REVIEW: OUT OF CONTROL ~ SARAH ALDERSON

 

After watching her friend and bodyguard die at the hands of men who intended to harm her, Liva shuts down all her feelings.  She goes through life with her emotions switch turned off; but Liva finds solace in the adrenaline coursing through her veins when she climbs structures she’s not supposed to.  With her father out of town shortly after she moves in with him in New York, she spends a few nights with his friends, her father not comfortable leaving her alone in a new city.  When she can’t sleep one night she opens her bedroom window and silently climbs on top of the roof.  Looking for peace, Liva finds unexpected safety instead when she hears her hosts being murdered.  Liva reports the crime and is taken to the police station in protective custody to give her official statement.  At the desk next to her is Jay, who is not a witness but a criminal.  Being cuffed to the desk kind of gives that away.  When a gunman in a cop’s uniform starts shooting up the police station, Liva and Jay must depend on each other to escape the massacre.  When Liva contacts her father for help, the team he sends to retrieve her are intercepted and Liva is caught between two rival groups; one who wants to take her, willing or not, and one who wants her dead.  It soon becomes clear that Liva is somehow at the center of the chaos; but why? Who wants to kidnap her, who wants her dead, and how do the two groups connect?  On the run, Liva and Jay must stay one step ahead of the shooter, the mysterious agents, the police (Jay is a fugitive, after all) and a local gang while fitting together pieces known and unknown – and fighting the intense connection neither can’t deny.  A poor car thief and a wealthy dancer, on the surface they have nothing in common; but for the first time Liva has met someone who makes her feel as alive as she does when she’s standing on top of a high-rise.  The timing is horrendous, the circumstances far from ideal, but can Liva resist the young man who brings her to life?

 

 

Out of Control by Sarah Alderson is an action-packed adventure that doesn’t give you time to catch your breath.  The action starts almost immediately and doesn’t let up until the end.  Authors seldom succeed in making me truly fear for the safety of the protagonists, but Alderson managed to get me to tense up several times.  She does a great job of keeping the reader on their toes, keeping the mystery alive while dropping clues, making the reader work with Liva and Jay to find answers.  The ultimate truth of why Liva is targeted is a shocking turn of events Alderson masterfully weaved into the story.  The chemistry between Liva and Jay jumps off the page and the progression of their relationship is very believable under the circumstances.  The sexual content of the book is very mature but stops short of being adult level. 

 

Out of Control is an exciting, satisfying read that takes the reader on an electrifying adventure with the perfect blend of action, mystery and romantic suspense.

 

 

 

Product Information:
Title: Out of Control

Series: Standalone

Author: Sarah Alderson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Year: 2014

Pages: 321

ISBN-10: 1481427172

ISBN-13: 978-1481427173

ASIN: B00EB9Z8XU

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REVIEW: DIVERGENT SERIES 3 - ALLEGIANT ~ VERONICA ROTH

It’s been quite a while since I finished Allegiant by Veronica Roth, but truthfully I was so completely underwhelmed and disappointed that I could not be bothered to write a review.  Allegiant commences where Insurgent left off.  Tris and co, not satisfied with the new status quo, joins the rebellion and sets off to discover what lies beyond the boundaries.  They discover that their city is embroiled in an experiment conducted by the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.  Following the Purity war which resulted from attempts to genetically remove negative behaviors from societies, the Bureau was founded to use selective breeding to repair the genetic damage they caused, over several generations by forcibly isolating several populations, including Tris’ home.  These populations were organised into factions to better monitor certain behavioural traits.  The divergents turn out to be genetically pure individuals whose DNA shows none of the genetic damage caused by previous genetic tampering.  The divergent’s importance was however vastly overstated in the video made by Edith Prior (an indication that Roth had no idea how she wanted to end the series at the time she wrote Insurgent).  Tris, Tobias and friends ultimately discover more secrecy and manipulation by the Bureau and take it upon themselves to right to wrongs of past and present.

 

Sadly, this was a very disappointing conclusion to the Divergent trilogy.  It felt like completely different authors had written Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant.  The author just didn’t have the same voice.  It felt like the Roth had no idea how she wanted to end the series and ultimately just grabbed at straws and rushed to release the final product. 

