The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (#2)

Daniel Por

In this book review, I reread Suzanne Collin's sequel to the wildly popular The Hunger Games, where a dystopian Panem seeks to rebel against the tyrannical Capitol.

THE SHORT

While The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, may be a continuation of the Hunger Games series, it breaks new ground in every way. This time, Collins chooses to focus more on Katniss's impact on the Districts, rather than the actual Games themselves. Collins slowly enthralls you with her writing, as she gradually reveals the fact that the Districts are rebelling. This style of writing is both amazing and wonderful, as Collins uses her writing amazingly to flesh out her plot. Her plot also leads convincingly from one point to another. Utilizing the 75th Hunger Games excellently as a device to build tension and to parallel the Districts teaming up against the Capitol, and also to lead up to the climax. Eventually, Collins manages to deliver a masterpiece in writing as this sequel is just as great, if not greater, than the first book.

THE REVIEW

Collins manages to create an excellent and diverse set of characters, who are so amazingly fleshed out that even the most minor of characters can affect you emotionally. Katniss, the protagonist, gains a completely new definition in Collins's writing, as she develops over the course of the novel from one prepared to run to a rebel, ready to defy the Capitol. Speaking of development, most of the characters all undergo some sort of development over the course of the writing. This is a major plus point for Collins, as she defies expectations by going where no writer has gone before, redefining her characters in this well written, thrilling novel. As for the antagonist, President Snow, Collins seems to have modeled him on various Roman Emperors, as well as Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. She somehow makes him a threatening character, yet never reveals too much of him to neuter him like Lucas did with Darth Vader.

Now for the main theme of this book. While this book is a YA book and therefore never overtly presses a moral theme on you, you get the sense that Collins was trying to write in an allusion to contemporary Roman history, with the evil Emperor and the common people. She also wrote in a theme about sacrifice, when Katniss decided that she was going to save Peeta, because it was for the greater good of the rebellion. While not very obvious, the main theme of the book had to be the price of freedom, and what people would do to rebel against the rulers who suppressed them. This can be seen from the very rebellion in the book itself, where a small act was enough to incite a rebellion against the Capitol. The political situation in this dystopian future parallels real history and politics in the world, further showing the full range of Collins's writing ability.

The plot in this novel is wonderfully convincing, as Collins provides decisions and consequences so grounded in realism, it's almost though the novel really could happen in real life. Perhaps the greatest plot twist in the novel was the tension packed climax where Katniss realized that the real enemy was the Capitol, and the fact that she had the ability to rebel, to revolt against the Capitol. Amazingly, Collins ties up all loose ends in her ending, explaining all unexplained things and leaving enough things unknown to entice us to read the next novel. From beginning to end, the plot is solid and perfectly written out, perhaps helped by Collins's writing abilities.

All in all,  Suzanne Collins successfully writes a sequel to the first book, and also leading us on to read the third and final book in the series, with her writing and plot. In a world where sequels often fail to live up to expectations, Collins not only defies those expectations, but sets the bar high for other YA authors to meet.

Rating: 9.2/10

Advice: Just read it!

I honestly can say that I never expected this novel to be that good.

Next week: I return to the magical world of Harry Potter, where a murderer is out for his blood, and no one is as they seem...in the third novel of the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!! Will J.K. Rowling manage to live up to her wonderful two previous books as she delves into darker territory? Or will the book flop and sputter? Find out next week in my book review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!!

I Am The Messenger

By Markus Zusak

In this review, I look back at Markus Zusak's book, I Am The Messenger.

THE SHORT

Ed Kennedy is just your useless, everyday cab driver when one day, he accidentally stops a bank robbery. Then he starts receiving mysterious aces in the mail and he becomes the Messenger... While Zusak clearly had an original idea in a Messenger that helped (or hurted), it seems as though he didn't think it through, and we never get a satisfying conclusion or closure as to who is directing Ed's mission. Zusak races towards a rushed ending, and the ending is so ambiguous, one is left confused. And indeed confused is the word as Zusak uses way too much figurative language in his book, and one can't tell if the thing is really happening, or if it was just another linguistic trick by Zusak. Moreover, what Ed is supposed to do is also left unclear, as well as how he figures out what to do. In fact, the main pushing point of the story, the secret, all-knowing society, is completely glossed over! A major disappointment, both for the underdeveloped society, the ambiguous ending ("modern twist" my foot), and for the book in general. Clearly, Zusak has a lot of room for improvement.

