Review - The Tombs of Atuan

The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle #2)
by Ursula K. LeGuin
150+ pages

Description via Goodreads

The Earth is beautiful, and bright and kindly, but that is not all. The Earth is also terrible, and dark, and cruel. The rabbit shrieks dying in the green meadows. The mountains clench their great hands full of hidden fire. There are sharks in the sea, and there is cruelty in men's eyes. And where men worship these things and abase themselves before them, there evil breeds...(118)

We meet up with Ged again, on another journey--but not at first. The majority of this short book is dedicated to introducing the character Arha, the High Priestess of The Nameless Ones in the Place of Tombs. She is a living artifact of an old, somewhat forgotten religion and even less relevant to the kingdom of the Godking that rules today...Ged, enters the book much later.

I thought the role of religion in this adventure was interesting. The worship at the Place is very dark in nature. It involves frequent human sacrifice and trips into a labyrinth of tombs and treasure, where no light is permitted. Arha is able to discern that religion means different things for different people. For some it is a pathway to power, for others it's a way of life and for others it's just something to do because there is nothing else to do. Gradually, she uses this realization to form opinions of her circle of acquaintances, and decide who is friend and who is foe. Ged, an outsider, nonbeliever and heathen wizard, whom she discovers in the tombs one day turns out to be friend. He defies everything Arha was told--he lights the darkness. He shows her there is more out there than what is suppressed in the dark labyrinth. He returns her name, Tenar, to her, and frees her from the Place...it was no surprise that some of her fellow temple-folk turn out to be foes. 

Plot-wise I didn't enjoy The Tombs of Atuan as much as I did A Wizard of Earthsea, but I think the language in this one is more friendly, and easier to read. I found Ged's origin story in A Wizard of Earthsea to be more compelling than Arha's...she comes across as a very self-righteous, condescending and self-centered character, which can be traced directly to her upbringing. As The Eaten One, she is told the darkness is her domain, and placed on a pedestal. Yet still she is just a girl, young and dumb, with no grasp on how vast and different the world is. Sequestered at the Place, she only knows what the other priestesses have taught her...which is religious worship (until she meets Ged) 

At the end of The Tombs of Atuan, Arha still has much to learn about herself. Whereas, by the end of A Wizard of Earthsea, Ged had matured substantially...but Ged also had the freedom to go on a journey of self-discovery. Arha is just now finding this freedom and perhaps in the third book of the Earthsea Cycle, Arha will experience something more.

The Tombs of Atuan

Four stars.

Review - Monster

Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
250+ pages

Description via Goodreads

The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help (1)

Monster is about the fate of a young man named Steve Harmon. There is a good chance Harmon will get 25 years to life in prison, if found guilty of felony murder. In Monster, the emotional turmoil Harmon experiences in prison and during his trial is documented into a screenplay. He does this to help him process the extreme turn his life has taken. In between scenes, Harmon has diary entries that speak more to the cruel circumstance of prison life. 

Miss O'Brien says that Petrocelli is using Bolden's testimony as part of a trail that will lead to me and James King. I think she is wrong. I think they are bringing out all of these people and letting them look terrible on the stand and sound terrible and then reminding the jury that they don't look any different from me and King (59) 

The author focuses on what it means to be guilty, or rather, what it means to not be innocent. He includes little details about Harmon's life, upbringing and neighborhood to suggest how men like Harmon are predisposed to guilt. This same guilt consumes almost every person in prison (innocent or not). Guilt manifests and infiltrates everyone. It's not a jacket you take off whenever you please; it's the pain in your gut, the bag over your head, tattooed on your forehead, multiplying in the melanin of your skin. 

I hear myself thinking like all the other prisoners here, trying to convince myself that everything will be alright, that the jury can't find me guilty because of this reason. We lie to ourselves here. Maybe we are here because we lie to ourselves (202)

At first I was unsure of how the structure of a screenplay would affect the reading experience. Would it distract me? Can I visualize these scenes correctly? Would I understand what Harmon is trying to emphasize? Yes, some phrasing is a little awkward, but the dialogue is clear. In the end I decided  what mattered more was the idea of the screenplay; the fact that the reality of Harmon's situation--the gravity of it--the bleakness of his future is so unbelievable that only a movie could capture the sensation.

