongest points when we look at this mentally injured aristocrat.

Themes:

The theme of sin was the most explored in this novel. I think that it's fair to say that this is one of Tolstoy's lesser known works as it is overshadowed by "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" - these epics have included sin and redemption, but don't look at it in as much psychological depth as this novel. I really suggest that if you're just starting with Tolstoy, you pick "Resurrection" - it is just as deep as the epics and it is probably more interesting to read. 

Storyline:

By far, my favourite part was when he realises that he has sinned. There's a deep psychological aspect to it that I was interested in. Enthralled throughout the entirety of the book - I seemed to be captured by the use of psychoanalytical language. The words made everything that was light look dark and unhinged - a mental portrait of a damaged man in a damaged society. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9.

100% for characters: Tolstoy is amazing at capturing the voices of these characters and giving them an uncanny human element.

100% for themes: There will always be sin and redemption whenever we read Tolstoy, but I think that this novel really put it on a pedestal of majority exploration. 

100% for storyline: As is always, the reading experience of Tolstoy gets in very, very deep and meaningful. A societal construct deconstructed by a damaged character. 

The House of the Dead

This book was fairly short and has themes of imprisonment. Okay, it was freaking awesome as hell! Fyodor Dostoevsky does it again. This time with a semi-authobiographical classic! Russian fiction binges are also too brilliant - please do not hesitate to contact me on twitter @3ftMonster - if you too, are having a Russian Fiction binge at the moment. It's all good - everyone needs a cultural blast once in a while. 

I found this book on my travels into Russian fiction and thought I'd seen all there was to see of Dostoevsky - obviously I hadn't. 

Characters:

Goryanchikov is one of those special characters in the novel that you constantly feel sorry for. He's trapped in a prison camp - and he's a gentleman so he doesn't fit in - and his wife's there too and things can't possibly get any worse for him. They can, and they do. I was really enthralled by his sense of patriotism towards Russia though - he held that Dostoevskyan pessimism inside his patriotism - reflecting on what has become of this Russian change in society. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was probably pessimism. Pessimism is explored not in the Victorian sense, but in more of an enlightening way. For example: Goryanchikov is constantly brooding on what happens in Russia - but then ends up reflecting on change and society and realises that maybe it's not all that nice after all. A brilliant sense of inner-reflection mixed and blended with the urge of a societal uprising inside oneself is something that I haven't seen of Dostoevsky before and well - it worked really bloody well!

Storyline:

I love that this story is semi-autobiographical. It makes one wonder what life was like for Dostoevsky and how he coped with his changing view of Russia. What did he do about it? The reading experience is not the cliché sense of escapism or the idealistic viewpoint of being in the character's shoes - but a more introspective case of making one think about their own viewpoints towards their own homes and how this life is actually pretty tragic any way we look at it. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: Brilliantly executed with some killer qualities. Dostoevsky has made a convincing, yet dark character a la Dmitri from The Brothers Karamazov once again. 

100% for themes: New themes that I haven't seen by Dostoevsky before - even though they are still underlined with this hardcore pessimism - it's nice to see.

100% for storyline: Semi-autobiography? Dostoevsky? Yep, I'll be right there!

Devils

A bit about the title to this book first. There are some editions that call it "Demons" and some editions that call it "Devils" - I'm calling in "Devils" because that's what it says on my copy (Wordsworth's Classics Edition - 2007). This is a book by the amazingly intense Russian mega-author Fyodor Dostoevsky and is packed to the brim with brilliantly human characters and a storyline that feels like you're reading a book on how to be a nihilist. 

I found this book as a part of my Russian Fiction binge, so get ready for Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Tolstoy and many more of this great era of European Literature. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Nikolai. Nikolai is strong, machiavellian (oh god, that name!) and socially aware of his priorities. For example: he knows he has to pretend to be liable, when really he is actually a fox underneath - boosting his own wealthy position. Dostoevsky writes him as a man who is courteous on the outside, but brooding and dark on the inside - not necessarily bad - but not good either. His morals are confused, which makes him a very interesting character to read. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was nihilism. I think that Russian authors in general are probably the best in the world at giving the landscape a sense of nihilistic influence. The language of setting and character do this very well - also the time in which the books are set always give the underlying pessimism in the optimistic value of the text. 

Storyline:

The storyline leaves scars. It was a brilliantly brooding and thought-provoking sensation to read. There are parts where certain characters are suspected because of one small act that is blown out of proportion - and then there are other characters who do not have their actions analysed at all. If you're looking at similarities in characters for Dostoevsky - I really suggest reading this alongside "The Brothers Karamazov".

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: Do Dostoevsky characters deserve anything lower?

100% for themes: I am a patriot of Russian Fiction - even though I'm not Russian. This mixture of optimism and pessimism is the reason why.

100% for storyline: The reading experience is amazing, intense and darkly satisfying. Dostoevsky is a genius. 

Skippy Dies

Okay, what the fuck did I just read? 

A tragedy? 
A comedy?
A biography?

