After reading the first book "Noughts and Crosses" by Blackman, I swear a book never had the effect to make me that upset, other then J.K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After reading the first book I practically ran to the library to grab the second, which was just as amazing as the first. The chaos in the novel the emotional, physical, mental and social is immense. All the characters are so strong after time and time again they have been shoved down.
Blackman has succeeded in making this book also impossible to put down and get emotionally attached to. It was at times messy and depressing but in the end I loved it. A great thing about these books is that you are given an insight into nearly all the characters so you can understand their actions. At times the plot did drag, I admit but it was kind of nice since both the first and last book are filled with action.
A great thing about this book is that there was a lot of insight to Jude's actions [Callum's brother]. Although I don't agree with his actions I can understand why he has done all the things that he has done but he is not filled with grief or remorse just hatred which makes him scary.
Another thing I love about this book is it goes into depth about the consequences of what happened in the ending of "Noughts and Crosses". This book was mainly written to allow readers to understand the characters, which gives a lot of insight to their actions in the first and last book.
This has to be one of my favourite trilogies and I would recommend this trilogy to everyone. This book has the ability to make you really think about racism, prejudice and terrorism, so it id definitely NOT a light read, it is quite dark and heart aching at times.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Review: Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
In Noughts and Crosses, Blackman created a alternate world that is the opposite of our own. Race and prejudice is the exact sam, but is switched. The upper/ ruling class, which Sephy Hadley's family belongs are the black Crosses. The other, the white Noughts, which Callum and his family belong to, they are considered to be lower-class. In this world it is frowned upon for Noughts and Crosses to be friends and unthinkable from them to fall in love, which Callum and Sephy do.
Callum and Sephy practically grew-up together, since Callum's mum worked for Sephy's mother. After he looses her job Sephy and Callum become secret friends. They meet up in secret, telling lies to eveyone but they won't stop seeing each-other. A new law has been passed which allows a limited number of Noughts to attend Cross schools. When Callum is accepted into Sephy's school there friendship is put into danger. Things continue to get worse till both of their lives are threatened.
Towards the end of the book something occured that would bring tears to anyones eyes, Sephy's quote was the last straw for anyone holding back the tears, “Dear God, please let him have heard me. Please.
Please.
If you're up there.
Somewhere.”
Noughts and Crosses is an amazing story that I will never forget. Blackman is able to draw people in and keep your attention and make it impossible to put down. This is a book like no other and I don't think I've ever read a book like it!
Callum and Sephy practically grew-up together, since Callum's mum worked for Sephy's mother. After he looses her job Sephy and Callum become secret friends. They meet up in secret, telling lies to eveyone but they won't stop seeing each-other. A new law has been passed which allows a limited number of Noughts to attend Cross schools. When Callum is accepted into Sephy's school there friendship is put into danger. Things continue to get worse till both of their lives are threatened.
Towards the end of the book something occured that would bring tears to anyones eyes, Sephy's quote was the last straw for anyone holding back the tears, “Dear God, please let him have heard me. Please.
Please.
If you're up there.
Somewhere.”
Noughts and Crosses is an amazing story that I will never forget. Blackman is able to draw people in and keep your attention and make it impossible to put down. This is a book like no other and I don't think I've ever read a book like it!
Review: Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman
I though this book was phenomenal, Blackman was able to tackle the issue of teen pregnancies and the difficulty of being a young gay person as well. What I love about this book is that instead of seeing the single, struggling teen mother the point of view has been flipped, where the dad gets left with the baby and the mum takes off.
Blackman explores the problems Dante faces as a teen dad, raising a Emma. This book shows the difficult decisions young parents have to make about their own lives and their child's. While struggling to raise a child Dante faces the problem of Emma not actually being his and if he'll be able to attend college.
This book also explores the problems that young gay people go through. Dante's younger brother Adam is gay and treated cruelly because of this, people do not accept him which resulted in a life threatening beating.
The book is written from several points of views, showing everyones side of the issues their facing individually and together. The book in places was predictable, such as Adam was obviously going to be beaten, and after reading a few chapters it is obvious who will do it. Other then that I thought this was a fantastic book and I loved a comment a woman gave in the book, "At least he's sticking around for his kid and not doing a runner."
