Ready Player One Book Review

Hi! I finally read one of the most popular books of the last 3 or 4 years, Ready Player One. As expected i really enjoyed it, reading it in just 5 days, that currently for me is an amazing thing! I also saw the movie on the same day I finished the book so I have a really strong opinion about it, which I will leave at the end.

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

A book about being a geek what else would be more appropriate for someone like me? This was what got me to read this in the first place, together with all the hype created around it. I was never a big geek for 80’s pop culture but I really enjoy this time and all the movies, music, games etc. Therefore reading every reference was a great experience.

We follow Wade/Parzival after he discovers the first key in James Halliday easter egg hunt. Halliday, the creator of the OASIS the biggest and greatest simulator in the world, planted an easter egg on the game, after his death, that would give ownership of the OASIS to the player that could find it first. To get to it you would have been knowledgeable of 80’s pop culture and Halliday’s life/tastes etc. Wade was one of the Gunters (Egg Hunters) and after 5 years of nothing, he was the first to solve the first riddle.

The book is amazing, from the references to character development. I started the book with the impression that Wade was very selfish/childish, from his opinions to his reactions but by the end, I saw an evolution on his personality. I believe this evolution mirrored his age also since at the start he is 18 and by the end of 22. The other characters felt like expected and created a perfect geek group.

Overall, 5 out of 5, it has its flaws but I loved it at the end. Now the movie… LOL a big fat LOL, maybe because I had the book story really fresh in my head but the movie has absolutely nothing to do with the book and I’m sad to seed Ernest had power over the script. From making Art3mis and Parzival a thing from the start to having Halliday and Og being side (FAR FAR) characters to making the OASIS easy to hack (that would not happen on Halliday shift). It is a good movie but doesn’t even compare to the book. I understand all the changes but what made the book so good to me (the logic being every clue and key/gate) was missing.

Read this book just for the fun of it!

Spoillery review next, a small one this time.

Viviana

Warm Bodies Book Review

After what felt like months (and it was) i finished this book. I never had a reading slump like this or even close.

I bought this book on a trip to the hairdresser, i didn’t take a book with me and it was going to take a while. I was reading another book at the same time (Hollow City) and i already felted the slump crawling but this time i was totally different. I can blame my PS4 (Assassins creed just came out) or even Netflix, but to be honest i didn’t felt like reading.

Still, i read it! I finished and now i’m reading Harry Potter and the goblet of fire! I truly missed this and i hope HP will help me.

Now, onto the review!

R is having a no-life crisis–he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn’t want to eat this girl–although she looks delicious–he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.

I wanted a love story, one i enjoyed well.. that wasn’t the case. It cute and different but this book is about life and how we live it. To me at the time i read it it was to philosophical. Still i enjoyed some of it, but i was left with so many questions that don’t have an answer. (to be honest… i enjoyed the movie a lot more)

This time i don’t want to do a review with spoilers because i don’t think is necessary. I will just leave my questions here.
How did this plague started? If Zombies worked almost like a society why did it sound like a paranormal (extra paranormal) thing? What did it mean the gold eyes thing? And how did the F cure worked?!
Sorry if you found that questions spoilers but i actually don’t think this book as any surprises.

I gave it 3 out of 5 starts.

Stay awesome,

Viviana

 

The Girl on the Train Book Review

Hello!

So i joined the club, the ones who read “The Girl on the Train”. The hype surrounding this book is so big it can ruin the experience for everyone that wants to read it. I will try my best in the spoiler free section to not actually spoil anything but be aware, if you want to go completely blind you should not read this post to his full. Let’s begin!

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed.

The story evolves around Rachel that goes on the train every morning to get to her job. Her life is far from perfect and when traveling on the train she images the perfect life of the couple that lives near the rails, the life she would like to have.
One day, she sees the one thing that shatters every idea she had of those two.
( i wanna leave it in this note just because it’s fun to discover the rest)

I loved the build up of the mystery. We start in one key and by the middle the tone of the book changed completely.
We have multiple POV’s, so our alliances are just like a ball in a Ping-Pong game. In one chapter you agree with one character, by the next you hate her.