Tris dying felt absolutely unnecessary – and I don’t say this simply because her death disappointed me.  I truly don’t see why she had to die.  It makes no sense and in no way enhances the story.  It felt… superfluous.  It felt like Roth threw it in there for shock value.  She wanted Tris to sacrifice herself for the greater good (I suppose this was meant to be ironic since Tris had finally decided that she didn’t want to die), but then she needed a much better crafted storyline to justify it; because it fell flat.  When a character death falls flat, it’s a massive disservice to that character and the audience.  Tris deserved a better ending, or at least a better death - something vital.  Uriah’s death upset me more than Tris’ death did because (he was a favourite of mine, yes, but more than that) it was relevant and believable and necessary for the plot. Tris death was none of those things. 

Movie poster

I was curious as to how the movie would portray the events and watched it the very evening I finished the book.  If 10% of the movie is based on the book, it’s a lot.  They made massive, massive changes; the largest of which is having Tris survive.  Granted, at the time they were planning another sequel (which is also evident by the ending), but while the movie is in no way a masterpiece, it is a vast improvement from the book.  Either way I’m sad to say that while Divergent was thrilling and Insurgent was entertaining, completing the Divergent trilogy now feels like a complete waste of my time (too much time and energy I’ll never get back) and the utter disappointment that is Allegiant will prevent me from recommending this series to those who have not yet experienced it. 

 

Product Information:

 

Title: Allegiant

Series: Divergent (not standalone)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Year: 2013

Pages: 545

ISBN-10: 0062420097ISBN-13: 978-0062420091
ASIN: B00BKZUVGM
 
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Review: Divergent ~ Veronica Roth 

Review: Insurgent ~ Veronica Roth

Divergent movie

REVIEW: DIVERGENT SERIES 2 - INSURGENT ~ VERONICA ROTH

Veronica Roth’s Insurgent is the second book in the Divergent series and picks up where it’s predecessor, Divergent, left off; Tris, Tobias, Caleb, Marcus and Peter fleeing the aftermath of the Abnegation attack, on the train, out of the city.  Along their journey they attempt to rejoin the remaining loyal Dauntless and seek safe haven with other factions, but with Erudite and the rebel Dauntless out for blood, allies are few and far between. 

 

 

Tris’ guilt over her parents’ deaths and killing Will is pulling her into a darkness she has not known before and Tris finds herself having a bit of a death wish, placing extreme pressure on her relationship with Tobias.  

 

Shailene Woodley nails this heartbreaking scene in the film

 

With major secrets and tension between them, and Tris and Tobias find their still fragile relationship on very shaky ground.  While navigating troubles of their own, they must unravel the more important mystery of why Abnegation was attacked in the first place and why Jeanine Mason is dead-set on identifying all the divergents.  Danger and mystery abound, friend and foe is indistinguishable.  A surprise return, a shocking betrayal and an unexpected ally are just some of the things keeping the reader off balance, and the unpredictable journey Tris takes the reader on makes Insurgent a very satisfying continuation of the series. 

Shortly after finishing Divergent, I innocently and accidentally came across a major Allegiant spoiler on Pinterest, which unfortunately doused my interest in continuing the series.  My delay in continuing the series therefore had nothing to do with my enjoyment thereof, or the quality of Roth’s work.  Time and distance has reawakened my curiosity and I am finally ready to see how Tris’ journey reaches its inevitable conclusion.  I very much enjoyed the action and adventure Insurgent provides, and I think the series is playing out very cleverly.  While in Divergent I admired Tris’ bravery, I found myself frustrated with her in Insurgent.  I had a hard time understanding why she made some of the decisions she did.  I absolutely respect the fact that she has lost both her parents and that the uncertainty of her current situation must be overwhelming, yet I found Tris making (in my opinion) very stupid choices in this book. 

 

Tris cuts her hair in mourning

 

I believe Roth wanted to illustrate Tris’ death wish, in which she succeeded, but the problem is that Tris’ rash behaviour placed not only herself in danger, but those around her as well, and this disregard for the safety of others is very unlike Tris.  Lying, keeping secrets and breaking promises also come much too easy.  More than once I also felt that Tris had zero regard for her relationship with Tobias, and she continued to make choices she knew would hurt both Tobias and their relationship, without attempting to have a mature conversation with him first. 

 

 

The thing I liked least about Insurgent is that I struggled to identify with Tris this time around.  It was easy in Divergent, but I did not connect with Tris all that well in Insurgent.   I do, however, commend Roth for her bravery in taking Tris on this emotional rollercoaster and not shying away from the darkness inside of Tris; it makes Tris’ ultimate epiphany that much more tangible and satisfying. 

 

Tobias with the Factionless

 

We do discover why Abnegation was targeted, what Tris’ parents were willing to die for (besides Tris and Caleb), and a whole new world is opened to us, ready to be discovered in Allegiant.  All in all Insurgent makes for a very satisfying read.