Another thing I noted when reading was the overall indifference I felt to all the characters...I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I didn't hate the prosecutor, I didn't empathize with Harmon, all the witness accounts and cross examinations seemed solid, the prisoner advice was casually reflective. I didn't spend any brainpower on forming my own judgement on whether Harmon was not guilty--I was just indifferent. I'm sure this due to the form of the narrative, as the reader is just there to observe. I feel weird suggesting that there's no reader engagement because I did find the novel interesting enough...

I wish Jerry were here. Not in jail, but somehow with me. What would I say to him? Think about all the tomorrows of your life. Yes, that's what I would say. Thank about all the tomorrows of your life (205) 

Monster

Three Stars

Review - A Wizard of Earthsea

A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle #1)
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Pages: 180+

Description via Goodreads

…a man: who, knowing his whole true self, cannot be used or possessed by any power other than himself, and whose life therefore is lived for life’s sake and never in the service of ruin, or pain, or hatred, or the dark (195)

A Wizard of Earthsea is a science fiction/fantasy bildungsroman and origin story of Sparrowhawk (also known as Ged) the greatest voyager of Roke. The reader follows Ged from his humble beginnings as a nobody to his first obligations as wizard. 

Sparrowhawk or Ged, is very interesting character. He’s the last born and natural loner. Left to his own devices in a small, boring village, he finds creative ways to cultivate his mind. For example, learning charms from his witch-aunt: calling goats, healing spells, patching leaky roofs etc.  However, simple charms aren’t enough for Sparrowhawk, future dragonlord and Archmage. Eventually he takes up an apprenticeship with a Master Wizard, but impatience and immaturity rule over him. So the Master Wizard sends him to the Roke School of Wizards, famous throughout all Earthsea.

 Ged begins his adventure talented but immature and flawed. Along the way, he learns the importance of balance, not letting one side overwhelm the other.  He develops the courage and wisdom to finish what has been started. The major conflict jumpstarts when ego leads Ged to summon a power he doesn’t understand and cannot control. He creates a gateway for a shadow to enter the world. This is not just any shadow…it’s everything dark. On his journey to understand the shadow and his connection with it, he matures greatly. What begins as a source of self-inflicted damage and destruction of Ged becomes a passage to wholeness and adulthood.

There were many elements and little details that intrigued me… I like the idea of limits; knowing them and testing them--be it the power of a spell or sailing the seas to the edge of the world. Ged is a wizard, but he is also a human with weaknesses. I really like the dark invitations: the huge elder dragon on the isle…the hidden stone that was before all things. Both had knowledge of the shadow, knowledge that Ged needed, but their power was sinister and untrustworthy. I also like the importance of names. Knowing a true name grants one the ability to speak to, connect with, and in some instances control something or someone else. I’m hoping all these things will be further explored.

I’m looking forward to the other adventures of Ged. 

A Wizard of Earthsea

Four Stars.

Review - The Night Circus

The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Pages: 350+

Description via Goodreads

I've never been one to complain about description--sometimes I need it more than I need dialogue. The Night Circus is not short on description by any means. The book successfully recreates the ambiance of a circus; the mystique, awe, curiosity and occasional fear. If you're unable to visualize the circus after reading this, then you should just give up on imagery (and maybe the circus) altogether. 

Overall, I liked the idea of outsiders viewing the mysterious night circus as this wonderful place full of spectacle and illusion, and those from within sometimes viewing the circus as a cage. The descriptions and undertones in the beginning set me up for a great story--and my expectations were high--but the great story was never delivered. 

"I'm not sure I understand the rules", Marco says. "You don't need to under stand the rules. You need to follow them. As I said your work has been sufficient." (115)

Morgenstern does a great job of setting up the place, but could have done a better job of expanding on characters, plot and rules to this 'competition'. Maybe if the two central characters, Marco and Celia, had a clearer idea of the rules and endgame, then they would have been more dynamic. To me, they  were flat. The book description says a 'fierce competition is underway'--yeah, well you wouldn't know from reading. It also says Marco and Celia fall into a 'deep, magical love'...I beg to differ. Minor characters like Tsukiko, Isobel, Alexander and Prospero were much more interesting than Marco and Celia. 