Blackman explores the problems Dante faces as a teen dad, raising a Emma. This book shows the difficult decisions young parents have to make about their own lives and their child's. While struggling to raise a child Dante faces the problem of Emma not actually being his and if he'll be able to attend college.
This book also explores the problems that young gay people go through. Dante's younger brother Adam is gay and treated cruelly because of this, people do not accept him which resulted in a life threatening beating.
The book is written from several points of views, showing everyones side of the issues their facing individually and together. The book in places was predictable, such as Adam was obviously going to be beaten, and after reading a few chapters it is obvious who will do it. Other then that I thought this was a fantastic book and I loved a comment a woman gave in the book, "At least he's sticking around for his kid and not doing a runner."
Review: Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
I love the beginning of this book, it had a fantastic introduction that gave a fantastic insight to the main character, Josephine [known as Josie to her friends] through a quiz in a magazine. Unfortunately Josie is interrupted by a furious nun.
This book was filled with a range of emotions. This book was also filled with humour, passion and culture which critics call "a great coming of age story, heartfelt and overall so good!" I have to agree with the critics, it was a great novel that was extremely deep and earnest.
All of Melina Marchetta's characters seem so real and relatable. Josie actually reminds me of Francesca, from Saving Francesca, as they are both strong, relatable characters and Italian!
I love how in this novel Marchetta brought up the issue of culture and what it means to grow up and survive in a land that is not your own, a society that is unwilling to accept you. This is something that Josie and her mother and Grandmother went though.
Marchetta gave each character a great construction in the novel and as they developed I grew to love the ones I hated and appreciate the ones I liked. This book is extremely inspirational and has a great insight to a Italian teenage girls life.
This book was filled with a range of emotions. This book was also filled with humour, passion and culture which critics call "a great coming of age story, heartfelt and overall so good!" I have to agree with the critics, it was a great novel that was extremely deep and earnest.
All of Melina Marchetta's characters seem so real and relatable. Josie actually reminds me of Francesca, from Saving Francesca, as they are both strong, relatable characters and Italian!
I love how in this novel Marchetta brought up the issue of culture and what it means to grow up and survive in a land that is not your own, a society that is unwilling to accept you. This is something that Josie and her mother and Grandmother went though.
Marchetta gave each character a great construction in the novel and as they developed I grew to love the ones I hated and appreciate the ones I liked. This book is extremely inspirational and has a great insight to a Italian teenage girls life.
Review: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The first time I read this book I was 8 and I had the flu, it was winter and I was extremely grouchy since I had read all my books and the library books I sent my mum out to get [daily], so my mum bought me "The Secret Garden" and told me that I would enjoy it since I was really into "The Famous Five" at the time. I can still remember the first time I read it I got stuck in right away and I loved it!
So now, years later I've decided to re-read it and I can see why I loved this book so much, it is the perfect book for a child [a definite present for any kid aged 8].
I will be giving quite a bit away, so DO NOT read further if you have not read this book. The story is centred around Mary a spoilt 10 year-old who's parents had just died and has been sent to live with her uncle in an empty mansion on the Yorkshire moors where she makes many discoveries. Such as a her cousin, who has been hidden away in the mansion, she finds a key in the ground and so much more, this is a perfect story for a child since this is a story through the eyes of a child, a child's curiosity and kindness that many children are able to relate to.
So now, years later I've decided to re-read it and I can see why I loved this book so much, it is the perfect book for a child [a definite present for any kid aged 8].
I will be giving quite a bit away, so DO NOT read further if you have not read this book. The story is centred around Mary a spoilt 10 year-old who's parents had just died and has been sent to live with her uncle in an empty mansion on the Yorkshire moors where she makes many discoveries. Such as a her cousin, who has been hidden away in the mansion, she finds a key in the ground and so much more, this is a perfect story for a child since this is a story through the eyes of a child, a child's curiosity and kindness that many children are able to relate to.
Review: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
I love Melina Marchetta's writing, Marchetta is has the ability to draw any reader into her world and make them want to travel with her characters and feel every emotion they are experiencing. Saving Francesca is a touching, story filled with humour and honest moments that kept me turning the pages that made me read faster and faster as the plot climaxed. This is a novel that is extremely hard to forget, their are some heartfelt and humorous quotes that I will never forget.