 

 

Product Information:

Title: Insurgent

Series: Divergent (not standalone)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Year: 2012

Pages: 545

ISBN-10: 0062024051

ISBN-13: 978-0062024053

ASIN: B0070R41G0

 

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

* This post contains spoilers of both the book and film. I am assuming you have either read the book or seen the film.

 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is based on the second half of the novel “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins.  Mockingjay Part 2 picks up roughly where Part 1 left off.  A few days have passed since Peeta tried to kill Katniss, and she is still recovering (the scene where Katniss is being examined by medical staff is brilliantly done).  The film follows the culmination of rebellion against the Capitol as it gains strength when more and more districts join the fight.  As the rebels march on the enemy, the Hunger Games Game-makers turn the Capitol into one last trap-filled arena.

 

We follow Katniss and Star Squad 451 as they march on the Capitol in a war for freedom.   Peeta’s condition and recovery is also at the forefront of most of the film, with the palpable tension between Katniss and Peeta growing continually worse (how awful it is to see them call each other Capitol mutts and mean it).  There’s a very powerful quote in the book where Katniss thinks to herself: 

I realise it is not in Katniss’ nature to talk about her feelings, but I would have loved for these lines to somehow have made it into the film (Katniss saying it to Finnick, perhaps – Finnick seems like the most likely candidate she would discuss something like that with).  It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch Peeta passionately hate the woman he’s always loved because of what Snow did to him, especially considering his statements in The Hunger Games: “I don’t want them to change me [...], turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not.  I keep wishing I could think of a way to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games”.  At the end of The Hunger Games he also tells Katniss “I don’t want to forget”. 
 

The Capitol not only tortured him, they realised all of his biggest fears.  They made him lose himself. 

 

While The Hunger Games series is so much bigger than Team Peeta vs Team Gale, the question of who Katniss will ultimately end up with also needs to be answered.  It’s not as clear-cut as you might think.  While even Katniss says he is no longer the Peeta she loved, he is still Peeta and her feelings for Peeta were too real and deep to go away just because he's damaged.  Gale also says that he’s hoping Peeta will recover, because if he doesn’t, Gale doesn’t stand a chance with Katniss because she would never give up on Peeta.  It’s a complicated love triangle, deeper than the average one, and I am happy that the scene where Peeta and Gale discuss who Katniss will choose while they think she is sleeping made it into the movie.   

I had wondered how the filmmakers would handle the tragic death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman while filming took place, and they did a fantastic job of using their available footage in all the right places.  Despite his limited screen time, Plutarch is a strong presence throughout the film and Hoffman’s acting was top notch.  Plutarch always, very subtly, looks like he knows something nobody else knows (which, of course, he does).  The only scene where his absence is acutely felt, is Plutarch and Katniss’ final conversation.  In the movie he sends her a letter which is read aloud by Haymitch.  It is safe to assume that this change was made following Hoffman’s death.  It’s sad that he couldn’t film it, but it works. 

One thing the film did not portray satisfactorily, is the growth of Katniss and Johanna’s relationship.  In the book Katniss and Johanna become roommates and develop a friendship as deeply as either of them are capable of.  They train extensively with the District 13 soldiers, with Katniss earning a spot on a military squad while Johanna fails the final test; that is the reason why Johanna is not a part of Star Squad 451, something non-readers would not know.  I also don’t think non-readers will pick up on their friendship. Johanna just appears to be her usual snarky self, and Katniss appears to tolerate her more than appreciate her. 

 

A small but important detail that is not in the movie, is that Peeta decorates Finnick and Annie’s wedding cake.  It might seem insignificant, but it is the very first indication that Peeta might be recovering. 
 

Both the book and the movie investigate what is acceptable during a time of war.  Is it okay to kill innocent civilians in order to get to the masterminds?  Both book and movie do an excellent job of driving home the fact that the revolutionaries aren’t necessarily any better than the Capitol.  A very small but pivotal scene in this regard has been left out of the film.  Katniss makes a huge case for the protection of civilians, especially as the rebels cause the avalanche in District 2 (the movie also didn’t effectively explain that Katniss’ horrified reaction to Gale’s plan is because both their fathers died trapped in a mine following an avalanche), and Gale's idea for a secondary bomb trap.  The movie, however, omits a scene where Katniss is recognized by a Capitol citizen on the street after their Squad escapes the sewers.  The woman opens her mouth to scream and Katniss instinctively kills the woman to protect her Squad and her mission.  Afterwards, she doesn’t think about it much which goes to show just how much the war changed Katniss.