Don’t let the hype ruin your experience, this is a good book. This is being compared with “Gone Girl” (review here). I don’t think it’s comparable. If you need a background, i think Gone Girl i more messed up and the plot twist is different. I found it predictable, because i guess it really early, but still! Don’t let this fool you, it’s a good story with a good ending!

In conclusion it’s fast passed, with gripping chapters and great character growth.. Give it a try and try to not get influenced by the hype. 5 out of 5.

Next, full review with spoilers! 🙂

All the Light We Cannot See – Book Review

Hello!

I finally finished this book, after a long long time (long book, big descriptions). It had been a long time since i took 2 weeks to read a book, but most of the books i picked up were small and easy to read, this one was a big one with big worlds and difficult words. Awesome translation by the way. So lets begin the review! As always don’t read past the line if you don’t want spoilers, i will try to keep it simple in the non-spoiler review.

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When Marie-Laure is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

(Big sinopsys!)

The book is set in the World War II, we follow a young German boy, Werner, and a young French girl, Marie-Laure. Both with different environments, with different childhoods. Werner grows to enjoy radios and electricity, feeling everything about it. Marie-Laure grows loving puzzles and reading, as well as some sea creatures. Her father is the master of keys in the national museum, Werner is an orphan, living with his sister in Frau Elena house. As they grow (and the books goes) everything is going to end in the same point, D day.

We have dual (sometimes more) perspective from Werner and Marie-Laure, but we also have 2 time strings. One being 1945 and the other being the years that go from 1940 to 1945. So you can see the books builds up to the climax final.

I enjoyed not knowing what the book was about (only knowing that piece of information i told you), but i got lost in the start of the book. When reading the D day chapters i didn’t understood what was going on, i need more info. About 100 pages in i was in the story completely. Not that the books needs that many pages to be good, its actually really good at the start, we just don’t understand it to the full.

Even with all the hype i enjoyed it, Historical Fiction is not my beach. I don’t read a ton of it (only read The Book Thief), but i wanted to give this book a try. Didn’t regretted it. Some people are comparing it to The Book Thief but i don’t see all that similarities.
First, Marie-Laure is blind, her vision of the world and the war is very different from Liesel. Marie-Laure goes through different things in different ways. Then Werner is the moral (to me) of the book. He goes through so much during the book. I had to read somethings twice to actually understand this 12 year old boy was going through.

If you enjoy Histotical Fiction, or just a good story, give this a go, really do. The book is full of everything. If you enjoy big descriptions there are a lot of it, if you enjoy understanding feelings and well described feelings you have this. Just a book full of everything. (And there is a plot line that is just thrilling if you like that sort of book!)

4.7 stars out of 5 just because well too many descriptions.

Spoiler Review next!

The Death Cure Book Review

Hello!

I finally finished the third and final book in the Maze Runner trilogy, The Death Cure. To see my previous reviews you can click here (The Maze Runner) and here (The Scotch Trials).

In this volume we follow Thomas after the events on the second book. I don’t want to spoil you in case you haven’t even read the second book. (Don’t even think about reading this review!)

It’s the end of the line.

WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it’s finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test.

Will anyone survive?

What WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it’s enough to prove that he can’t believe a word of what they say.

The truth will be terrifying.

Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He’ll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all.

The time for lies is over.

Honestly, i enjoyed this trilogy. I liked the ending and i don’t understand why this gets so much hate. It is the best? No. But given everything that happened i felt this was right. But i will give a fuller review in the second part.
Overall, the book gives us a new perspective on WICKED. Are they this bad thing? Is WICKED good? Why do they do all this things? What are the plans for Thomas? Everything is answered in the course of the book but it’s no literal. You have to comprehend and analyse.
It’s medium pace, but you do go to a lot of different places but the action is always there.

I gave it 4 out of 5. Please give it a try if you read the rest. I think i enjoyed this one as much as the first one. Have you read it? Do you agree with the majority of people? Tell me! 🙂

Full review next!

The Scorch Trials Book Review

Hello!

After, what it looked like ages, i finally found some time to finish ‘The Scorch Trials’. This is the second book in the Maze Runner trilogy, i made a review on the first book and movie. If you read this book , this first part isn’t very detailed but be sure to read the second part of this post!