THE REVIEW

Ed Kennedy is, perhaps, the least relatable of Zusak's characters. He is snobby, and doesn't even contribute anything to the story overall. Despite being the main character, one never truly connects to Ed in the human way that Zusak later created in Liesel in The Book Thief. Perhaps one reason this is so is because we never get to know Ed, never know his motivations, what caused him to give up university in the first place. Too much is left unknown about Ed, and this hurts the story overall.

Next up we have the backdrop of the three characters, Audrey, Marv and Ritchie. While they are indeed supporting characters, one expected them to be more developed to the underdeveloped nature of Ed. And here Zusak sorely lets us down once again with his blend of unclear and ambiguous figurativ language which doesn't explain a single thing about the three supporting characters. This results in a group of mostly unrelatable main characters. Also, the four of them never actually undergo any development from the start to the end, and we never see how Ed's messages affect the three of them. Indeed they undergo so little development that Zusak actually has to resort to Ed giving them messages to kickstart the developmental process.

In fact, this book is so unfulfilling that it doesn't even have a main antagonist. Most of the novel is spent residing in Ed's brain, but the confusing use of words and nouns all jumble up to form an incoherent narrative that can never achieve lucidity. Zusak tripped up here and none of his figurative comparisons survive to make a meaningful impression on you as he just vomits all of his metaphors and similes out to you.

One of the major themes in this disappointing book is the theme that ordinary people can do great things. Being consistent with the other things in this book, Zusak aimlessly and themelessly wanders around for like 90% of the novel, before rushing to a conclusion in the epilogue part. In fact, a large part of the novel, you have to ask yourself "Where the hell is this going? What kind of impact does Zusak want to impress on us?" And it turns out, he's going nowhere with his rushed theme which feels squeezed in just for show, and he doesn't want to impact you at all. Not in the slightest with his useless theme. Underdescribed, it just doesn't permeate throughout the whole novel and give you a resounding moral lesson at the end of it.

In terms of plot, there are so many holes that I don't even know where to start. First off, there's the whole issue of Ed knowing exactly what to do and how the cards know that he'll know what to do. In fact, Zusak doesn't even explain Ed considering just giving up and not caring about the cards. Zusak, meanwhile, makes things even worse by showing up at the end and saying that he killed Ed's father. HELLO? And Ed doesn't even respond when it was shown earlier that he loved his father! Meanwhile, how Ed knows what to do is just supposed to be accepted, no questions asked. Most people in his place would have put it down to a hoax or a scam. And what does the shady character at the end of the book (speculated Zusak) have to gain from all of this? Reassurance that ordinary people can do great things? And how does the shady character spy on Ed? This never gets explained, and tons of other questions that Zusak never answered because of his unsatisfactory ending that explains ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! A secret society with murderous members would have served it way better and tied up so many loose ends than Zusak's "modern twist".

<<Positive things about plot not found>>

All in all, this book was a severe letdown. Zusak's irritating diarrhea of figurative language bogs down the book, and the ending is unsatisfactory and doesn't explain a single thing at all.

Rating: 2.1/10
Advice: Just skip it. Just skip this horrid mess of a book.

Reading this book was absolutely torture. I sincerely hope I never read another book as horrible as this.

Next week: I return to the Hunger Games franchise with my review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. While the 74th Hunger Games may be over, sparks of a rebellion are present in Panem, and Katniss Everdeen has not quite finished her run of Hunger Games yet... Did Suzanne Collins manage to deliver a successful sequel to her first book? Or was Catching Fire thoroughly boring and unentertaining? Find out next week in my review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire!!!

Coraline

By Neil Gaiman

I review Neil Gaiman's Coraline in this book review.

