apireading's reviews
779 reviews

Wow.

I don't know where to begin because it's all very fresh in my mind and I just closed the book. The Fault In Our Stars has made me feel so many things I haven't felt in a book in ages. And it affects me as a reader, as a person, as someone who likes to write. In every way, John Green has proven to be one of the greatest writer of the YA genre.

Hazel is a complex but truly comprehensible character. She is a very weird compilation of a fighter, a pessimist and a realist. I always think to be this kind of weird girl and I think you don't have to be sick to rely on this kind of personality : you just have to hate something in your body, or have a hate-love relationship with it to understand why this girl is so complex. She is not a hero, or has an extraordinary way to compensate her illness by being super smart, or super dedicated to help the others, etc. She is just an average normal girl who never asked to live in her condition. And like every girl, her gloomy and morose personality explodes when she fell in love with a boy.

And this boy … He is not like every other boy. Augustus is the most beautiful male character I ever read (and the tears comes out of my eyes while I'm writing about him). And the tragedy is that Gus is perfect (handsome, cultivated, funny, corky) but his perfection could seem wasted because of his sickness. It is what you think at the beginning. But he is not. He's still perfect, beside and with his sickness. His soul is pure even if he has defaults, even if you can understand why Hazel is so reluctant and angry at him by his selfish way to hardly want to be reminded. Who can blame Augustus ? No one wants to be forget. But he was aware in his last letter to Van Houten that he will not be forgot through Hazel, through his love for her and vice versa.

I love how the adults are depicted, every one of them as his way to deal with the the sickness, but everyone has the same way to deal with the death of a child : it is the great tragedy for a parent. It reminds me of a quote by french writer Jean Genet that I could translate "To live it is to survive from a dead child". The parents are only presented by their role of parent and when Hazel's mom asked to her husband if she will continue to be a mom even when Hazel will die, it broke my heart.

It's not by luck if TFIOS touched so many people around the world, why so many people has cried and laughed while reading it, but because it's so much more than a love story about two sick adolescents. It is a lesson, a slap in your face to make you realize that you have accomplished, what you are, what you want to share with the people you love, and maybe how lucky you are to be alive now. So I will just finish this non-sense review by saying … thank you John Green, thank you so much.

Addictive. Fantastic. Very exciting. This sequel has kept all the promises of the first book and even more. Despite the lack of action in the first part of the book, the relationships were far better than the first one especially between Rose and Dimitri. You can not avoid the clichés and the basic criteria of the teacher/student relationship (and it was pretty meh in VA #1) but in this one it was wayyyyy to good. It was realistic, powerful, heartbreaking and exciting. And even if their love story is slow down and puts in danger because of two antagonists Mason and Tasha … you can't hate them because they are two awesome characters.

Tasha and Adrian were the new characters that I loved veeeery much. I understand now all the fuss about Adrian, and please someone indicate me the door for the fangirl reunions of Adrian Ivashkov ? Well, I have to admit that his character's mysteries were a bit predictable. It was pretty obvious he has this "ability" and the shared dreams with Rose were not that mysterious. But he is pretty badass and I'm glad he's staying in the following books. And I hope we will see more of Tasha because she's an amazing female characters.

And I have to say something about female characters : I did not change my mind about Lissa who I adore (yes it's surprising but I still think she has a pure and beautiful heart and she shows she can be incredibly charismatic as a political figure) but Rose was … Well she was a bit a pain in the ass sometimes but every time I started to disagree with her I was sympathizing with her two pages later. I think she is so credible as a "fantastic" character that she has flaws/qualities like everyone else and that's why she is so likable. But I think her weird attitude will be explain as the last pages seems to indicate.

I expected more magic, I had it. I expect more strigoi, I had them. Well basically this book has the perfect recipe I was hoping for.

4.5

Because this third book was way better than the two firsts. You can feel that the story and the characters are gaining in maturity the more and more we keep going on this journey with the adorable and still amazing Percy Jackson. Yes, Percy Jackson is probably the best young male character I've ever met in a book. It still surprises me when I open a new Percy Jackson book to see how awesome this character is. We really sometimes at the end what an brave hero he can be, even in his flaws (like Athena said to him at the end).