I felt like nothing really happened in the middle of the book...There was no actual, well-explained conflict. For awhile I accepted the ambiguous run-around because maybe it was part of the intrigue. But I'm not that type of reader. I needed to know the origins of this competition and I needed there to be more action or at least more romance. I needed plot. I'm still trying to decide if the format and all the jumping around aided in the disconnect of the story. It's quite possible. 

Interestingly, even though I enjoyed many of the descriptions, I also had a problem with the details ...not necessarily a problem with the abundance of detail, but the redundancy--the fluff. Certain things were repeated over and over again, and I was just like 'I get it already!' I'm not going to forget what color the tents are between pages 15 and 16. No need to mention it again on page 17. Some things were just confusing and unnecessary. I don't know, it really irked me.

At first, it is only a random pattern of lights. But as more of them ignite, it becomes clear that they are aligned in scripted letters, First a C is distinguishable, followed by more letters. A q, oddly, and several e's. When the final bulb pops alight, and the smoke and sparks dissipate, it is finally legible, this elaborate incandescent sign. Leaning to your left to gain a better view, you can see that it reads: Le Cirque des Reves  (5)

I understand why so many people like The Night Circus. The descriptions (when not too fluffed up) are fascinating. It might be a cool place to visit, if it were real. The setting is the saving grace for the book. 

 

The Night Circus

Three stars.

Review - Mockingjay

Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Pages: 400+

Description:

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding. 

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plains--except Katniss. 

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsiblity for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.

I also think you're a little hard to swallow. With your tacky romantic drama and your defender-of-the-helpless act. Only it isn't an act, which makes you more unbearable. Please feel free to take this personally (218) 

A little hard to swallow and unbearable....This pretty much sums up how I felt about Katniss throughout the entire book, from start to finish; and it's interesting that Collins would write this (albeit from the view of another character)...it's like she knew just how lame Katniss was. Forget the rushed plot, vague descriptions and cop out ending. Katniss' character development--or the lack thereof--is beyond annoying. She never truly embraced the role of Mockingjay. She was too self-righteous at all the wrong times, too irresponsible at others, a silly pawn easily manipulated by both President Snow and Coin. She was numb, flat, blah.

Don't be a fool Katniss. Think for yourself (111)

And I get it, she's been through a lot, but if you're going to agree to be the Mockingjay and you know what it means for the future of the rebellion, then you should own it. But Katniss does it half-ass. Gale and Peeta progress more than she does...There is no journey for her. At one point Katniss is shot, and I almost wished she had died and then someone else took over as Mockingjay. At another point she votes for another Hunger Games to happen--Why? This makes no sense. Where's the maturation? Where's the climax? Why even write this?

I don't have much else to say. As a reader, I prefer lots of description, a lot of show and less tell. There is a lot of 'telling' going on in this series, with cheesy dialogue and an inactive protagonist...The writing was not that much better in the previous two books, but at least they were fun to read. This one bombed. 

Mockingjay

Two stars.

Review - Catching Fire

Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Pages: 350+

Publisher's Description:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by the defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their familes a life of safety and plenty. But their are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

My thoughts:

Catching Fire picks up right after Katniss and Peeta have won the Hunger Games. It begins with Katniss describing her new life as a victor, right before she and Peeta must make a tour of all the districts as the winners of the Games. Katniss receives a surprise visit from President Snow, who basically tells her that not only did she make a fool of the Capitol, she has inadvertently triggered the beginnings of a rebellion. President Snow makes it clear that if she doesn't make an effort to clean up her mess, he'll have no choice but to snuff out whomever necessary. The threat is directed primarily at Katniss, but she knows that her loved ones are also at risk.