What was it? 

This book explores the concept of tragicomedy in ways I didn't know were possible. Seriously though, it was funny. But, that doesn't mean completely positive reviews here guys. 

I found this book whilst exploring the Man Booker Prize nominees from previous years. This was from 2010. 

Characters:

Okay, so Skippy was the best character and that's only because he died from eating doughnuts in a competition. A doughnut eating competition killed him. Best. Death. Ever. 

Themes:

Dark comedy? Would you call that a theme or not? Well, I do anyway and it was done brilliantly. Some aspects of it, I didn't know whether I was supposed to be laughing at - but it was a funny concept with a not-so-funny sense of humour to it. Very odd. 

Storyline:

Some parts of the story had compelling insight. Especially the beginning - that was an amazing opening for a novel. I have to say - The Irish know their novels!

Verdict:

I give this book 8/9

100% for characters: Skippy was a brilliant construction and a great example of the slightly unconventional protagonist that messes with the plot in a psychedelic manner. This sounds like "At Swim-Two-Birds" 

2/3 for themes: Could've done a little more to get that 100%. 

100% for storyline: That beginning was unbeatable. 

NOS4A2

Joe Hill, AKA the son of Stephen King is trying very hard to do what his father does. I understand it's the whole expectation thing - but I thought "Horns" was a little better than this. Not to say that this wasn't any good - just a little underwhelming compared to the other. Vampires, death, killing etc. A cross path between King and Rice in this world that looks like it was written by McCarthy. Violent and strange - it sounds a bit too much like "Joyland" by King, does it not?

Characters: 

Manx was my favourite character purely because he was the most interesting of all. A serial killer, child abductor with a secret that kind of shakes the novel - half expecting it. I wasn't enthralled but I was interested enough to continue reading. 

Themes:

Okay, so my favourite theme here is the supernatural and I will say that Hill writes supernatural a lot like his father does. It's all very surreal and violent. None of it is romanticised because it's not romantic - it's vile and scary and dark and dense.... 

Storyline:

I wasn't expecting much of a supernatural ride, but that's exactly what I got. I will say that the experience of the novel itself was actually pretty good even though the characters probably need to be scratched up a little. I was really enthralled at the beginning as there is a hospital and a serial killer in question - a child abductor who is searching and hunting. Now, that's a good story. 

Verdict:

I give this book 7/9

2/3 for characters: Again, interested but not enthralled. 

2/3 for themes: I think it would be better to develop his own voice, he sounds too much like his father in this field 

100% for storyline: Pretty good. Well done to the storyline for pulling up the suspense a little. 

Butterfly Skin (Explicit)

Okay, so I read this book and it immediately made me think, "What the actual fuck?" It's a brilliant book with some very strange concepts within it. I found it on my journeys through a list of books on the Horror of 2014. Man, was this horror! Christ, it was twisted in so many ways and things don't normally scare me. It's not "scary" in that sense though - just a scary thought that this could take place in someone's mind - and outside of it. 

My travels through GoodReads brought me here. If you travel through my blog and find twisted books to read - you only have yourself to blame...

Characters:

My favourite character was Xenia. I found her, initially the most likable character in the book and the most intelligent. Then comes all the shite of dark secrets and weird random sexual fantasies that I could do without knowing. But, it's funny how this book can just hit all those chords in your body and make your skin crawl. Gross.

Themes:

My favourite theme was secrecy. Would you expect anything different by now? Nope. Didn't think so. Well, there's a ton of dark secrets involving serial killers, sex and GBH. Yes, GBH. That's just a bit weird, especially to have that mixed with strange sexual fantasies of the BDSM kind. Yep. Yep. That's it. All the nopes, right there. 

Storyline:

Okay, so when we find out about Xenia's weird fetishes - it doesn't come as much of a surprise because we were kind of expecting it as the story kind of led there. There was a sense of decline of morals and the return of strange Clockwork-Orange-Esque concepts. Ew. But yeah - very strange experience to read it. This book really didn't hold back at all. 

Verdict:

 I give this book 8/9

100% for characters: I loved Xenia's change of character and her strange secrets that she even refuses to admit to herself.

100% for themes: Overall, the theme of secrecy was so strange and manipulative. Yes, I have noticed I've used the word strange way too many times here. 

2/3 for storyline: Personal preference, maybe it grossed me out a little too much. I'm never into BDSM writing and stuff like that. Skirting on the necrophiliac. Nope. Not for me. 

The Corrections

After reading Franzen's "Freedom" - I decided to give "The Corrections" a try. His writing is always slightly humorous but tinged and turned with a variety of other emotions that make his work strikingly human. There's a lustre of pain that endures in privacy throughout the books with a sense of hopefulness overshadowing the crude realities. Franzen's writing isn't immediately poetic, but changes with the experience of the characters and creates an amazing narrative voice in which the action pulls and pushes through family ties and haunting legacies. 

You can probably tell this is gonna be a good review :)

I found this book on amazon in my recommendations list since I read other books by Franzen and this one has to be my favourite. 