THE SHORT

A novel of purely escapist proportions, Coraline finds its titular character stuck in an alternate world where the other mother plots to steal her soul. While one enjoys the other reality that Gaiman creates, and the imaginative turn that his story takes, one feels that it is more of a novella than a real novel, a set up to a far greater book. However, this is not the case, and one has to be resigned to the limited range of characters that Gaiman brings to the table. Despite the greater freedom that Gaiman has to develop his characters, over time the nagging voice of Coraline seems to take over the whole book. The escape from the other mother is far too simple, and the draggy ending tacked on at the end feels from a whole other book. The plot is, however, solid, and leads convincingly from one end to another. The threatening menace of the other mother is wonderfully fleshed out, making her a very real and very dangerous villain. All in all, Coraline is a good novel, but one that ultimately lets you down, failing to meet the expectations that you had formed of it from the beginning.

THE REVIEW

In this novel, the reader is made perfectly clear of Coraline's disposition and character, as one of a bored girl struggling against her parents who couldn't be bothered less. It's a well known trope in literature, like in Matilda. Anyway, Gaiman goes out of his way to set up her character, spending almost the first two chapters devoted to fleshing out the character of Coraline. However, it goes to the point that you feel sick of Coraline, and this doesn't stop as Gaiman continues to spend the whole book inside Coraline's head. Indeed, Gaiman succeeds all too well, as his girl protagonist, while being relatable, becomes annoying and naggy, complaining about everything. Instead of not developing his characters enough, Gaiman develops them too much, and his characters suffer as a result of this. However, Coraline does show some signs of development towards the end of the book, learning the value of bravery and realizing that ordinary life does have its own benefits.

The other mother, her antagonist, is a marvellous villain, unprecedented. Gaiman truly had an original idea when he thought of the demonic thing that posed as Coraline's other mother. The sad part is that we never get to know what the other mother truly is, whether she's a god-like thing, or a being from another dimension. One wishes that we could have known more about her, or that Gaiman had fleshed out her character more.

One of the major themes in Coraline is that of bravery. While it may unnoticeable to some, like it was to me the first time I read the book, the second time around there was distinct air of the theme of bravery. Gaiman even writes in a story about bravery into the book. Covered up by the writing, the theme doesn't really succeed that well, kind of like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the book Coraline is normally compared to. The nice thing is that the theme is layered under just enough writing to make it obvious, but also enough that it's not too obvious.

The plot of Coraline, is, as I have stated above, solid. It leads strongly from the beginning to the end, except for the hand thing I'll talk more about later. As it is, Gaiman builds a convincing plot, making us believe that it really could have happened like that. From the beginning, the part where Coraline explores around the house, to the middle, where Coraline is trapped in the other world, to the end, where Coraline traps the hand down the well, it all happens with a strong lead to the other.

The major flaw of the plot is mainly the ending part, where Coraline throws the hand down the well and keeps it there forever. This part seems tacked on, almost as if it came from another book. One feels that the closing of the door on the other world had to be the end, that even the closing the door was symbolic of the end of the book. However, Gaiman had to stretch the book on for a few more chapters, almost as if he knew the book was far too short. As such, the ending fails to live up to the generally rich storytelling that permeated the rest of the book, and you are left with a bad taste in your mouth.

All in all, Coraline is a genuinely great attempt at the escapist wonder that Lewis Carroll crafted in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking-Glass, but ultimately it feels unfinished, often blemished at parts. Gaiman certainly could have improved on it further, but unfortunately, he didn't.

Rating: 8.3/10
Advice: Perhaps it would be best if you revisited the Alice Adventures before reading this book. God knows that it can't hold a candle to those.

Maybe it's just me, or I just didn't feel that Coraline was Gaiman's best attempt at a story. Too much was left unexplained and it just didn't have that same ring of magic that the Alice Adventures did.

Next week: I tackle another Markus Zusak book in my book review of I Am The Messenger. When Ed Kennedy inadvertently stops a bank robbery, he starts receiving mysterious aces in the mail. And that's when he becomes the Messenger...Did Zusak manage to capture the magic from his literary phenomenon The Book Thief? Or did he bog down his book with too many things going on at the same time? Find out next week in my book review of I Am The Messenger!!!

The War of the Worlds

By H. G. Wells

H.G. Wells mania continues in my book review of The War of the Worlds!!!

