The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

on January 24th, 2012 at 9:06 pm

Reviewed by Bec Kavanagh

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves if we are underlings

-Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

John Green never ceases to amaze me, and he is a shining example of the talent required to write a really good young adult novel, that in fact, should be read by adults as well in order to understand their own lives better.

I finished The Fault in Our Stars in a whirl of contradictions. It is a book that is infinitely happy and unbearably sad and you cannot help but fall totally in love with Hazel Green and Augustus Waters.

The hard thing about reading a book in which a character or characters (especially the main one) are afflicted with some kind of incurable disease is that you want them to survive. You want it so much, because in a book like this where said character/s are funny and likeable and self deprecating and not at all like the whiney 16-year-old that so many of us picture you want them to get their happy ending. And yet you know that if the author gives it to them that you will be thoroughly disappointed that they have given in to your wanting. So you keep turning the pages, knowing full well that you’re only going to get your heart broken, but hoping that something wonderful will happen in the process.

And in The Fault in Our Stars it does. Something wonderful happens. Something which isn’t predictable and isn’t disappointing and is more than a little bit heartbreaking.

John Green has a way with characters, making them flawed and raw and wonderful all the time. It’s evident in Looking For Alaska, in Paper Towns and in Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and it is completely evident in The Fault in Our Stars. And the wonderful thing about the characters in this particular book, is that although you’re mostly glad you’re not them (because why on earth would you subject yourself to cancer) a little part of you wants to be Hazel or Augustus. They’re the kind of characters you wish you knew, and the way John Green has handled the characters in this book – with empathy, but not pity – makes you feel like you do know them a little bit.

There is too much in this story to describe. So many universal themes, like love and loss and dying, but also art and exploration and the universe. It is a book that contains everything in one simple story. But as is always the case with Green’s writing, it isn’t pretentious or self pitying but lively and funny and you will come out the other end knowing that the things you have taken with you are a side effect of a love story that is itself a side effect of dying.

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Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

on December 21st, 2011 at 9:00 am

Review by Maddy

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen was an interesting book, but not something that I would usually enjoy. It was something that I wanted to keep reading, but not because it was exciting, and drew me in, in fact, it was the complete opposite.

I kept reading because the whole story was a low and I was hoping for a high scene that would lift the action. I kept on waiting for the climax to come, and for some excitement to start, something big. There were a few little bits here and there, but nothing big. In fact, the story ended just as it was starting to become interesting. Having said that, as the first book in a series, this works as this first book has given me the grounding to enjoy the rest of the series.

Bright Young Things was not something I would pick off the shelf normally so I’m not sure how it compares to other books of its kind. I still enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I felt like it was lacking the excitement that I enjoy in other genres

I loved how the book was split into Letty and Cordelia’s stories, and how their stories seemed to coincide. 2 girls who left their home town to come to New York together, both for their different reasons, then were separated. Cordelia went off to find her father, while Letty aspired to become a star. They both rose and fell together, and both had happy, sad, exciting and dismaying times. Astrid was a good character to introduce; I loved her part in the story. She also had her story, but it was not as big as Letty and Cordelia’s. I wished her story could have been longer, as she played a massive part in the story, but you do not find out much about her, and she is such an interesting character.

Cordelia’s story was written very realistically, but I don’t know that the events would have happened that often in reality.  Letty’s story on the other hand, was very realistic, and would have been something that happened to many girls so wouldn’t have been uncommon, making it easier for readers to relate to. Letty’s story also gave you a brilliant look into the time when the book was set, while Cordelia’s did not.

Overall although I enjoyed this book a lot, I felt like it was missing something. I think a lot of readers will enjoy it, and I am interested to see how the series progresses.

 

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Deception by Lee Nichols

on December 16th, 2011 at 9:00 am

Review by Chloe

Claudia Gray says, “If you love supernatural scares, family secrets and forbidden love, you’re going to love Deception.”

I say, “Even if you don’t love supernatural scares, family secrets and forbidden love, you’re going to love Deception.”

As someone who doesn’t often read supernatural books, I was worried this wouldn’t be a book for me but any doubts I had were cast away as I became wrapped up in the plot and besotted with the characters.

Emma is the ordinary girl whose parents just happen to own an antique shop and have a passion for the dead. Her odd family make it difficult for Emma to get in with the popular crowd at school and she feels isolated and somewhat a freak. When her parents unexpectedly leave with her brother and go away on an extended holiday, Emma is supposed to be left with Susan but when she receives an note saying that she won’t be coming back either, Emma really is all alone. Odd things begin to happen and as Emma’s dreams become increasingly sinister, Emma is forced to face the demons of her past and acknowledge the fears she has tried supress.

When she ends up in the hands of the police and on her way to a foster home, Bennet Stern shows up unannounced claiming to be her guardian and next thing she knows she is on her way to England, to live in a mansion and attend the exclusive Thatcher academy. She has memories she can’t explain and is about to find out that not all ghost stories are merely stories.

The characters each have their individual personalities and are strangely relatable. The plot is such that you simply can’t stop reading and are itching to know what happens next. The reader genuinely feels for the characters and wonders, will they be ok? The writing style is easy to understand and has enough description to allow the reader to paint vivid mental pictures and become sucked in to the story.