Characters:

My favourite character is Enid Lambert. I thought she was the harsh reality of every character in the book - she deals with her husband's Parkinson's disease and has a fright about bringing characters together. She is the string holding the family tightly and seems to have a determination that sets her apart from the rest. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was pain and suffering. As I said, Franzen has the ability to make his characters terrifyingly human. Almost an uncanny voice that settles inside them and tremors itself throughout the experience of the novel - you get pulled in and out of people's experiences and pushed and shoved around others. It's a brilliantly written novel with some amazing interpretations of what causes pain and what makes a person through experience. 

Storyline:

My favourite part was when the reader realises that Alfred's health is deteriorating. There's a sense of utter hopelessness because characters are in pain, characters are in hopelessness and characters are experiencing new and confusing things. We are terrified for them and they are terrified for us - a human understanding of emotion with a complex motivation behind it. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: I loved the characters Enid and Alfred. They sort of shaped each other. 

100% for themes: A powerful narrative with some hauntingly amazing descriptions. A stronghold of Franzen's writing.

100% for storyline: Franzen never fails to impress with his amazing and complex stories of experience. 

Viper Wine

Well, this book was the strangest thing ever. I totally recommend reading this, and then re-reading it. There's a certain amount of confusion in the book because for a while it swaps and changes between different stories - there's an aristocrat involved - there's a sailor and a time-traveller involved. We've also got something called "The Dorian Complex" which is there as a theme: How much is beauty worth? Obviously the Viper Wine is an anti-ageing something that you discover from the very start of the book. 

Characters:

Venetia was my favourite character - she's so completely obsessed with herself. A narcissistic entity of amazement that's always searching for the sensation of feeling and looking her best. She is so self-absorbed that she hardly notices the marriage falling apart and the fact that she cannot possibly be setting the best example for the rest of her people. Anyways, I don't like her - but she was the best characters. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was aesthetics and materialism. As in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" there's a certain amount of material value in the novel that shed some light on exactly how self-absorbed the characters are. Also, the aesthetics all comes down to wanting to look young - this then catalyses the rest of the events that come afterwards - since this book is all about taking the Viper Wine. 

Storyline:

My favourite part of the story is when they first introduce Venetia to the reader. She is introduced as a fiery and cultured character with a very strange and distinct personality. Complete with pictures of her, her lover, the house etc. we really get to see that this is historically accurate and has some value in the 16th century real world. 


Verdict:

I give this book 9 . 

100% for characters: I loved Venetia and her husband - they were such well-formed characters.

100% for themes: The whole Dorian Gray sort of thing was brilliant. 

100% for storyline: The whole experience was a great thing to have - I'm reading it again just so I get the intricate details of it all - I think I may have missed some important motifs. 

Certain Dark Things

This was an AMAZING book. I say, if you loved "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice, you will absolutely adore this! Full of vampiric gang violence and dark, wicked rivalry - this book is the answer to what Vampire books are supposed to sound like. 

I found this book on a Vampire reading list on GoodReads. It was brilliant and also NEW VAMPIRE CHRONICLES BOOK ON NOVEMBER 29TH! 

Characters:

Ana was my favourite character. She's a cop who finds dead corpses and winds up in the middle of lots and lots of vampire violence. Alt was also great because - you know - vampire. Blood thirsty vampire. THEY WERE AWESOME! 

Themes:

My favourite theme was violence. Vampires are violent, not "Twilight" sparkly-shite. "Interview with the Vampire" is violent, "Certain Dark Things" is violent...Vampires are violent. It was brilliantly romantic in the way it was written and I loved it! The writing style was just so flamboyant and the violence was made to make you question whether it was really that beautiful, or was it horrific. 

Storyline:

This storyline has soooooooooo much potential to be a complete series! I loved the whole premise of it - it was awesome and brilliant and poetic and amazing! I completely loved the whole experience of it. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9. 

100% for characters: I really loved Ana. She's a cop and she's in the whole vampire violence stuff, amazing!

100% for themes: The violence was so raw and believable - even though they're vampires. 

100% for storyline: I loved the experience of the book - it was my favourite part about reading it. 

The Looking Glass Wars

A dark and twisted "Alice in Wonderland" fantasy novel brings to life everything that was slightly uncomfortable about the much-loved children's book. I found this book amazing when I was younger, and I recently re-read it - it was just as amazing :) 

My brother had a copy of this, I just remember taking his copy and reading it - god knows where we got it from. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Alice. In this novel she's like Holden Caulfield's just been thrown into a war-zone. It was a good change to a classic character - I loved it. The darkness of her was brilliant. (Laughs in evil).

Themes:

My favourite theme was war. Everyone was involved in a blood-bath. If you read my last review, you'll know that war is not always my favourite theme - but in this case because it's "Alice in Wonderland" it's okay. 