I did not expect to like Thalia this much. She was presented at first like the new Percy's opponent in everything (she's the daughter of Zeus, she's a better fighter, she has a better strategic mind, etc.). But I loved her. She is brave, fearless, with the light of a young girl that needs to prove that she is indeed Zeus' daughter by being great at everything. She tries very to be the best and struggle to admit sometimes that she needs help, that she needs Percy.

Zoe Nightshade was utterly amazing. Like Percy, you have a bad opinion about this girl when we met her at the beginning, but very quickly I've learned to love her. Her back story was so interesting, she was brave, fearless, devoted, loyal, and I think the author succeed to make "an old soul in a young body". You forgot sometimes that she seems to be 14 years old (or less) by the way she leads, fights, thinks, etc.

I was so happy to meet new characters and new parts of the mythology (dragon, golden apple, Atlas, etc.) and I still consider Rick Riordan work as a huge and admirable effort by the way he integrates all those old stories in the recent present. I love it - when I read a book - to feel the total control of the author on his story lines and plots. You know exactly where he wants to finish all this story and it is quite enjoyable to be guided that way.

Like the other books, The Titan's Curse is full of action and plot twist that makes this book a real page-turner and the best of the third first books. I can't wait to read the rest, especially to learn more about the Di Angelo kids and Luke Castellano who is, I'm sure, the character that will be the most surprising and interesting in the future.

Vampire Academy may not have the greatest context to attract readers (vampires ? again ? huh) but it has so many great characters and so many great plot twists you have to fall in. This first book was a real pleasure to read, with strong and fascinating character. Despite their oppositions, Lissa Dragomir and Rose Hathaway are brave, determined, passionate and loyal to each others in their own ways. The universe and the vampire mythology is although a interesting addition to the plot and give a new rebound to this universe which has fallen into pathetic clichés.
Real page turner, Vampire Academy is a delicious pleasure with a strong plot for many possibilities. And of course many ships with many possibilities ...

It was almost perfect.

I had a hard time to get into this dystopian world (maybe I've read to much of that kind of books and I'm becoming more demanding…). I think I've started to find the background of the story interesting in the middle of the book.

Now the two main characters : It was a bit sad that they were too young. This story could have been a hundred times more exciting if they were not 15. I mean YES, you don't think about it through the book but it bothered me a lot more than usual. Really ? 15 years-old girl living by herself and in a high position in the army ? It is details I know but anyway that did not stop me to enjoy it.


But June and Day helped a lot to involve me in this book and when I've overcame the first part I couldn't let go, I was hooked. Addictive. Day and June parallels were intense, moving, gripping. I liked how their feelings, their sense of duty and honor were describe. I liked it. For once, family and duty come first and I liked it. It was not love at first sight but "seduction". To me attraction is coming first and it's too early to say love. It's a very mature (and real) way to start a young relationship but I liked it veryyyyyy much.

I'm pretty excited to read the second book especially to learn more about the world outside, especially how to deal with the "United States" history, etc.

4.5.

I think I've read Red Dragon faster than Silence of the Lambs but it was less interesting in a way. Don't get me wrong, this is one of the most incredible thriller I've ever read in my entire life, but two elements did bother me :

First Will Graham was more "appreciable" than Clarice Starling. She's an amazing character : strong, fierce, proud, independant, everything I like in this kind of character but she was too mysterious even for the reader. Her past was blurry and we only are learning things from her in the moment she is talking with Hannibal (which has a heavy meaning I know). Clarice was lonely besides her friend Ardelia but she is very smart in her way and very stubborn. I like this part of her.

Second Dolarhyde was more interesting than Jame Gumb. I know I'm not supposed to compare them but in his chapters I was a bit less captivated comparing to Dolarhyde's. It's too bad you only have 5 pages at the end who explain you his relationship with Raspail and Klaus. I would probably enjoy more flashbacks espcially from Lecter's memory.

