June 23, 2017

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Wow. The Da Vinci Code blew me away. I had heard of it, of course, with its controversy and everyone and their brother reading it. When I finally decided to start it, you would think I would have expected how much I loved it.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows the Mona Lisa peaking through a crack in the paper. It's a cool cover that is simple but gives a general impression of the book: art ridden with secrets/conspiracy. A+ cover

Official Description:
An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe. An astonishing truth concealed for centuries . . . unveiled at last.
While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion—a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci—and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.


My Review:
The Da Vinci Code is a mystery novel full of conspiracy, police chases, and art history. It is an interesting combination that works wonderfully! 

It's a mystery novel that is actually mysterious. It gives you a glimpse of the danger without doing too much of a "villain's perspective", which I appreciate. When I see everything from the villain's POV, I undoubtedly end up thinking the main characters are stupid. It's frustrating (*cough* Silence of the Lambs and Mr. Mercedes *cough*). While there are a few chapters from an assassin's POV, it doesn't ruin any of the suspense. It actually adds a bit to the book.

The most interesting part of this book is the history and conspiracy. Dan Brown takes famous paintings and artists plus biblical stories to work together in a surprisingly believable conspiracy. It was really a fun thought-exercise at the very least to follow the logic of Brown's secret society. It really gets you thinking!

The characters were interesting. Nothing too exciting, but Robert Langdon is a likeable enough guy. He seems like the type to like barbecues, etc. He made me think a little bit about an adventure-seeking suburban dad, which worked well for his place in The Da Vinci Code. His leading lady, Sophie, was an intelligent, strong female character. She was a master codebreaker and seemed to fit in her role. Again, likeable enough but doesn't stand out a lot.

The action scenes, on the other hand, were very exciting. The whole book was very fast-paced with police chases, an assassin on the loose, and other unexpected dangers. The story moved fast, and it was hard to put this book down!

Overall, I would definitely recommend The Da Vinci Code. It was exciting, thought-provoking, and just a fun read. It's been one of the best books I've read so far this year! Try it out!

Phrase:
Find Robert Langdon

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June 16, 2017

The Dark Prophecy (Trials of Apollo #2) by Rick Riordan 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! I was really looking forward to the second Trials of Apollo book especially after my impression of book one. I was excited that it had more of the original Percy Jackson feel that had been absent in his more recent books. This book was fine, and that was it. 

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows Apollo on top of a Griffin, with battle-ready Ostriches in the foreground. This cover is a bit too silly for my tastes. C cover.

Official Description:
After experiencing a series of dangerous—and frankly, humiliating—trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . 

My Review:
The Dark Prophecy  was... fine. It was what you signed up for: a prophecy, a quest, some god-related banter and sass, some fight scenes, and some character drops from Riordan's earlier books. It was all of those things, and it did all of them well, but... It didn't blow me away. 

I felt that the story was a bit too "tried and true". It was a repeat of the style and format of all of the other books that Rick Riordan has written without adding anything new enough or exciting enough to make it stand out. All in all, it was a bit boring. 

It was still a good book! The characters were entertaining, the plotline and backstories interesting, and the action exciting. It was just too much of the same for me. The book dragged on until the end third. 

On the other hand, the villain in this book was one of the more interesting villains that I've read from Riordan. He had a complexity that was refreshing!

Overall, I was a little disappointed by The Dark Prophecy, but it was still decent. I think I will still read the next book in the series. 

Phrase:
Ostriches

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
A World Without Heroes
The Sword of Summer
Five Kingdoms series

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June 9, 2017

The Battle of Hackham Heath (Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years #2) by John Flanagan 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Whether I should be reading this prequel series to Ranger's Apprentice is up for debate; however, I know I am definitely enjoying it. After reading The Tournament at Gorlan, I was ready for the next book in this series. 

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a monster reaching for the crown, as Morgarath pitches his attempt to claim the throne and the kingdom from King Duncan. B cover.