Storyline:

I loved the beginning, rolling heads. ROLLING HEADS. Executions and bloodied sword fights. The entire storyline was great, that being said. I was particularly intrigued with the changes made to the characters as well. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9 

100% for characters: Alice was a refreshing change to the normal character. I quite enjoyed it

100% for themes: Of course, it has the likeness of "Alice in Wonderland" but the bloody battles and scare of a Stephen King novel. 

100% for storyline: Executions. :)

Billy Lynn's Long Half-Time Walk

At first, I thought this novel was pretty boring - but as it progresses - I think you really get a feel for the whole social criticism thing that's going on. It's hyper-realistic tensions that deal with romances in the modern day to PTSD and what being a hero actually means. This novel not only raises questions about the Iraq War, but also insights terror and fright by doing so. All in all, it was pretty good. 

I found this book whilst browsing for something I could read on modern history - I came across this and it was written in 2012 - so it's pretty modern. But, it's not very historical - I didn't mind though.

Characters:

Well my favourite character was Billy Lynn. He was like a toned-down cross between Alex DeLarge and something out of a William Faulkner novel. A realistic, yet haunting character that seeks the cultured ideal of heroism, but only succeeds in becoming a subversive construct of it. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was war. Normally, war is not my favourite theme - especially the Iraq war as it deals with too much politics for my mind to handle. But, this novel did not really deal with politics, but rather the emotions surrounding the entirety of it. The emotions I feel, are overlooked typically and author's get caught up in exposing secrets - this novel retains that emotional charge throughout. 

Storyline:

Good characters, good themes, okay storyline. The storyline was not as compelling as I thought it was going to get. There were a few instances of me thinking to myself "do I really want to read this?" But then something pretty good happened so I just continued reading. I would say the book tends to waver between being really interesting and pretty dull. 

Verdict:

I give this book 6/9

2/3 for characters: I thought the characters were done well - just not something that would be very memorable to me. 

2/3 for themes: I was pretty surprised that war was my favourite theme - but I think it needed to do more for the dystopian society it was trying to achieve.

2/3 for storyline: Purely for the wavering between good and bad. 

Salem's Lot

In the spirit of Halloween coming up, I've decided to review one of my favourite horror novels of all time: "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King. This book, unfortunately I read when I was only 13 years old and it scared the absolute crap out of me. I find it particularly good to review today - seeing as we're in the spirits of it all. Hahaha, the 'spirits'! Did you get it? (I tell bad jokes)

The premise of this book lies in the Marsten House - which is apparently Ben Mears' favourite place in the entire world...and Vampires. Lots of Vampires. Not the Romantic kind, the bloody and scary and Anne Rice-esque kind. Oh no. 

Characters: 

My favourite character is Kurt Barlow because he's infected with the vampiric disease and literally catalyses all the shit. He seems to be the root cause of it all and he doesn't give a shit. He has the typical allergy to the cross - but is about 100x more terrifying than most characters in the novel. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was probably religion. I love how King interweaves religion into his stories - but doesn't overuse it for scare. I believe that King has an equal balance between what is real and what is religion - it works on so many different levels and he is a great writer because of it. 

Storyline:

My favourite part of the story is when Mark's parents die. Good burial or infected burial? Good burial, or infected burial? Good burial. Infected burial? We cannot decide (obviously it is decided in the book). I think this is the place (apart from the cross thing) where religion is more at play than in the rest of the novel. 

Verdict:

100% for characters: Kurt and Ben were my favourite characters

100% for themes: Religion, fact and truthfulness are the best themes in this novel. 

100% for storyline: And if you don't like Stephen King books, you can piss right off. 

The Boy Who Could See Death

Now, you all know by now that I love a good novel with dark secrets. This book really wet that appetite well - it is a phenomenal novel with great characters, themes and a storyline that is both chilling and evocative. If you read any secretive novel this year - make sure it's this one. 

I found this book whilst browsing on the net for good books to read. There's a funny story behind this one because I just kept seeing it everywhere. In January, I saw it on a reading list and simply noted it down to read after my university reading was finished - in June I saw it again with an attached Amazon link. In September I saw it on GoodReads and yesterday morning, I found it on my kindle. What an eerie following. It won't be the first time that's happened and I'm pretty sure it probably isn't the last either. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Eli. You can probably guess what his secret is from the title - but it's important that to Eli, this is a secret, a gift, a curse - kind of like a sixth sense thing going on. Eli's character is strange and manipulative to curious and child-like to social and happy to his hope being depressed. These ranges of emotions not only make Eli a great character to read about - but also make him terrifyingly human a la Capote. 

Themes:

My favourite theme in a book of secrecy will always be secrets. I love how secrets are kept and the logistics of who you should and shouldn't tell - how people find out and uncover the secrets like a Dan Brown novel. This is about how Eli values his own secret - seeing as he is a child, he must value it more than most adults do. It is interesting exactly how seriously Eli takes his secret. 

Storyline:

I love it when it goes into the stories of other people. My favourite being that woman who seems to be a kleptomaniac and keeps that secret hidden. It only adds to how Eli should keep his own secret and how human he actually is - everyone has a secret worth keeping in this novel. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9. 