THE SHORT 

When Martians invade Earth, an unnamed journalist is trapped in the clutches of these terrifying, death-dealing machines! As a science-fiction novel on its own, Wells succeeds in this novel, delivering a fantastic concoction of adventure, fantasy, all grounded in reality. The fast-pacedness of the novel is also a delight, as Wells picks things up and wonderfully maintains the momentum of the novel. However, the ending is a bit of a letdown, while successfully concluding the novel and tying up Wells's theme, it arrives much too sudden and there is actually no build-up to it. The journalist in this scenario seems extremely lucky, perhaps too much so, and one can sense the hand of Wells stirring up the novel so as to prevent the narrator's death. This novel is also without many supporting characters and while Wells creates another subplot, that is short-lived. Excepting the Curate and the artilleryman, there is no one else to listen to but the narrator. However the consistent journalistic style of the novel is to be applauded. Wells has created a most marvelous and delightful read in The War of the Worlds.

THE REVIEW

Instead of focusing on characterization like I normally do with other stories, here I will instead study the style and pacing of the novel. In this novel, none of the principal characters, bar Ogilvy, are actually named, as characterization in this novel is unimportant. This may be put down to the fact that this whole novel is written like a newspaper report, one to be published in, say, the Times. 

The style of the novel, as I have said, is that of a journalistic one. In fact, Wells remains in character for the entirety of the novel. The facts are stated in a clear-cut way, no beating around the bush and no dramatization common in sci-fi novels. It is to be admired that Wells is consistent throughout the whole novel, and never once deviates from the chosen style.

The pacing, however, often leaves something to be desired. Starting off slowly with the landing of cylindrical Martian container, Wells speeds things up with the escape of the narrator, while also throwing in another story about his brother. However, the fast-paced story about escaping from the Martians gradually slows down when the first part ends, eventually slowing down so much as to include the two slow weeks spent with the Curate. A last spike with the capture of the Curate, and then the plot slows down all the way to the narrator's sudden realization that the Martians are dead. One indeed feels that Wells could have displayed the same consistency as he had with the style of the novel.

The primary antagonists here are, of course, the Martians. Wells succeeds in painting them as uncaring villains, however one feels a bit of dissonance, perhaps introduced by Wells's sympathetic comparison of them to us wiping out the dodos. One downfall of the studious style of this novel is the fact that we never get to truly know any of the characters, and thus are unable to relate to them, understand them, and let them leave an indelible impression on us.

The main theme in this novel is, perhaps, the way humans have no control on what happens on Earth. This is mainly explored through the fact that it is the bacteria that finally kill the Martians, not the humans themselves. In the end, it is not the complicated machines man invented that bring them down, it is the simplest of all things, the things that have survived from the very first life on Earth, the bacteria, that defeats the Martians. The utter simplicity of this rings true to the theme, and brings it out wonderfully.

Wells also explored the butchery of the animals, and reversed it. When the humans are suddenly the ones being killed and used as food, suddenly it becomes awfully clear what the animals feel when humans kill them. Perhaps this is even more applicable in the modern day, when more and more animals are being killed, that we have to be reminded of the pain that the animals experience. This theme injects a sort of meaning into this novel. It is even more unusual in Wells's journalistic style, as themes are usually not explored in journalistic writings, but Wells fits in smoothly with the story.

The plot in this novel is, perhaps, the archetypal plot for all other invasion literature novels. Extraterrestrial beings invade Earth -> Deal out death -> Just when it seems impossible for the humans to win, some sort of intervention or new technology defeats the beings, ensuring the victory and survival of the humans. Wells perfectly captures the awe and amazement of the humans at the discovery of new life, and also manages to craft a compelling plot, one full of suspense, adventure, and horror all smoothly mixed together to create an amazing cocktail of a novel. Indeed, Wells also managed to squeeze in his themes of butchery and humanity's complete loss of control.

However, there are some problems with the plot, the biggest one of them being the narrator's lucky escapes, time and time again, avoiding the Heat Ray, the poisonous Black Smoke. One can almost sense the Hand of Wells ensuring that the narrator survives, spoiling the realistic background in which this novel is grounded. Also, scientific problems such as how the Martians were able to survive the much hotter temperatures of the Earth, and how they were able to regulate their internal body pressure when the Earth's external air pressure is so much different, and how they were able to adapt to the atmosphere AND how they managed to go through the Earth's protective layer of atmosphere WITHOUT burning to pieces are completely glossed over. However, this may be for the better, as the novel would have been too bogged down with details had Wells included the explanations for these in his novel.