In this installment we follow Thomas and the Glader after the events on the Labyrinth.

Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.

The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.

There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive.

Like you can imagine, reviewing a second book in a trilogy isn’t easy without giving away something. I will try, as always, my best.
I’m still getting over all the new information we get. I feel this book is more about world building. We get to find out how the world is and how WICKED actually treats the people with problems.
We also get to meet a lot of new characters and ‘social groups’. The funny thing is, i think this groups are only there to help us understand the world not the plot it self.

The book is very fast paced after looking back at it. A ton of things happen (i’m still really confused about everything). I don’t know if i like this feeling but the thing is. After reading that last page i just want to read the next book so i guess the mystery is the true element of this trilogy.

Unfortunately there are a lot on people who hate this trilogy or just don’t find it amusing, i find it quite fun and mindblowing (at least mindconfusing…)  Just give it a try and don’t give up on the trilogy based on other opinions.

So 4 out of 5 stars. Did you read it? Are you planning to?

A detailed review next! 🙂

The Maze Runner Movie Review

Hello!

Today i have the review of the movie “The Maze Runner”. I did my review of the book a days a go in this post.

The movie plot is the same as the book and with the recent good adaptations (divergent and Hunger Games) i thought this was going to be as good as those. But the world building is way bigger so while the book has a time period of perhaps 2 weeks or less the movie is just a few days. Maybe because i read it very recently it felt rushed. Not even mentioning the things they didn’t included or changed all together.

There were some parts i enjoyed that weren’t in the book. Still, this isn’t a good adaptation in the sense they didn’t put some of the important stuff in or changed the way it was. I understand why in some cases (i made a list of a few things i saw were different). On the other side the actors did an amazing job at their characters. Newt and Thomas were very true to the book. Even Alby, but in the movie he didn’t had a crucial influence on the plot. Chuck felt the same it felt in the book and i didn’t enjoy Teresa. Even in the book i felt some difficulty understanding her and in the movie it’s even worse.

Overall, a medium adaptation, that (if you haven’t read the book) might enjoy. 3.5 stars for this one. Maybe the next will be better.

Did you enjoy the movie? *can we please talk about Newt british accent? *.* *
The differences i saw next!

The Maze Runner Book Review

Hello!

After a long time i finished “The Maze Runner”. With the new job and university reading is harder. But no excuses! But now for the subject here, the review.

In this book we follow Thomas. A boy who doesn’t remember his previous life and enters a place where there isn’t a way out. In this place there are only other boys all teenagers. They don’t know who put them there or why. But after Thomas arrival everything starts to get weird…

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

This book is full of action. I truly enjoyed this book and don’t understand some of the negativity it has (maybe it’s just the second and third book). Thomas is the kind of character who see in other YA books. He is different, he sees things in a different way. He feels like he knows this place and he is ambitious.
Another thing is the secondary characters. Newt is my favorite, Chuck is a 13 year old boy who doesn’t grow a lot (to me), Minho is really fun and Teresa i feel doesn’t evolve a ton.

Still, give this book a try if you like Sci-fi books and if you enjoy some logic games. Don’t judge it by the movie (going to see it soon!).
I gave it 4.6 stars out of 5. Truly enjoyed it and will be continuing with the rest of the books.

What you, did you read it? Are you planing on reading it?
Spoiler review next!

Insurgent Movie Review

Hello!

This weekend i went to see one of my expected book to movie adaptation of the year, Insurgent! Being this a sequel to Divergent i will do a spoiler free review and a spoilery review next.

Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side.

I read the book a long time ago. I don’t remember everything but i remember the important stuff. Still, because this wasn’t my favorite of the 3, my memory made me the favor of deleting important details to observe in a book to movie adaptation.
I did remember the “disk” and a bunch of other stuff i shall detail in the spoiler area.
Overall, i enjoyed the movie, a lot. The special effects added a ton to the feeling of the simulations. At least i enjoyed it, even though the simulations in Divergent felt more real and that gave a real feeling to the movie.

Seeing all the factions to me was one of the high points, Candor and Amity environments are very different from what we saw in the previous film. I did know that in the book they spent a lot more time going to each faction. This was kind of boring, thankfully in the movie they were quicker.