100% for characters: Eli is a brilliant character - and so are all the others. This was so well executed that I can only sit there and want to re-read it sometime soon. 

100% for themes: Secrecy and relation are both excellent themes for their precision and intricacy within each other. Stories are not mutually exclusive - but they are interlinked and this is the best thing about them.

100% for storyline: As I was saying, the stories are all interlinked, this makes for a great collision of characters.  

A Kind of Eden

This was a truly compelling book with a great storyline. The themes were well executed with escapism and detachment at its core and love, hatred, paradise etc. circulating around it like veins of an anatomy. I loved the characters as they became the heroes and villains of each other; they became closer and then estranged themselves again. It is a truly poetic experience reading this and having that feeling you get when you read "Paradise Lost" by Milton for the first time. 

I found this book on GoodReads somewhere, and then it just stuck. I don't know why it did - it was just an instant connection. Like love at first sight. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Martin because of his lack of true self-centred ability. He tries to get his own way and tries his hardest to make himself loved by the ones around him yet is completely unaware that his migration is detrimental to the very fabric of those relationships. He goes to chase the dream of living in the Caribbean he's had for so long - it is truly a man manipulated by his own mind. 

Themes:

Escapism is the best theme here. Not only does Martin want to escape but so do some of the other characters being discontented with things such as the weather and they start to mirror that self-manipulation that they knew Martin once had. 

Storyline:

My favourite part was exactly that. When the other characters mirror the behaviour of Martin before he left for the Caribbean. He finds there a new life - but hates to break it to his wife and now is caught up in a love triangle. His daughter then mirrors this behaviour and the poor wife is left to try and talk her out of herself. It is very psychologically complex. 

Verdict:

I give this book 8/9

100% for characters: I really liked the exploration of various characters and I tended to concentrate on how each of them develops as a result of another's actions 

2/3 for themes: I wanted more senses of parallels, kind of like the social awkwardness of "Girl, Interrupted" or something. It would've created a little more drama. 

100% for storyline: I could've read that over and over again :) It was brilliant and clever with a stunning and complex narrative of incomplete individuals

Foucault's Pendulum

This is a brilliant book by the late Umberto Eco. His death may have shocked the hell out of me, having lost Harper Lee only a day before, but also it made his literature hold greater meaning in our literary-verse. I love "Foucault's Pendulum" and think that it's a very clever idea. Before I read it, there's a little story I want to tell you. 

My brother and I had the very idea of this novel - to create a conspiracy theory and see how long we can make it last. It didn't take off, but it was a well-planned idea. I thought that this book was just that - create the theory and watch the world go insane. 

I found this book because I'd heard of Eco before his death as the author of "The Name of the Rose" (which was brilliant too) - but I hadn't yet read this one. I enjoyed it so much that I may give it another read in the near future.

Characters:

My favourite character was Belbo. Why? Well, he's a very clever guy for coming up with this conspiracy theory game that ultimately gets the knight's templar involved. I think it was a very well-executed character and Eco must've done a shit load of research to be able to portray him convincingly. 

Themes:

Secrecy was the greatest of all themes. In history, we know there has been many a secret - but now we are discovering what that looks like through the spectrum of the manipulator and thus, we get a better insight into how these secrets are created and dispersed. A very well done theme, not unusual of Eco. 

Storyline:

Eco has a hand for historical storylines that evoke feelings of curiosity and terror. This was just that - it's not conventional modern scares - but the scare of anonymity. Humans are scared of other humans. This is exactly what he does when he gets the other societies of Belbo's case. If he's just like them then why is he scared of them? This is brilliant. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: Belbo and Casaubon were the best characters by far. 

100% for themes: I loved the theme of secrecy - it is a stronghold for Eco. 

100% for storyline: The king of secret history :)

The Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray

So, this was a recommendation after my favourite book being "The Picture of Dorian Gray". This was approached with a certain amount of trepidation but I was quite looking forward to this spin-off read to my favourite novel. I was looking forward to imitated themes and a supposed elaborate storyline. 

I found this book from recommendations and have read it on my kindle. I would like to say there is a certain amount of regret in there - but there is also a certain amount of liking towards the whole intention of the novel. 

Characters:

My favourite character is - and will always be - Dorian Gray. This is not only because of the book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" but because the whole character of Dorian was re-interpreted and all aspects have been well-researched in the follow up to this novel. Trust me, I can tell. 

Themes:

I liked the theme of hedonism. I thought it was a lovely add-on. I also believe that it has only really been explored in film, but not so much in spin-off fiction. I was pretty impressed, but I have to say at first I was a little grossed out. 

Storyline:

There was the beginning when he wakes up and climbs out of the grave - this was an awesomely done image. Execute brilliantly, with not too much concentration, but just enough that we really got a feel that yes, this is a gothic novel - get used to it. So much romantic sass. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9. 