The AMAZING part of that book is Dr Hannibal Lecter. We are finally learning things from him, his presence is heavier in this book than in Red Dragon (even if his influence followed Will like a shadow). Now he is really here, in person, in many chapters. And he actually has his own chapter with a intern point of view. That was GREAT. I was breath taken the all way through.

Silence of the Lambs is a transitionnal passage between Red Dragon and Hannibal but it's still great. Harris has probably the best writing style in this genre and I'm both excited and sad to finish this incredible trigoly.

I really hesitate to give four stars to the fourth book because somehow I enjoyed the third one most.

It was really great though: the maze intrigue, the final battle, Minos/Nico, … it still amazes me how Rick still succeed to give an incredible story. How he manage to bring more and more mythology to his world with a complete control of his story and his characters even if it's a middle grade/young adult book. He gives a strong intensity to his characters, even the secondaries and it takes you to a exciting universe.

I was happy to learn more avec Rachel Dare. I LOVE THIS CHARACTER. Really. She's very cute, funny but at the same time brave and clever. I love how she stands up against Annabeth who becomes more and more … weird ? Don't get me wrong, I do like Annabeth but she bothers me sometimes by her reaction. Contrary to Percy who succeeds to question himself, and what he believes in, she has a weird way to deal with everything. I mean I get the reasons why she is torn between the Camp and Luke but she is really trying to hard.

Tyson and Grover are the best of the best, I would love to have a Tyson in my life. He's such an adorable dork I really love him. I although love Nico in this book : I always feel connected to the underdogs and Nico is a perfect example. His evolution is so powerful and sorrowful at the same time. During the all book you can feel the beginning of a great mind growing and he will be wiser and cannier than Annabeth.

I think I won't wait to read the fifth book and read it right away ...

4.5

THIS END WAS FREAKING AMAZING.

I mean I've read this book in three days I could leave it one second without thinking about it. Generally I'm often bored by books who settled their story in a very short notice, in a short space and time. But the New York's battle was truly epic and breathtaking. I was surprised every page.

I loved how it ends without really ending. You know you will see Percy again very soon (in other books I mean) because I will miss all those amazing characters so much.

I cried during this book and it was the first time in this series. Luke's story is amazing and reminds me of a well-know "not so dark" character who was Snape in Harry Potter.

I was a little bit surprised by who was the spy in the end I was really not expecting it. I could not say that I was disappointed but it was plausible enough.

Rachel Dare is such a great character. Probably my favorite female character with Clarice (Yes I know I'm weird).

But the moral of this story is also amazing. The character of Hestia embodied the moral of Riordan's : the family spirit, hope is where our home is, etc.

I wanted to do a beautiful and meaningful review but this is all I can do because of all my feelings for this book.

So thank you Rick for the journey. I will certainly read the rest of your work soon.

Fascinating, captivating, upsetting.

You don't know what is about to happen when you start this book. It's intriguing with a bit of déjà-vu inside. It reminds me of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None : an island, family secrets, a claustrophobic ambiance...

I love how you're slowly drowning (see what i did there ?) in the narrator's mind, how you're becoming less and less amnesiac to discover the truth. You need to know and it's driving as mad as she is slowly becoming.

It's a real page-turner and the kind of obsessing book that I love.

I enjoyed it until the very end. I highly recommand it.

4.5/5

Palpitant, passionnant, Dan Brown réussit un véritable tour de force dans cet opus. Une plongée glauque et captivante dans la mythologie de Dante sur un fond florentin très plaisant. Comme d'habitude, la construction du récit est maîtrisé avec cet éternel noeud entre l'histoire/la mythologie/la science/l'avenir. Le personnage de Robert Landgon est toujours aussi attachant et intéressant, bien qu'il ne soit véritablement qu'un bon pion pour faire avancer l'histoire.

Les personnages féminins ne sont pas en reste dans ce roman : Sienna Brooks et Elizabeth Sinskey sont passionnantes et ajoutent une plus-value à l'histoire globale par leurs personnalités atypiques. Une fois un peu tirée par les cheveux mais assez surprenante.