Official Description:
The peace in Araluen is under threat and newly crowned King Duncan must prepare for war. Morgarath is in hiding, recruiting an army of savage beasts known as Wargals for his next attack.
Halt prepares for a seemingly impossible task – to scale the Mountains of Rain and Night to spy on the enemy and uncover their plans.
He knows that one wrong move could be deadly, for at the Battle of Hackham Heath the fate of a kingdom will be decided.


My Review:
The Battle of Hackham Heath was an exciting book. Most of the book was spent on various battles that the Rangers and kingdom fight against Morgarath who is now equipped with some deadly allies, the Wargals. By controlling the Wargals with mind control, Morgarath can set these beasts on the kingdom as he seeks revenge and power. 

The plot is very fast-paced as the characters plan and then execute various battle strategies and tactics. It was most similar to Battle of Skandia in its story. 

The characters were as great as ever. Halt and Crowley were lovable as always, with dry senses of humor as well as a lack of regard for other's opinions of themselves. Their relationship is one of the highlights of this prequel series.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Battle of Hackham Heath. It wasn't the best Ranger's Apprentice book, but I enjoyed it all the same. I believe this prequel series is supposed to be a trilogy, but I'm not sure how that will work. The ending of this book felt like closure enough! Either way, I know that I will be reading it. 

Phrase:
Wargals

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Brotherband Chronicles
Legend

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Happy Reading!

June 2, 2017

Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! Wise Blood was the last book I read in my English class this year. It was definitely different than anything else we've read!

The Cover:


The Cover:
It shows a blind man's face, not a movie-star which was my first impression. This blind man originally represents the blind preacher but grows in importance as the novel goes on. A+ cover.

Official Description:
Wise Blood, Flannery O’Connor’s first novel, is a classic of twentieth-century literature. It is a story of Hazel Motes, a twenty-two-year-old caught in an unending struggle against his innate, desperate faith. He falls under the spell of a "blind" street preacher named Asa Hawks and his degenerate fifteen-year-old daughter, Lily Sabbath. In an ironic, malicious gesture of his own non-faith, and to prove himself a greater cynic than Hawkes, Hazel Motes founds The Church of God Without Christ, but is still thwarted in his efforts to lose God. He meets Enoch Emery, a young man with "wise blood," who leads him to a mummified holy child, and whose crazy maneuvers are a manifestation of Hazel's existential struggles. This tale of redemption, retribution, false prophets, blindness, blindings, and wisdoms gives us one of the most riveting characters in twentieth-century American fiction.

My Review:
This book is a comedy of sorts that proves to be deeper than you would assume at first glance. It uses a form of absurdism to stake a claim about religion and free-will. It is a satire of religion, while still promoting religion.

To be clear, this book is about religion by being anti-religious. The point (as I saw it) is that you see that the ideas, at least, of religion cannot be escaped. There is no huge moment of conversion or anything like that. It isn't a blatant message of religion, but it is definitely there. 

The characters of this book were very one-dimensional. They were all one thing, which they characterized as strongly as possible. The flat characters were purposeful, but I know that the character's lack of interest can often be the kiss of death for a reader. It wasn't distracting from the story, but they didn't add anything to it either.

The plot, maybe due to the level of absurdity of Wise Blood, was all over the place. It followed about seven half-stories. A storyline would be developed and then left hanging. Other times a storyline that hadn't even been started would wrap-up, leaving me feeling as if I had just missed something. Characters knew things they shouldn't, did things without a reason, and reacted with unexpected emotions to...everything. Again, I believe this was purposeful. It definitely left a certain impression and feel to the scenes and the book as a whole. 

Overall, I would recommend this book if you have some working knowledge of religion. You don't need to be well versed on biblical topics, or even know anything about a certain religion. If you understand the sensation of religion (whatever one), Wise Blood can be very interesting. It was one of my favorite English class books of the year. However, for the students in my class who knew little about religion, they just didn't get this book. They couldn't. Wise Blood is strange but good in a way I've never seen before. 

Phrase:
Stones in his shoes


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