All in all, The War of the Worlds is a most entertaining read, a classic science-fiction novel, well and truly deserving of its reputation which had held up over all these years. The plot and style of this novel are solid, and one cannot ask for a better science-fiction story.

Rating: 9.4/10
Advice: Read the whole thing. The WHOLE thing. Nothing of this masterpiece is to be skipped.

I truly, truly enjoyed this novel. Such an amazing thing, contained within just the pages of a book.

Next up: Some critics have called it the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland of the modern day. Whatever it is, watch as I review Coraline, the best selling book which was turned into a movie! When Coraline Jones finds a door leading to another world, she quickly realises that not all is as it seems, as an evil other mother tries to imprison her in the other world by sewing buttons onto her eyes! Can Coraline escape? Find out in my review if Coraline is an innovative and fun book to read, that spirits you away to new worlds, or if it is merely a failed stand-alone book! Coming up next week!

The Time Machine

By H. G. Wells

In this book review, I travel back in time to review the science fiction classic, The Time Machine, written by H. G. Wells.

THE SHORT

In this novel, often considered the forerunner of all the time-travelling so favoured by modern sci-fi authors, H. G. Wells serves up an entertaining classic. A Victorian scientist is propelled into the future, where humanity has divided into two species, and one of them wants to stop his return to Victorian London. While it certainly is an original thought at the time, Wells seems to have run out of ideas for his futuristic species, and about half of the novel is spent dwelling on the Eloi, and this bogs down the story. Also there seems to be absolutely no plot at all when the Time Traveller first arrives in the future, Wells having to resort to philosophical ramblings about the future. This is evident when he encounters the Morlocks, and the philosophical thoughts nearly double. As it is, this novel is short on plot, and it wanders aimlessly for quite a bit. Overall, this novel, or should I say novella, is just a good one. It is certainly original, yet plot is sacrificed for thoughts on human future.

THE REVIEW

The main character of this book is the Time Traveller, a person whom we never actually learn the name of, and whom we only see through the eyes of a student. As such, we never relate to him on a personal basis, and this kind of ruins the feelings that Wells was trying to create for us when Weena dies. Wells also never develops the character, and the Time Traveller actually doesn't express any emotion in the entirety of this novel, making it impossible for us to enjoy the emotional stakes that Wells creates throughout the book. So this character remains a figure on the page, two-dimensional and foreign.

The narrator of this novel is an unknown student who regularly visits the Time Traveller in his home, and since most of the book is told in the perspective of the Time Traveller, I won't dwell too long on him. The narrator here, too suffer from the same problems that the Time Traveller suffered from: Underdevelopment.

The main antagonist here are the Morlocks, faceless collective villains who act like futuristic zombies. Really. There are no cleverly thought out plans, no elaborate schemes to kill the protagonist, excepting the theft of the Time Machine. Most of the times, they are blundering about blindly, exactly like zombies. It seemed like Wells ran out of ideas and had to use these as antagonists. Perhaps he was merely trying to state that in the future there were no individual villains. Either way, the Morlocks fail as frightening villains.

The themes here are how everything will degrade eventually and how the present will affect the future in unexpected ways. The first theme is explored through the Morlocks and the Eloi, and how none of them actually resemble humans. The Morlocks are ape-like cannibals, and the Eloi are comforted babies, unaware of the danger below. While the Time Traveller had expected civilisation to advance, he found out that it had actually degraded, the future displaying none of the technology that he had expected it to have. The only glimpse that the Time Traveller gets of the "glorious future" is in the castle of green porcelain.

The second theme is explored through the difference between the Morlocks and the Eloi, and the Time Traveller's realisation that their difference is due to the current state in Victorian London. This realisation leads to the conclusion that the future is affected by whatever is happening in the present.

In this book, the plot is, as I have said above, strangely lacking in a science-fiction novel, one of the genres notorious for its plot-laden books. In fact, if Wells hadn't included the philosophical thoughts, this novel would be even shorter than it is now. As it is, this novel is so lacking in plot that one feels that one is reading some kind of philosophy textbook, which really lets the reader down, and actually confuses him. While one expects some kind of moral in science-fiction stories, Wells really piles it on in this novel.

