Book Review : War Kids by H. J. Lawson

Book : War Kids
Author : H J Lawson

*I got this book in YA Spring Fling*

This book was very different from all other books I have read so far. I cried, laughed and even rolled my eyes, but this book just made me think about the kids who don't even know if their parents are alive. They don't know about their future. This book is about those small hands which hold guns. This book is about those innocent eyes which see their dear and near ones' corpses. This book is about those young brain which will never feel secure.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

JADA, a 15 year old girl and ZAK, a 16 year old boy. They, along with a kid TILLY, set out to find their fathers who were kidnapped just before they mothers were shot. This book talks about their journey and the struggles. Things they go through and things they see through those innocent eyes.

I really loved the former half of the book. It just fulfilled my expectations. The latter half was a little weak and stretched, I think. The character building in this book is very weak. In the former, a character is intelligent and observant, and as the story ends, the same character is shown so weak that the story sound abrupt at times. also, I really didn't like the blooming love in the middle of a war, this really did affect my rating a little bit.

Overall, it was a great book. I am really looking forward to read the second book. I hope it turns out to be good like this one!!

4 stars!!! :)

Book Review : Order Of Seven by Beth Teliho

OMG! What did I just read?!
All this fangirling started by getting this (autographed) book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Let me brag a minute :P
 

So, while reading this book, I went through a lot of different emotions...

*reads a chapter*
*takes a break to repeat 'OMG'*
*reads another chapter*
*takes a break to repeat 'This book is so awesome'*
*resumes reading and completes one more chapter*
*opens Goodreads and tells her BR buddy to read it ASAP*
*repeats all this again*

I will keep this fangirling for the end, and quickly move to the plot. So, this book is about Devi and her brother Nodin, who have special powers to see visions and effect a person's emotions (respectively.) They set out to find others of their kind to complete an important task to save the whole mankind with the help of their powers and natural elements and animals.

I really loved the plot, a new theme and magical concept, a very good and unique fantasy after a long time. I enjoyed every part of it, and didn't want it to end. Scenes about energy channeling are described so well that I felt I was actually there, standing in the woods, watching them 'play' with energy. And, oh, I loved all the characters and those last chapter twists were amazing. And epilogue just killed me. Beth Teliho, please write more. I wanna know what happens after this.

I can fangirl endlessly about this book, so I guess I should not extend this review further, otherwise it will trun into a fan post (if it already hasn't)

Okay, saying this for the last time, I loved loved loved this book! This book is my I-will-re-read-a -million-times type of favorite. This book is shelved as YA, but it has some expletive usage, so recommending it to all 15+ I guess :):)

Anyway, it is a very nice book and I love it a lot

And that just turned lame.

Okay, I think I will really stop typing now... bah...

5 stars!!! :D

Abridged VS Unabridged!!!

Let the war begin!!!!

Bookworms have different opinions over bookish matters. Many debates like 'Books VS Movies' or 'New Adult as a genre' are quite popular among readers from all over the world. I was recently reading The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas when a friend suggested me to read the unabridged version since I was finding it to be boring. It was on my school syllabus, so reading this book was mandatory for me, so I chose the abridge edition because it is shorter.

 

One of the main reasons why people do not read classics is that they are only familiar with the abridged version of classics, so all they really know is the summary of the book and not the whole book itself. Being humans, we will simply juxtapose the books to actually make a choice. So, comparing Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (whose unabridged version, I read) and The Mill On The Floss by George Eliot (whose abridged version, I read). I like Jane Eyre a lot more than The Mill On The Floss. Even if the story was quite similar, strong female protagonist, struggles, then a loving husband, I still liked Jane Eyre better. And the main reason, I think, is the difference in editions. Classics need time, and reading abridged versions is like taking shortcuts.

 

I really refer unabridged versions over abridged versions. You can read my review of Jane Eyre on Goodreads, and as for The Mill On The Floss, well, I really didn't care writing a review -_-

 

Do share your thoughts and experiences of Classics and your preferred versions in the comments below!! :)