100% for characters: Dorian was executed brilliantly and I think the reflections back on characters like Basil, Henry, Sybil and James were also done really well. 

100% for themes: Having being grossed out at first - I think the theme of hedonism was developed with character reflection in mind. I believe that is what set this theme apart. 

100% for storyline: If Oscar Wilde was alive today and had to write a sequel to "The Picture of Dorian Gray" - it would be this. 

The Historian (explicit)

I found this book as amazing as it sounded - absolutely fucking brilliant. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! I mean, who doesn't love a Dracula investigation that leads one into a world that looks like the movie "As Above, So Below" ?

Of course, I found this whilst browsing for greatly disturbing books - not really scary, just brilliantly written and thrilling to read. 

Characters:

I loved the daughter - most of the book comes from her perspective. She seems like the very quiet character who never really speaks out but we hear he thoughts. She is never named but is on a trail and interwoven into a strange investigation into Vlad the Impaler. Oh my God, best 16 year old ever!

Themes:

Well, the best theme was history - guess why? 

The main theme being Russian history means that we not only get a great horror insight - but we also get a massive historical investigation: archives, dead bodies, evidence of strange happenings etc. A very well maintained theme that balances the fiction with the fact. :)

Storyline:

I loved the section of the story that makes us believe that there is some fact in the fiction. I'm not gonna say what that particular event is because there are no spoilers here. But when you realise it, you will totally see it - also the part set in Amsterdam was absolutely brilliant. The entire build up to all of these grand investigations was the best thing about this fact/fiction blur. 

Verdict:

I give this book 8/9

2/3 for characters: I feel like there should've been more perspectives rather than just mainly one character. I felt like we were limited in judgement and somewhat disconnected from some characters because of the narration. 

100% for themes: I loved the historical factual and fictitious themes - they were amazing and I'm sure you'll find them amazing too. 

100% for storyline: A great narrative with settings in archives, investigations etc. There's a certain quality of doing things a la Stevenson. 

Legion (Explicit)

Okay, well this was the definite nope novel. Nope, nope, nope, all that nope and more nope. "Legion" AKA The Night Terror is a brilliantly written novel with some excellent themes and one hell of a storyline. If you really want to be frightened/shocked to death - then this is the book for you. I don't think I've ever read anything scarier than this right here - and I've read an awful lot of Stephen King.... IT is just a new level of frightening though. We're excluding that one for the point of this post. 

I found this book whilst browsing the internet for new scary books I could read. I wanted something to truly terrify me - not many books have done that and no films have. I'm a horror junkie - yes. I will go out of my way to look for frightening and disturbing things because I find it fun. So now you know - except for people who know me already. 

Characters:

My favourite character is Kinderman. He seems like the Sherlock Holmes guy of the whole situation - a book that centres of finding out about one of the most infamous killers of the new age seeks to create a character that is his direct opposite. Kinderman is this character. An immensely intelligent man who seeks not only to prove, but to understand what the fuck is happening. It's crazy...

Themes:

So my favourite theme was religion. As the proclaimed sequel to "The Exorcist" - what do you think would be more prominent than using religion as a tool to invoke terror. It doesn't really work on me - but the graphic descriptions were enough to gross me out completely. That's why I say this book is the thing that nightmares are made on. (A variation on Prospero) (laughs hysterically at own joke)

Storyline:

Well, I think the opening scene was enough to make me want to read it until the end. A 12 year old boy is found dead - not just dead but crucified. Wow. If the opening image to a book is a crucifixion and you "don't" want to read on - you have something wrong with you. It was truly exciting - even though the book was actually nope island. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: This was done much better than its predecessor. This time we got an intelligent man seeking understanding rather than a drunk priest who complained about his mother until she died. 

100% for themes: I really love the theme of religion as a scare in horror - I'm interested to see how it's used. Not to say I'm not religious - I just... I'm gonna moonwalk out of this one*

100% for storyline: Holy shit - crucifixion - Gemini killer? Yep. 


*In no way do I endorse any anti-religious beliefs and I do not seek to offend anyone - I have been picked up on my slight offences before and that is why I seek to keep my religious values to myself. I apologise for any offence I may have caused. 

A Brief History of Seven Killings

So this novel I found as interesting and really strong. Brace yourselves for a good review because I thoroughly enjoyed this novel - the characters, themes and storyline are all brilliantly executed and have thorough amounts of explanation. They all play an amazing role in the text and fit together in a really cool way. Especially with all the music references and Bob Marley stuff. 

I found this book in the Waterstones. No I don't live there. No I don't spend every day there. I went there a few times and came out with an empty bank account. Don't leave me, money and bookstore alone. It won't go down well. 

Characters: 

My favourite character was Marley. The character of Marley is intriguing as this central character has all the action happening around him - finding himself in confusions with gangs, race, identity and Jamaican culture - he seeks his own independence in a world that is violently reacting to new movements through its own music and words that redeem it. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was violence. There are so many different types of violence in the novel - first and foremost there's gang violence - the physical kind. This was portrayed so brilliantly by the words in the novel, but then there was emotional violence. The emotional violence was probably my favourite. It was a brilliant reality that wasn't noticed by the majority of people. 