On the flip side, Wells manages to craft a suspenseful part in the book, which comes in the fiery forest finale, in which Weena dies and many of the Morlocks are killed. Here, the talents Wells displays in The War of the Worlds in writing about destruction actually improves the story, and provides a much-needed action boost to what was then a dreary theory about the future, concocted by Wells but which we don't actually care. Wells also squeezes in some kind of mystery in the plot, sustaining the momentum of the book when he is done describing the trip to the future and just kind of wanders around aimlessly until he hits upon the idea of the disappearance of the Time Machine.

The pace of the novel is also irregular, starting slow at first, but then rushing to climax in the forest, and then slowly subsiding. The science of this book is also underexplained, leaving some confusion and disappointment in readers.

Overall, The Time Machine is a delightful little novella which will entertain you, but actually don't think too much about the philosophical consequences which accompany this novel. Wells failed in trying to fit this in smoothly with his story, and as a result both his story and his moral, which he wanted you to find, suffer.

Rating: 7.3/10
Advice: Perhaps it would be best if you ignored what the morals are in this story, and enjoyed the time-travelling nonsense which actually serves as brilliant escapism.

I feel this wasn't Wells's best book, but maybe he had been distracted by other commitments.

Next week: H. G. WELLS MANIA CONTINUES!!! In my review of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds, watch as Martians invade Earth and seek to colonise the entire planet, with the aid of seemingly indestructible machines! Make sure to come back next week and check out my review of The War of the Worlds!!!

Twilight (#1)

 By Stephenie Meyer

THE SHORT

Basically, Twilight is every teenage girl's dream. Hot guy comes and falls in love with her and saves her from some unexpected danger. Meyer creatively rethinks the myth that are vampires, although the back page kind of spoils it (I mean, really? Spoiling who Edward is? Not a great plan). At times, though, Meyer's story is bogged down by unrealistic and too descriptive sentences, resulting in awkward clauses and unfamiliar sentence structures that do nothing for nobody. The plot meanders aimlessly around for a huge part of the book, and speeds up to a rushed climax involving tons of sitting around, more sitting, and more waiting. The climax is resolved far too quickly, and Meyer tries to distract people from this by putting more heavy-handed kisses and blah blah blah lovey-dovey stuff. While the love story was ok at first, Meyer bogs the whole story down by repeating the same thing over and over again. Overall, not a very thrilling debut.

THE REVIEW

First off let's visit Bella. A rather forgettable person, bland and boring, Meyer repeats the same old "You're Special, Kid!" cliche from way better books like "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter", etcetera etcetera, by making Edward strangely fascinated by her. There is no actual character development in Bella, she pretty much remains the same throughout the whole novel, with no life-changing realisation, or things that make her stand out from the page. Meyer actually never fleshes out Bella, but perhaps that was a ploy to make Bella seem...well, blander. Nevertheless, she remains on the page, a boring character to spend time with and with an even more boring narration throughout.

Next on our list is Edward. Due to us being stuck in Bella's first person perspective, we never see any of Edward's actual flaws. This reduces us to merely seeing what Bella thinks of him, which is terribly predictable. By presenting to us some of Edward's flaws, Meyer might have fleshed out the character, making him far more interesting than Bella. As it is, Edward remains a pretty face. Such a wasted potential, especially when Meyer devoted so much of the book to explaining her new form of vampire.

Now for the main villain. There actually isn't much of a main villain, except for James, who we never get to know, and Victoria, who we never even SEE apart from that glimpse in the baseball field. We never get to go INSIDE James, to understand his motives, to see what makes him, well, him! As such, James never becomes the truly menacing villain he is meant to be, and the epic climax that we all thought would be between vampires, is instead reduced to a couple of chapters of James hitting Bella, and then Edward sucking blood? What? Come on, we just wanted to see vampires fight each other to the death! Now that would be cool! Blood-ttle Royale!

Looking at the theme now: Wait, there isn't one! This whole novel is devoid of meaningful themes, unlike so much better novels with the theme of belief, responsibility, and so on! Basically what Meyer is saying is that you should probably forget this book as soon as you read it, and that it will have absolutely no bearing at all on your life.