Sure enough, flashes of an uprising begin to surface in all the districts and eventually, Katniss and Peeta end up participating in the Quarter Quell--a special Games for the 75th year, if you will--and are tasked once again to put on an act (This time Katniss and Peeta are getting married AND there's a pregnancy--but not really *rolls eyes*) in order to survive. President Snow wants to squash any hopes of a rebellion by killing off the strongest of the denizens of all twelve districts, aka, the previous victors of the Hunger Games.

I guess I'll begin with the things I didn't like...In my opinion, Katniss is fairly mature in the first book of the Hunger Games, but in this one she just seems like a big whiner. Perhaps, she should be entitled to whining, granted all she's been through, but its still annoying to read. I still feel her love for Peeta is insincere, and I'm pretty sure she states this in the book, in her own confused, whiny kind-of-way; so I don't know why she seems all torn between Peeta and Gale. Choose Gale dummy! She eventually does...I think? Anyways, I'm completely over this love triangle.

There are many things I did like. I mean, who doesn't love a good rebellion story? The secret/not-so-secret symbol of a mockingjay representing the rebellion is cool. I also like that the victors worked together to literally break out of the Games. Oddly enough, I didn't see it coming. I also appreciated that the Games seemed more cerebral...yes, they still have to kill each other like savages, but the arena timed like a clock, with different times of terror, and them having to figure it out was pretty cool. I'll be interested to see how they remake the events in the arena in the movie. I also like the fact that District 13 is now a mystical location, or possibly something like a safe haven or headquarters for the subversives. The end of the first book, left me a little blah because I wasn't sure what the second book would be about other than putting Katniss back into the arena. But I'm more intrigued with the ending of this book. Overall, I think Catching Fire is a good intermediary, and I'm definitely curious about how this all ends. Honestly, being the pessimist I am, I get the feeling a lot of main characters are going to die...and I might even go as far as to say that the rebellion might fail. But I'm probably wrong, and it could go the other way; Katniss will somehow end up being the new president of District 13 (which would be comprised of what's left of all districts, but unified) where all is well.

Catching Fire
 

Three stars.

Review - The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Pages: 350+

Publisher's Description:

Katniss is a sixteen-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used to be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in the annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games". The terrain, rules and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place. 

My thoughts:

I guess I'll start with my expectations--I had none. All I knew before reading the book was that it's really popular. I didn't know a plot synopsis or any spoilers, so I basically went in blind. And in the end I really enjoyed the book. It was very fast-paced and to the point. Katniss is a likeable character, talented but not super-human. The circumstances of the people living in District 12 and I suppose many of the other Districts are unfavorable, and The Hunger Games really just makes life terrible. If I lived there, I would agree with Katniss; having kids just wouldn't be an option.

I really like the action described in the games, not the preparation leading up to, but the actual release into the terrain and the events that follow. The pomp and circumstance during the preparation in the Capitol was ridiculous. The only thing that interested me was the bathroom that dried and styled your hair without any effort on your part. I would really like to have one of those. At the arena, I kind of wanted the violence to be more graphic or full of more gore, but then again this is "teen" fiction. Nonetheless, I was satisfied. One thing that did annoy me was the excessive amount of affection exchanged between Katniss and Peeta. Pretend or not, it just seemed out of place. But it did get them survival gifts from sponsors...I don't know, it just made me raise an eyebrow. All this kissing and hand-holding, while you starve or freeze or bleed out...I mean really? And then Katniss had Gale back home. I'm so glad the Romeo and Juliet-esque double suicide attempt near the end wasn't successful, that would have annoyed me like no other. Then again I knew she wouldn't die because its a trilogy. I assumed Katniss would somehow survive the berry poisoning but Peeta wouldn't be so lucky.

The end did leave me quite intrigued. I can understand the confusion on Katniss' behalf. She has two unique bonds with two different young suitors--oh, the young teenage angst! My guess is Gale won't want here anymore for obvious reasons, and then Peeta won't want her as much because she's not really into him. But the good news is she's rich. Right? Unless the rule-makers renege on a promise or the tradition. This also wouldn't surprise me...I'm curious to see how the movie turns out and I'll definitely be reading the second book soon. 

The Hunger Games

 

Four stars.