Tris and Four are great together, can’t even tell you other thing. But i know that in the book (books even) their relationship isn’t that relaxed. They fight more, but being some how romantic about this two i liked this slight change.
I didn’t like that Naomi looked so young. She is supposed to be older than Tris and Four, not look exactly the same age. I’m also sorry that other characters didn’t have the main focus on them like Tori, Uriah and Marcus. Still, they did put their attention on Caleb and Peter what i find very important to understand future movies.

I do think it’s a good adaptation, a good movie to be honest. If you liked Divergent and haven’t read the books you will probably like this movie a lot more then someone who read the book recently. If you read the book, keep in mind that books and movies can’t be compared in the same way. Movies are 2 hours long and have a limit of characters you can focus on. Books have how many hours and characters we wish.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, because like i said i really enjoyed it and it gave me the need (need really) to reread the third book.

A spoiler review next!

Four: A Divergent Story Collection Review

Hello!

Today i bring you my review of the four stories in the book Four. This cook is a collection, as a said of four stories, in the world of Divergent as told by Tobias/Four.
This is a new release in Portugal and i decided to do the review in just one post, but by story. Because of this (and hoping you are only reading this book because you read the trilogy) the reviews will not have spoilers but i will comment on everything i find relevant.

The first story follows the day Tobias goes through his simulation and the choosing day. Tobias suffers domestic violence from his father. He hits him with his belt just to not leave marks in his face. So Tobias goes to the simulation already knowing how to manipulate it. Just like his father said. But in the end, after a night of being hit and leaving to the ceremony with scars all over his back, Tobias decides to become a Dauntless and changing his name to what we know him as Four.
I love Four, this story just made me love him even more because we never saw they way he suffered and know we know. We even got a chance to see a little back story of Eric and meeting Amar for the first time! 5 out of 5 starts to this first story.

The second story focus on Four as an initiate (thus the name). The training is not explained a lot because we already know everything from Divergent. Four is very isolated from the other initiates, he just trains both psychically and his fears. Then Amar takes him to socialize with other Dauntless and get a little drunk. Four and Eric’s are still enemies, and everyone see the top will be dispute by the two of them. Close to the end Four sees he is different/special because he can control simulations. Since i don’t want to spoil this ending part i will stop my synopsis here.
To be honest, i only started enjoying this story a lot after Four and Amar conversation about controlling the simulation. Thus the score. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good story before but i just wasn’t interested. The ending is great, and everything starts to follow into place just like we know in Divergent. I gave it 4.4 stars out of 5.

The third story focus on Four finding out about his mom and what happened when she “died”, while being offered a chance to be a leader of Dauntless.
Just like when they are new in Dauntless, Four goes through a set of tests so he can be a leader.
While doing the tests, he finds a note in his flat and decides to goo on the control room and find out who it was that left it there. But he finds something more important, Max is working with Jeanine from the Erudite.
His mother warned him they just wanted someone to control and after some time he see’s it and understands what his mother did say. He ends the novel understanding that we should be fearless, true to each other, smart and good to others. Understanding finally that he is Divergent and Amar died because of that.
I gave it 4.5 starts out of 5, because, even though it wasn’t very fast passed, the plot was very cool and i enjoyed knowing more about Four and how he became the trainer of the initiates.

Now, the final story. Tris finally is in his world! And we got the best scene, when she shows her his fear landscape. I truly love this scene since Divergent. This stories centers around Four feeling towards is new faction and is old one. He sees what Jeanine and Max are preparing and feels obligate to save his old faction but still understands they hide a lot and aren’t all about truth.
He sees that he is alone in all of this. His mother doesn’t care because she knew it already and his father is still angry at him for changing faction. But in Tris he sees a friend, someone he can trust finally. I truly loved this final story. 5 out of 5.

Overall this book is great for Four\Divergents lovers. I enjoyed knowing more things about Four’s past and understanding his struggles. Because of this i gave it 5 ou of 5. A must read for fans who truly feel interested in this world and this is always a good way to keep this wold a little more alive.(a im so pumped i think i could reread Divergent, belive me i dont usually reread books!)

Sorry for the long review, stay awesome,

Viviana