The one part actually worthy of praise is Meyer's rethinking of the classic vampire myth, defined by Bram Stoker's Dracula, and continued for many thousands of years, Meyer breaks all rules in the vampire handbook while also paying homage to the many myths which surround the vampires. In her imaginative remake, which is probably the only thing which keeps this book afloat, vampires are suddenly shockingly attractive creatures. I have to applaud Meyer for this creative version of the vampire, and this is probably the only thing that links and binds this story together as a whole, the reader anxious to know more, more about the mysterious history of this strange new species. Absolutely impeccable. Simply brilliant.

But now to dive down into the depths of darker things. The plot here is messy and incoherent, and is so unevenly paced, it moves from boringly slow to breakneck pace by the end of the book. And then, just as the rushed ending comes, it ends as abruptly as it began, leaving readers feeling disappointed and completely ripped off. You mean I read through that 400 page love-fest for a few pages of action??? GAAAAAHHHHH!!!

Also, the plot is aimless for a major amount of the book, and then for absolutely no reason at all, introduces a villain at the last possible second and then have him want to suck the blood out of Bella. This move by Meyer is completely illogical and feels like a wrench thrown into the works of this novel (Not that the works were completely perfect to begin with). The end bit feels tacked on, as if Meyer was rushing and said to herself, "Hey, you know what? I need a sudden villain, but I'm too lazy to develop him over the book! Yeah! Let's go do that!"

All in all, Twilight isn't the best vampire book. Not by far. Major holes in character development and plot bring it down, but luckily, the update of the vampire to modern society is its saving grace.

Rating: 5.8/10

Advice: Perhaps start with Stoker's Dracula. Unless you're a teenage girl who wants to fantasize about hot guys picking you off like you're really special. Because really, that would be the only category of the human species to whom this book would appeal to.

Sigh. Now I really regret struggling through that 400 page book. What a disappointment.

Next two weeks: H.G. Wells mania! That's right, you heard it! With my foray into the genre of science-fiction, I pick up two of the most beloved sci-fi classics of all time: The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds for two straight weeks! Watch as a Victorian scientist is propelled into the future next week in my review of The Time Machine and witness the invasion of Martians the following week in my review of The War of the Worlds! Will these two classics hold up? Or will they fall short of expectations? Find out in the next two weeks!

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (#3)

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

THE SHORT

As with all other Conan Doyle stories, Sherlock Holmes discovers his true medium in the short story, perfect for telling the stories of the world's greatest detective. Conan Doyle concocts several of the world's most famous mysteries in what is possibly his most creative collection of stories, all without using murder as a crime. The plot of each story is logical and convincing, and the solution of the crime is perfectly told and achieved by Holmes without the boring filler that was present in 'A Study in Scarlet' and 'The Sign of Four'. Using the creative database in his mind, Conan Doyle manages to hold our attention, keeping us breathless as he tells of the suspenseful night waiting in 'The Adventure of the Red-Headed League', enthralling us with his storytelling. All in all, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the finest collection of crime stories ever told, except for the few inconsistencies that appear in his stories.

THE REVIEW

A Scandal in Bohemia

In this short story, which made Holmes's name known throughout the world, Holmes manages to prevent an uproar in Bohemia using a most ingenious solution. This story truly displays Conan Doyle's creative thinking, as well setting the tone for the rest of the Sherlock Holmes stories. The plot here is original and truly Victorian London, making this story simply fascinating and demonstrative of Conan Doyle's masterful storytelling.

Rating: 9.9/10

A Case of Identity

In solving the disappearance of a certain Hosmer Angel, it may disappoint some readers that Holmes never got to use the full extent of his deductive powers. While the plot of this story may not be original, Conan Doyle puts a creative twist on it wonderfully, and uses the dynamic duo of Holmes and Watson perfectly in this instance. Not the best Holmes story, it merely falls into the GOOD category.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Adventure of the Red-Headed League

Sherlock Holmes, for the first time, shows his powers in preventing crime on a large scale, as Conan Doyle somehow toes that thin line between letting the readers know too little and letting them know too much. The medium for this mystery is a fantastic idea out of Conan Doyle's head, thoroughly exciting. As I have stated above, the suspenseful wait in the bank is heart-pounding and gives you that sense of adrenaline which no other author has managed to copy.