I highly recommend you read Deception and see for yourself how exciting ghost stories really can be.

 

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Lola and the Boy Next Door – by Stephanie Perkins

on December 14th, 2011 at 9:00 am

Review by Zoe

“The whole world’s a stage.” said William Shakespeare in his play As You Like It but no one has really understood that until Lola Nolan. Not only does she vow to never wear the same outfit twice, she also wants to show up at the winter formal dressed as Marie Antoinette. Not exactly your average teenager. On top of Lola’s quirky fashion sense, there is her twenty-two year old boyfriend Max, her gay dads and her more-likely-to-be-drunk-than-not birth mother, Norah.

This book would have been a great read if that was the whole story, it sounds crazy. But no, that eclectic mix wasn’t enough for Stephanie Perkins (author of Anna and the French Kiss). She had to throw in the neighbours – Calliope and Cricket Bell, and yes, that is the Bell family, as in the telephone.

This book is centred around Lola’s relationship with Cricket and how she handles him coming back into her life just when she thought she was over him.

Perkins writes in a way that allows the reader to really feel a connection with each of the main characters, the writing is witty and relatable. Lola’s emotional journey, from Sunday brunch with her dads, to the winter formal makes you laugh, or in some places cry along with her. Perkins’ style of writing is playful and humorous and Lola and the Boy Next Door is a light read which leaves the reader wanting more.

One of the really fantastic things about this book is Perkins’ character development. The characters’ personalities are all completely different, yet very believable, if somewhat crazy. The reader comes away with a feeling of familiarity and sympathy for each one of them.

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a light, entertaining read perfect for teenagers who also have three simple wishes, one of which is to show that underneath the frills, they can be ‘punk-rock tough’.

 

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The Apothecary – by Maile Meloy

on December 12th, 2011 at 9:00 am

 

Editors note: We were lucky enough to have two students review copies of The Apothecary! So below are two separate reviews by our readers – if you would like to win a copy of the book so that you can decide for yourself, comment below. First five people to comment will have a book posted to them. (Books will be posted in January 2012)

Review by Tian Xiao (yr 7)

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy is an exciting book set in London in 1952. It takes you on a journey with strong bonds of friendship, a sprinkle of romance and themes of loyalty and courage. It is a definitely a great book to add to your reading list.

Janie, a fourteen year old girl, and her family have just moved to London and Janie misses her life in California. She meets an apothecary who gives her some powders that will cure her homesickness. Not long after, she makes a new friend at school, Benjamin, who is actually the kind apothecary’s son.  They start spying on people who Ben suspects of being spies. This leads to the disappearance of Ben’s father, the apothecary and the magical book (The Pharmacopoeia) ending up in the two children’s hands. And so the adventure starts!

The book was fantastic overall and I really enjoyed reading it. The book had a nice plot and storyline but I would have like to know more about the bizarre spells inside Pharmacopoeia. The spells that we did find out about were simply out of this world!

The let down in this story was probably the ending. I was disappointed in the ending because although it tied up all the loose ends the story didn’t feel like quite finished. I felt that it would need a sequel to continue the story and give it a proper ending.

I would rate this book 4 out of 5 and would recommend for people aged 10-14. I think anyone who enjoys reading books with magical elements in it would have a great time reading it. This book definitely deserves the 4 out of 5 due to its amazing storyline. Maile Meloy has done a great job in writing her first novel for young adults. I am looking forward to reading some of her short story collections and other novels such as Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It. I would definitely reread The Apothecary.

Review by Vanessa (yr 7)

‘The Apothecary’ by Maile Meloy was an amusing and delightful book to read. It was a book I couldn’t put down and which occasionally made me laugh.

The book is narrated from the perspective of the main character, Jane (or Janie) Scott. The book starts in California where Jane learns that her parents are communists and if they are going to be safe, they will need to move to a different country. As Jane tries to settle in a different environment, she meets a boy called Benjamin Burrows, who hopes that someday he would be a spy. But when Benjamin learns that his father, an apothecary, has been kidnapped by some mysterious German men, Benjamin and Jane set out on a whirlwind adventure.

Not only do Jane and Benjamin need to find the apothecary but they must protect his most sacred possession – the Pharmacopoeia, a book filled with potions and recipes that make the unthinkable become real.
Even though this book was well written and comfortable to read, I think that Jane didn’t really have much of a character. During her time in California, she spent most of her time trying to be Katharine Hepburn characters rather than be herself.
I also find it strange that in the beginning of the book, Benjamin follows Jane down to the train station, where Jane takes a train to Riverton. And when Jane sees him, Benjamin says that he knew that Jane liked him and is suddenly asking questions about whether Jane’s parents are spies for the CIA or work undercover. Perhaps Meloy could have made their first real discussion smoother and not so sudden because it seemed very abrupt.
I felt that Jane needed to know the answer to everything and in some cases made leaps to convenient conclusions that she didn’t arrive at realistically. For example, when Jane asks Benjamin what he wanted to be when he grows up and he refuses to say, Jane somehow figures out that because he tailed her unseen and had asked her whether her parents were spies that he wanted to be a spy himself. But, sometimes that may not be the case. Jane knowing all the answers often seemed like a bit too much of a coincidence at times.
Overall though, I think Maile Meloy ingeniously wound together a book that lets imagination come alive.


 

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