"It's a weird smile, but it reaches his eyes and I bottle it. And I put it in my ammo pack that's kept right next to my soul and Justine's spirit and Siobham's hope and Tara's passions. Because if I'm going to wake up one morning and not be able to get out of bed, I'm going to need everything I've got to fight this disease that could be sleeping inside of me."
This a deep story that deals with many issues such as a depression, family issues, social pressures and a girl’s attempt to find the strength to keep her family together and her life in tact. It’s about love, friendship and finding the will to continue when everything around you makes you just want to curl up under your doona and hide from the world. This book had the ability to make you cry and snort with laughter in a 5 minute radius.
Melina Marchetta is an excellent author that deals with many teen issues in her novels, I would definitely recommend this book and other books by her!
"It's a weird smile, but it reaches his eyes and I bottle it. And I put it in my ammo pack that's kept right next to my soul and Justine's spirit and Siobham's hope and Tara's passions. Because if I'm going to wake up one morning and not be able to get out of bed, I'm going to need everything I've got to fight this disease that could be sleeping inside of me."
This a deep story that deals with many issues such as a depression, family issues, social pressures and a girl’s attempt to find the strength to keep her family together and her life in tact. It’s about love, friendship and finding the will to continue when everything around you makes you just want to curl up under your doona and hide from the world. This book had the ability to make you cry and snort with laughter in a 5 minute radius.
Melina Marchetta is an excellent author that deals with many teen issues in her novels, I would definitely recommend this book and other books by her!
Review: Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
This book is tells events that took place in England in 1666 , the bubonic plague that killed 100,000 people followed by "The Great Fire of London" which destroyed 80% of London. I thought the book had a great pace, since the title is "Year of Wonders," it set up a timeframe right away.
Year of Wonders is set in a small English town 100 miles outside of London. It's the year 1666, and the town has been struck by plague, brought to them by a London tailor boarding with the narrator, Anna. The village is so remote that when the plague first appears the villagers don't recognize it for what it is. Once they learn the horrors of the disease, the villagers are asked to make a decision whether to flee in order to save themselves, or to stay put in order to keep the disease from spreading any further.
In the end, everyone in the village agrees to stay, aside from the only rich family in town - the only family with the means to run far from the reaches of the disease. As the year goes on Anna transforms a strong woman who the town begins to depend on for herbal remedies.
I was quite shocked how much I loved this book, it was well written and extremly hard to put down, I was able to read it in only a few hours! I loved how much information Brooks packed into the book. I learnt quite a bit about the bubonic plague and how easy it was to take in all the information. Brooks is an amazing writer since she uses terms that we can understand, [no need to google while reading this book!]
I was also shocked Brooks made women so independent in a novel about the 17th century, but in the interviews with her in the back of the book Brooks explained the necessity of women taking a leading role during that time and the fact that women were starting to gain more freedom during that century in England.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it, especially to people who enjoy historical novels. People who enjoyed this would also enjoy The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory.
Year of Wonders is set in a small English town 100 miles outside of London. It's the year 1666, and the town has been struck by plague, brought to them by a London tailor boarding with the narrator, Anna. The village is so remote that when the plague first appears the villagers don't recognize it for what it is. Once they learn the horrors of the disease, the villagers are asked to make a decision whether to flee in order to save themselves, or to stay put in order to keep the disease from spreading any further.
In the end, everyone in the village agrees to stay, aside from the only rich family in town - the only family with the means to run far from the reaches of the disease. As the year goes on Anna transforms a strong woman who the town begins to depend on for herbal remedies.
I was quite shocked how much I loved this book, it was well written and extremly hard to put down, I was able to read it in only a few hours! I loved how much information Brooks packed into the book. I learnt quite a bit about the bubonic plague and how easy it was to take in all the information. Brooks is an amazing writer since she uses terms that we can understand, [no need to google while reading this book!]
I was also shocked Brooks made women so independent in a novel about the 17th century, but in the interviews with her in the back of the book Brooks explained the necessity of women taking a leading role during that time and the fact that women were starting to gain more freedom during that century in England.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it, especially to people who enjoy historical novels. People who enjoyed this would also enjoy The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory.
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