Storyline:

My favourite part of the story is the beginning of it. It starts with beautiful descriptions of Jamaica and the new era. The new music, and anti-generic and anti-exoticised view of a people who are constantly condemned for their skin colour. The time where skin is meant to be appreciated (post-apartheid) is now being fought in and out of its own circles. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: Yes, Marley is Bob Marley and it does centre around the attempted assassination of him - it was a brilliant depiction of counter-cultural appropriation :)

100% for themes: They were the most flamboyant and yet the most beautiful things about the novel. 

100% for storyline: Do I have to explain why a book with Bob Marley has a great storyline?

Mrs. Dalloway

I was not a huge fan of this Woolf novel - I thought it was quite overrated and really overstudied. There was something about it that seemed really dull - compared to "Jacob's Room", this book is not quite there. "Jacob's Room" being about the psyche and mortality and love - this does not really come in the same range as that one. 

I have read this book many times. Each time, doesn't get any better. Sorry Woolf fans. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Mrs. Dalloway - even though she is dull, boring and buying flowers, I think it's safe to say that she is the only character we get the conscience of. Which can be really good - or not great at all. Personally, she was only my favourite character because most of the action revolved around her. For what little action there was. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was realism. If I had a dime for every time I said my favourite theme was realism when it wasn't - I'd be a millionaire. But, in this case - it's exactly the same. There's very little to say about it in terms of themes - it just felt quite empty and that's why I thought it was hyper-realistic. 

Storyline:

The ending was the best because that's when we knew the book is over. No, but the best part was the ending - the ending sort of jigsawed all of this realism together and fit it into a bigger picture. 

Verdict:

I give this book 3/9

1/3 for characters: Nope. Can't say I liked them. 

1/3 for themes: So very little of them. 

1/3 for storyline: I can't say it was terribly engaging. 

Arthur and George

This book, I found was one of the better Julian Barnes' novels - I found it pretty compelling to begin with but, it also seemed to be missing something. In Pulse there was a certain air about the whole thing that left it with a violent and bloodied undertone. But, in this novel, I think the undertone was missing - so that's what brought it down for me. On the other hand, the themes were the most well-established thing about it and I want to stress how well Scottish culture is explored in the novel. 

I found this book whilst browsing... you know the story. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Arthur. Most os the time, Arthur is composed - stressed - but composed. There's one thing about him that remains ambiguous and you are slow to discover fine details about his character. I think Barnes is really good at fine detail and that's what really makes the character so good to read. 

Themes:

Yes, the theme of culture was my favourite. There is a brilliant view of pure Scottish culture in a very realistic sense. I loved how every other theme was then branched of the theme of culture. It's like the people inside the culture perpetuate all the other themes a la chaos theory. 

Storyline:

Yes, I wasn't really impressed with the story - even though the themes were enough to redeem it. I say it is one of the better Barnes novels because of its themes. The constant mystery wasn't there - but that was probably because of themes such as race and identity. The storyline - I think was not bad, but it was missing something vital. It just felt a little empty after I finished it. 

Verdict:

I give this book 8/9

100% for characters: I really got into the characters of Arthur and George. They were brilliant. 

100% for themes: I was well intrigued by themes of Scottish culture, it is not what I'm used to reading. 

2/3 for storyline: Again, it was just missing a slight something. I don't know what - maybe a classic Barnes undertone or two - but it was missing something. 

Human Acts

This is a book by author of "The Vegetarian", Han Kang. At first - I was expecting it to be not nearly as good as its predecessor, but after getting into it, I found that it was probably almost just as good. The premise of "Human Acts" is murder, massacre, guilt, betrayal and suspicion in a world of censorship and a population so inquisitive and volatile that you get this hyper-realistic and almost three dimensional view of all emotion encountered. 

I found this book, yes again whilst browsing in a Waterstones. I think it was Han Kang's name that made me pick it up - I found "The Vegetarian" so well written and so exciting that I had to read his other books. I was quite happy I found this. 

Characters:

My favourite character is Dong-Ho's mother. She seems like the one most struck with emotion - of course, her son has been killed. You will find that this book takes a massive leap from emotion to state and surrounding and then back again - and especially with Dong-Ho's mother, these incoherencies is what is shaping her grief and making the memory of her son almost indelible. It's a classic lamentation with a modernist suave that brings about questions of suspicion and sympathy. 

Themes:

The best theme in the entire book, by far, was voice. It is Dong-Ho's murder that gets the ball rolling, but we encounter many people - journalists, prisoners, Dong-Ho's friends etc. that seem to be at a loss, some of which don't even know Dong-Ho. These brutal voices are battered by their own self-conscious struggles and seem to always be combatting something. The language use is poetic, but not romanticised - which I like. Something about romanticising pain seems a little overdone in the modern era, a cliché, it seems that Han Kang is very good at avoiding. 

