book review
BOOK REVIEW // I AM MALALA
Friday, 27 November 2015
I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world.
It's obvious Malala is an inspiration. I mean she won a Nobel Prize! However, the book took ages to get anywhere and I didn't really warm to her - maybe it was because I couldn't relate? Her courage to stand up to Taliban, her enthusiasm towards education and honesty about home life is what I admire most. To read how everything happened is just unbelievable; a Taliban leader jumped onto their school bus and shouted "Who is Malala?", no one answered, but many gazed right at her which made it so obvious. The Taliban fighter then shot her point-blank in the head! All for speaking about her God-given right to attend school! There are so many shocking moments in this book, I can only imagine how horrific it all was. You really get an insight to what went on. If you're someone who finds themselves reading a lot of fiction, or not reading at all, this is a perfect book to pick up. It's inspiring and honestly makes you realise how privileged you are. If you have read this, let me know in the comments what you thought of it?!
LRM
LRM
BOOK REVIEW // Demon Road by Derek Landy
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
The creator of the number one best selling Skulduggery Pleasant series returns with the story of a girl on the run from everything she loves... and the monsters that await her.
For anyone who ever thought their parents were monsters… Amber Lamont is a normal sixteen-year-old. Smart but insecure, she spends most of her time online, where she can avoid her beautiful, aloof parents and their weird friends.
But when a shocking encounter reveals a horrifying secret, Amber is forced to go on the run. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers and red-skinned, horned demons – Amber hurtles from one threat to the next, revealing the terror woven into the very fabric of her life. As her parents close in behind her, Amber’s only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…
Witty, action-packed and heart-stoppingly thrilling, Demon Road will take you on an epic road-trip across the supernatural landscape of America.
This book starts with the sentence 'twelve hours before Amber Lamont's parents tried to kill her, she was sitting between them in the principal's office', if that doesn't get you hooked I don't know what would! The book follows Amber Lamont's supernatural journey as she flees from her demon parents. On this crazy journey Amber encounters other demons, vampires, serial killers and witches.
Amber isn't necessarily a hero, she performs heroic acts, despite this she is a demon and reveals some demonic traits. Believe it or not, there are some comedic exchanges within in the book which lighten the mood from bloody action scenes. I love comedies and horrors so I enjoyed the story. Like any book that involves a naive character, it frustrated me. It's different if her naive characteristics were likeable and added to her personality, but I didn't feel it here. Amber finds herself in many situations you'd expect a demon to get out of. The problems that arise may have been introduced in a different way, that being said, a naive character may be more relatable. I feel like this would be an enjoyable tv series, it follows the typical structure tv series tend to adopt; the main character comes across a problem, solves it, comes across another problem, solves it etc. All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys high action supernatural stories, or even if that's not your thing it's worth checking it out.
Harper Collins is running a sponsored Demon Road read along with Benjamin of Tomes from YouTube on Halloween evening, if you'd like to join check out his page.
LRM
BOOK REVIEW // ZEROES
Saturday, 3 October 2015
Don’t call them heroes.
But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart. They can do stuff ordinary people can’t.
Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. He’s got a voice inside him that’ll say whatever you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t—like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days.
Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the group’s “glorious leader.” After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. And at the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases.
Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.
There are a lot of characters that you will connect with as they learn from their action packed adventures. It's good to see a book focused on friendship rather than relationships. It seems to be most YA books explore relationship themes. It's a rather realistic take on what it would be like if teenagers gained powers. The powers are also very unique. They don't suddenly become heroes, they try to learn how to control their powers. If you're impatient for a plot to escalate, then this is perfect for you as the climax is rather early on in the novel.
But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart. They can do stuff ordinary people can’t.
Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. He’s got a voice inside him that’ll say whatever you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t—like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days.
Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the group’s “glorious leader.” After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. And at the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases.
Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.
There are a lot of characters that you will connect with as they learn from their action packed adventures. It's good to see a book focused on friendship rather than relationships. It seems to be most YA books explore relationship themes. It's a rather realistic take on what it would be like if teenagers gained powers. The powers are also very unique. They don't suddenly become heroes, they try to learn how to control their powers. If you're impatient for a plot to escalate, then this is perfect for you as the climax is rather early on in the novel.
BOOK REVIEW // GEEK GIRL
Thursday, 24 September 2015
All that glitters.
Hannah Manners knows many facts.
- Toilet roll was invented by the Chinese in 600AD
- A comet's tail always points away from the sun
- The average healthy heart beats 70 times per minute. Even when it's broken
But she knows nothing about making new friends at Sixth Form. And even less about being a glittering supermodel success. Which she now is - apparently...
This is the fourth book of the Geek Girl series. I haven't read the previous books, but I imagine the series showed how Hannah Manners matures, seeing as she finds herself beginning Sixth Form. It's a cute, easy read that will occasionally make you laugh. I think it's best suited for younger girls, or those who haven't read many books. I think a lot of people would be able to relate to this book. She has a few problems with trusting people as she's insanely naive, she eventually learns from this, but it's rather frustrating that she doesn't initially notice her popularity is due to her status as a model. There are interesting facts throughout. I wouldn't recommend jumping into the series at book 4, I think it goes without saying you should give the first book of the series a try. I'm rather intrigued about what she was like before Sixth Form and her previous relationships, seeing as Hannah went into this one making new friends. Over all, I do feel as though it's an interesting story, I would've enjoyed it more 5 years ago maybe, none the less it's well written and represents a relatable adventure. The book deals with problems such as bulling and self confidence in a rather smart way. Have any of you read the series? If so let me know what you thought.
LRM
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