Rating: 9.4/10

The Boscombe Valley Mystery

Conan Doyle presents a most singular mystery in this story, and while Holmes manages to make his trademark deductions, one can't help but feel that the veil has been too heavily placed on this story, and in the end, it is not Holmes who solves the mystery, but Turner himself has to tell Holmes the story. Nevertheless, the excellent and brilliantly conceived mystery is satisfying.

Rating: 8.1/10

The Five Orange Pips

There is not much of a mystery here, yet Conan Doyle manages to deliver a sinister tale of a deadly organisation and its murderous methods. His diction here is absolutely refined, and the stormy atmosphere adds to the amazing tale that Openshaw has to tell. The only flaw in this story is the lack of the deductions that Holmes usually makes, and its reliance on the fact that the reader is not familiar with the fact that the initials "K.K.K." stands for Ku Klux Klan. The organisation here is reminiscent of Moriarty's network of crime later on, precursor to Holmes's much larger battle with Moriarty.

Rating: 9.8/10

The Man With the Twisted Lip

This story is only remarkable for Neville St. Clair's most ingenious method of disguising himself as a beggar, a plot most familiar as the one used by Agatha Christie in the collection "Poirot Investigates". However, other than that, Conan Doyle does not explain how Holmes arrived at this most startling conclusion, and the readers are left in the dark as to how he achieved this. Perhaps the most mediocre story in this excellent collection.

Rating: 7.6/10

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

A brilliant and simply amazing story, Conan Doyle takes the much cliche-d story of hiding gems in animals and smuggling them and puts it within the context of Holmes. Here, Holmes displays his wonderful mind and dazzles us with his powers. Conan Doyle brought out the character of Holmes perfectly here, as a most clever detective, and yet a forgiving one as well.

Rating: 9.3/10

The Adventure of the Speckled Band

Famous in its own right, this story is excellent and beautifully thought out, crafted exceedingly well by Conan Doyle. The mystery here is chilling and absolutely fits Holmes's character. This short story's plot is logical and leads from one to another, fitting of Holmes's want of the logical and the deductive. No wonder Conan Doyle called this his favourite.

Rating: 9.7/10

The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb

Perhaps only the exciting narrative of the hydraulic engineer saves this story from absolute disaster. As it is, there is not much deduction done by Holmes here, the only feature of interest and insight that he brings to this case is the six miles out, six miles out idea to trick the engineer in to thinking he was going 12 miles away. Also there is no actual mystery here, the purpose of the machine only being to mint coins illegally. 

Rating: 6.9/10

The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor

An interesting mystery, this singular adventure perhaps repeats the disappearance of the spouse just before/after the wedding from "A Case of Identity". However Holmes makes his characteristic psychological leaps of the mind that so vexes Lestrade. Conan Doyle also puts a twist on the previous mystery, although the introduction of a heretofore unknown previous marriage can annoy some readers.

Rating: 9.2/10

The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet

Here again, Conan Doyle concocts a mystery worthy of the great Holmes, but it seems a bit too complex to achieve that perfect balance of mysterious and obvious. Leading the readers on in a direction, Conan Doyle does a sleight of hand and successfully changes the subject of the mystery, undoing the knotty problem with a flick and pleasing us all.

Rating: 9.0/10

The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

A most singular series of events keep happening to Miss Violet Hunter, and this is what Sherlock Holmes is perfect for. Perhaps relying too heavily on the narrative of Hunter, Conan Doyle repeats the problem evident in "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb", although on a smaller scale, and the horrifying discoveries of Hunter in the Copper Beeches keeps us on the edge of our seats, not sure of what to expect next.

Rating: 8.9/10

OVERALL

In conclusion, this collection of Sherlock Holmes is the most refined and excellently thought out collection of detective stories ever published. Simply wonderful.

Overall Rating: 8.9/10

Overall Advice: Not to be missed for anything in the world.

I really, really, really enjoyed this book, and I hope that you have enjoyed my review of it as well!

Next week: As I tentatively make my way into romance, I choose the most famous vampire romance story of the 21st century: Twilight. Perhaps not the best example of romance, is Twilight simply a classic of supernatural fiction? Or is it a watered-down version of the best romance has to offer? Find out next week in my review full of blood, vampires, and pale, Albino girls!