Storyline:

I'm sorry for having gone on forever, but I did really enjoy this book. However, the storyline is a point of question seeing as the very beginning of the book is the most captivating of all. Once you get into the main premise of the novel, you begin to wonder what actually perpetuated this mass consciousness of combat - you start to wonder if this is representative of a mass population rather than just the populous of the book. I'm saying "however" because sometimes, it can lose the flow with all those events. A lot of things take place in what is just over 200 pages and I think that even though it was required - the book could've been longer as to cater to that populous. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: I think that Dong-Ho's mother, friends and all the other characters are a direct representation of a modernist society in search for answers to everything. Even things that don't need answering. A population of curiosity and psychedelic panic - one of Han Kang's great traits. 

100% for themes: The voices that are contained within the novel are beautiful - an entire populous of people - a kind of struggle ladder in which the ones at the very bottom are probably the better off as the ones at the top keep dying. These changing voices reflect age, gender, wisdom, class, job etc and Han Kang gets it just right.

100% for storyline: There is something always there in Han Kang's writing that deals with the strange and the psychotic. I believe that this mass concentration on the psyche makes the novel more disturbing without being graphic and I also believe that Han Kang has now become one of my favourite modern authors. 

______________________________________________________

Note
If you made it this far, I thank you. 
Sorry that this review was a little long,
I had a lot to say. 

5ft 2 xxx

Black-Eyed Susans

Crime is not normally my kind of read as I prefer a some larger descriptions - I have to say that this book did impress me and contained all the description in all the right places. I say this is a crime novel, but I think it is meant to be more of a thriller. Seems to me like this book was just the read I wanted to find since I was coping with some anxiety issues at the time. Needed something perpetually engaging to get my mind off it. 

I found this book whilst browsing at the Waterstones at the Birmingham Literature Festival and literally just picked it up off the shelf. I have this thing called "one random read a week" which is where I pick up a book I've never heard of or never seen before and I read it and review it. Like this:


Characters:

My favourite character was Tessa. She was obviously deemed the "Black-Eyed Susan" as she was the only one survivor left from a massacre-like attack by a serial killer. The way in which she is portrayed is not as lucky as that description sounded. She's portrayed as more of a reclusive and reluctant personality with some sort of depression/PTSD and guilt that hangs over her like a black cloud. Truly enticing. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was mystery. I love a mystery now and again, but things just lost their shit when the flowers started growing after the years of the serial killer being behind bars. She couldn't ignore it for long though - they were multiplying and she saw this as a hint that could only mean that she's being hunted. Wow. 

Storyline: 

I did like that the storyline for this thriller wasn't trying to copy James Patterson, or be too clever for itself like the brilliant and beautiful "Fight Club" and it wasn't trying to be a grotesque image of culture destruction a la "Clockwork Orange". It was a very original story with an amazing tone to it - like a voice that was tinged with perpetual misery. Very good usage indeed. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9

100% for characters: Tessa is a very believable character. She seems very realistic - the person writing this book has obviously done their research 

100% for themes: The main theme being mystery and the symbol of a flower - I really like the Victorian resonance in the modern day. An old idea being brought forward without the need for heavy description and archaic language. But rather a modern look on the whole thing. 

100% for storyline: I think I've fallen in love with Crime/Thriller novels again. 

The Garden of Evening Mists

So, this is from my "global reading list" again - and now we're on Malaysia. 

This is a weird book because I didn't think I'd get into it since it had a strong romantic element (that I don't really enjoy unless everybody involved dies a horrible and unneeded death, as we all know). But, despite that - I found this book quite interesting and with some sort of fetishism with gardens, I can definitely say that this book boggled my mind. 

I found this book, obviously on my reading list - but I couldn't find it anywhere - so I just wanted you to know how hard it was to find the book at all. 

Characters:

Yun Ling was my favourite character. The book is narrated by her and pays a good amount of focus on her gloved hands. Yes, she gained a finger injury and from self-consciousness, she wears gloves to conceal it. She quite a strong character - but I could do without the long romantic descriptions of how she fell in love with the guy that had the crappy garden. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was nature. Since this book takes a symbol of gardens as like a life sustenance - I can say that nature is very important here. The description of Aritomo's garden is quite vast and extremely romanticised. I did love the descriptions themselves - but it's more about what the garden represents. 

Storyline:

I really do love it in the story when Yun Ling talks about her sister. We get some introspection that is not normally acquired (even when she talks about Aritomo) - we also get a sense of lamentation that we don't get from anywhere else. This lamentation is not as romanticised as the crappy garden - but seems to be perpetually depressed and feels guilty throughout nearly all of the book. 

Verdict:

I give this book 7/9

2/3 for characters: I say I liked Yun Ling - but I wasn't sure about Aritomo. I could do without their relationship as redemption. 

100% for themes: Garden symbols are always a plus. 

2/3 for storyline: I wanted more of that restless lamentation that put some real power behind Yun Ling.