 

Star Squad 451 in the Capitol

 

Unlike the book, the movie shies away from the uglier side of war.  In the books Peeta loses a leg, Boggs loses two and Katniss is severely burned in the bomb that kills Prim.  Many of the more violent deaths were either changed or omitted from the film.  In the books Katniss has to stand trial for killing Coin, but she is eventually acquitted due to insanity, which would have been an interesting detail to see on the screen.  To me, in the book it felt like Katniss is made the scapegoat of the aftermath of the war and is pretty much ostracised.  She also has severe post-traumatic stress disorder, something the movie doesn’t effectively depict either.  The movies portray that Haymitch seems to be pretty much recovered, but in the book he is very much a lifelong depressed alcoholic (and he and Effie never kiss).  I suppose these changes were made in order to stick to an age restriction of PG13, but I nevertheless regret that the movie shied away from the harsh realities of war. 

Both Peeta and Katniss have far more serious mental health issues than the movie portrays.  The movie does mention Katniss’ nightmares, but says nothing of Peeta’s flashbacks to his time in the Capitol.  Based on their apparent ages in the final scene, the movies shows both of them are settled and quite stable, and married with children very shortly after returning to District 12.  The movie implies that Katniss is healed because of her marriage and family with Peeta.  In the book, she is only able to get married and start a family many years later, after therapy, once she is finally able to put the Hunger Games behind her.

Also, in the book Katniss and Peeta create a book which they fill with sketches and memories of all the people they have loved and lost. I love that book. Sadly the book did not make it into the movie.

For whatever reason (Heaven knows I have no idea what it could be) Mockingjay seems to be the least favourite of the three books of the majority of the fandom.  As for me, Mockingjay was my favourite book and while I didn’t necessarily understand the need to split the book into two movies (it’s roughly the same length as The Hunger Games and Catching Fire), I certainly don’t feel that any single scene was unnecessary or drawn out.  Perfect casting and superb acting makes The Hunger Games film series one of the very best young adult series brought to our screens.  Honouring its source material while adding plausible new scenes to enrich the viewers’ experience (as the reader is confined strictly to Katniss’ perceptions), Mockingjay Part 2 is a very satisfying conclusion to a brilliantly done adaptation.

But one day I'll have to explain about my nightmares. Why they came. Why they won't ever really go away.  I'll tell them how I survive it. I'll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I'm afraid it could be taken away. That's when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I've seen someone do. It's like a game. Repetitive. Even a little tedious after more than twenty years.
But there are much worse games to play.

 

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REVIEW: THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF GLASS ~ CASSANDRA CLARE

City of Glass is the third book in Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series and picks up shortly after the conclusion of the events of City of Ashes.  Simon and Clary have (thankfully) decided that they are better off as friends, and Jace is determined to be Clary’s brother only and to adhere to all limitations that places on their relationship.  Valentine has escaped with the Mortal Cup and the Mortal Sword, and now only needs the Mortal Mirror to complete the ritual that will allow him to summon the Angel Raziel.  The mortal instruments can be used only once to summon the Angel, who will heed the Shadowhunter's call (it is believed that the one who summons Raziel can demand one action from the Angel), and Heaven only knows what Valentine has planned.  Luckily the Shadowhunters have some time on their side as nobody knows what exactly the Mortal Mirror is, or where it can be found. 

Clary is finally contacted by someone who might be able to help her save her mother.  Madeline, her mother’s oldest friend, tells Clary that her only chance of saving the comatose Jocelyn is finding a Warlock named Ragnor Fell.  Clary’s best chance of tracking him down is to go to Alicante, Idris, the home city the Nephilim.  As fate would have it all of the Lightwoods are headed to Idris and they agree to take Clary with them, much to Jace’s dismay.  Jace is the only one who knows what Clary did on Valentine’s ship, and he fears for her safety should the Clave ever find how powerful she truly is.  Jace wilfully causes several misunderstandings in order to get the Lightwoods to leave for Idris without Clary, but he really should have known better.  Clary finds a (very stupid, very dangerous) way to follow the Lightwoods into Idris and sets off a chain of events that has serious consequences.  Clary entered Alicante illegally and must find a way to track down Ragnor Fell without alerting the Clave to her presence.

Jace and Clary’s relationship is on shaky ground following Jace’s deliberate deception as well as Jace and the Lightwoods keeping a major secret from Clary regarding Simon’s whereabouts, and Jace deliberately hurting Clary in his efforts to get her to leave Idris.  Their relationship becomes even more complicated with turbulent and confusing feelings when Jace seems to be attracted to family friend Aline, and her cousin Sebastian makes a play for Clary. 

The state of their relationship becomes the least of their worries when Clary and Jace discover a horrible truth about what Valentine did to both of them before they were even born.  They learn that Valentine experimented on his children by secretly feeding Jocelyn demon blood and angel blood respectively during each of her pregnancies.  This explains both of their extraordinary talents as Shadowhunters.  Discovering the truth about the demon blood sends Jace down a slippery slope of self-loathing and self-destruction that not even Clary might be able to pull him back from.

City of Ashes is my favourite book of The Mortal Instruments series so far.  The story is fast-paced, flows perfectly and keeps you at the edge of your seat.  Danger surrounds Clary in her quest to save Jocelyn as she is in foreign surroundings and has no idea who she can trust – especially since Jace and the Lightwoods inexplicably treat her coldly. 

 

Alicante is not as safe as the Shadowhunters would like to believe, and the freedom of all Shadowhunters is threatened when Valentine sets an ultimatum most Shadowhunters are unwilling to resist.

 

A major issue I have with City of Glass is that the Shadowhunters aren’t portrayed as a force to be reckoned with.  At one point Alicante is attacked by demons, and complete chaos reigns.  It’s just a whole lot of running and screaming. I understand that at this point the adults were all converging in Gard, and that the young and the old were left to fight, yet I would have liked to see the Shadowhunters do more damage.  Following the attack several families flee Idris.  Also, the majority of Shadowhunters are too scared to oppose Valentine and refuse his ultimatum, despite the fact that they knew what giving in to him would mean.  I did appreciate that this gave Clary the opportunity to have a moment and come to the rescue, but to me this book made the majority of Shadowhunters look weak. 

Alec and Isabelle have larger roles to play this time around, and it was good to see so much more of them.  Isabelle has always been a complex character, but in City of Glass she becomes even more so.  She also has two great action scenes in this book which does her character justice.  She is also discovering that other girls are not there merely to be hated, and I like how Isabelle and Clary’s friendship is steadily growing at a natural, believable tempo.  Alec comes into his own in this book and makes a life-changing decision regarding his future.  Simon is also becoming a much more pleasant character.  Now that Simon and Clary’s relationship is purely platonic and he is no longer trying to force his feelings on her, I can actually see what brought them together.  They have a great dynamic when their time together is not clouded by unrequited love.  Simon truly is a really good friend.

Jace and Clary remain the central characters, of course, and Clare did a great job of highlighting the complexities of their relationship and their feelings for each other, and showing character development in both of them.  The tone of this book is slightly darker than the previous ones, and Jace doesn't make many smartass comments, which I really miss. 

 

Major spoilers as to the events in this book, so if you have not read it yet and would like to be surprised, this is where you stop reading.

Clary and Jace find a way to help Magnus Bane save the comatose Jocelyn, and she returns to Idris.  Through Jocelyn, Jace and Clary finally discover that they are not brother and sister, but that Jace is in fact the son of Stephen Herondale!  Jace is the grandson of the previous Inquisitor, and that explains why she sacrificed her life to save his in City of Ashes, and what she was trying to tell him as she died.  Jace’s parents died before he was born, and having secretly fed Jace’s mother angel blood as well, Valentine cut the baby from her womb and raised Jace as his own son, just as he raised the real Jonathan Christopher in another house - Clary’s brother is indeed alive, and his true identity is revealed, leading to a whole new set of complications.

Valentine finds the Mortal Mirror, but his plans go awry when he underestimates his daughter and the integrity of the Angel.  I LOVED that part of the book.  Valentine thought that by summoning Raziel, he could command him – we’re dealing with an Angel here.  I loved that the Angel did not let himself be ordered about by likes of Valentine, and that when Valentine went on and on about glory, the Angel’s response was “Glory belongs to God alone”.  Amen!

I am quite eager to start City of Fallen Angels, the next book in the series.  I am not at all sure what to expect.  Clary and Jace are finally together, a happy couple at last, and it will be good to see the two of them together.  It will also be interesting to see where the story goes now that Valentine is no longer a threat.  All seems pretty blissful at the conclusion of City of Glass, but Clary did refuse to do the Seelie Queen a favour – I doubt she will let that slide…

 

 

Product Information:

Title: City of Glass

Series: The Mortal Instruments (Book 3)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Year: 2009

Pages: 571

ISBN-10: 1416972250

ISBN-13: 978-1416972259

ASIN: B003Z0BWT0

 

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