I am afraid I will not be able to post a proper nice review about this one, as I was screaming about being confused just a few hours ago. This was not the novels fault as much as my own.
I started reading Hexwood smack in the middle of my last semester as an IB diploma student. Yes, I can see your smirks. It was not the best idea I've had and we're going to let it go now. I loved the start of it, just as I loved the first novel I read by Jones, (Howl's Moving Castle). She has a special quirky and wonderful style I wish I had myself in my writing. I love how her children novels, like Hexwood, can still attract adults. This novel had so many twists and turns, I don't know if a child would even have gotten it.
Though, I guess children are often more open-minded than adults, and might have accepted it easier.
Anyways, the reason I was so confused, and why I opened this post with more IB rambles, was because I put the book down. Before today, I had not had more than ten minutes to ready anything of it for several months, so I never really got into it. Today I decided to finish it, and I was so confused as I had trouble concentrating. Without spoiling, the characters simply shifted and changed over a single place. They transformed, lied and told the truth. All at once.
I kept going "What? What? I am confused."But it's brilliant! I don't think I have ever read a book where I was so completely flabbergasted when it came to the next page. As I neared the end, or perhaps it was the beginning of the end, nothing (and I mean nothing) made sense. And it was absolutely wonderful. I was so tricked into thinking it would be simple a sweet little story about a girl, but it turned into so much more.
Before today I loved Jones' writing, but after this novel I simple adore it. I worship it. She took me from O to a million, in just one page, and then she turned it all around. If are ever looking for a novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, please, please, do read this one.
Jones changes time. If you have ever read Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse five you know about how time-changing can be rather confusing. Hexwood was so brilliant made, that after an hour or me screaming I was confused, that I didn't understand anything, I closed the novel with a simple... "That made sense." I am so glad I finished it. I wish I hadn't taken a break though, it is a novel better read in one take. At least not with a big gap in the middle.
I know this isn't much of a review itself, I was too busy screaming obcenities and asking the world what was happening, to take notes, but I will leave you with this. Hexwood might be intended as a childrens' novel, but this novel has everything going for it. It has lovable and quirky (and strange and familiar) characters, wonderful scenery and a plot that you will wish you had thought if yourself. I loved it, especially now that I, finally, understand it.
I have two more Diana Wynne Jones novels on the way, them being the sequels to Howl's Moving Castle. I am pretty sure I am going to love them, but before that, I have two more sequels to read. One is Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld and The Dark Volume by G.W. Dahlquist. I am thinking I will take Behemoth first. I adored the first novel, and I have been looking forward for the continuation.
*I am afraid there might be some slight spoilers in this review, though I tried to keep them to an absolute minimum as the novel has not yet been published.
To say I loved 13 little blue envelopes would be somewhat of an understatement It had everything a YA novel should have in my opinion: a mystery, a trip and a wonderful British boy. How could you not love a novel with all that, as well as the wonderfully witty language of Maureen Johnson.
I was recently given the opportunity to read an ARC copy of the sequel The Last Little Blue Envelope, and much thanks to NetGalley.com for that. I practically opened the document and began reading as soon as I got home, and wrapped in a blanket I didn’t stop until I was finished.
It did not take long before I lost myself completely in the novel. Maureen Johnson has a way of writing that could win even the coldest heart over. It’s realistic, it’s funny and it’s adventurous. The characters and the settings simply feel so alive, there is really no other way of describing it. Ginny, an already familiar character, simply blossomed up in my mind as if she had never left.
But, I am sad to say, when I kept reading, the novel disappointed me. When I finished it, I could understand that it had nothing to do with Johnson’s writing, for that I love more than anything. Instead what bothered me was the plot. I just wanted a different end. I wanted to choose.
Of course, as a writer myself, I know that sometimes things do not work out for your characters, and what you want to happen, is not always what should happen to them in order for the plot to continue. So I was upset. I was almost a little angry. I did not like the ending, as it was not the one I had chosen. The hopeless romantic in me did not approve! But when I considered it again, and (with a sigh) I had to admit that Johnson is brilliant, and that she knows exactly what she is doing when she writes.
In the novel Maureen Johnson writes about how coming back to a place, you can change or even remove what was there before, and I think this was what the novel was mostly about. How you grow, and how this growth might render you incapable of returning to the past. It reminds me of The Great Gatsby and how Gatsby wanted to relive the past. There are times when you simply cannot live in the past, when you have to move on.
When I realized this, I went back to re-read the second half of the novel. Everything that had bothered me before now made sense. I understand why Johnson chose of plot, and I loved it. Ginny is a teenager, and her love with Keith was that of a first love. Their kiss was a first kiss. It’s a time of changing for many of us, and when you have changed, there is no going back.
There were so many things about the novel that I want to tell you, and though I can’t share them (spoilers!) I must say that having Harry Potter and Doctor Who references on the same page just made me love Maureen Johnson even more.
Did I love this novel? Yes. At first I thought the dislike would take over, that my anger over the novel not ending the way I wished would simply ruin it for me. But I changed my mind, and I closed the document with a smile, with a closure even, I suppose. As much as I love Ginny and the adventures she’s been away on, I really do believe this series is ending here, with a happy ending. And even though the ending might not be what we had hoped… don’t we all just love a happy ending?
Since the last post I have read a novel that definitely made it onto my favorite list. "The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters." As a fan of the steampunk genre, not really depending on what kind of format it is in, and after I googled "best steampunk novels" I found this.
Am I a terrible person who simply buying books because they have a pretty cover? Because that is definitely what happened here. I regret nothing, because it was nothing short of amazing.
It was a thick novel, but I have never been a girl to back down from such a challenge (I did read "Snow and Ashes" which, in Swedish, is over 1200 pages. IN HARDBACK.) so it merely excited me. Of course the thing that excited me the most was the cover.
Am I a terrible person who simply buying books because they have a pretty cover? Because that is definitely what happened here. I regret nothing, because it was nothing short of amazing.
It was a thick novel, but I have never been a girl to back down from such a challenge (I did read "Snow and Ashes" which, in Swedish, is over 1200 pages. IN HARDBACK.) so it merely excited me. Of course the thing that excited me the most was the cover.
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| How can you say no to this? |
It is shiny, my friends. SHINY.
My copy had a very short caption about the plot, which meant I went into it with basically no background knowledge at all. (This is more than I knew when I bought it.) Without spoiling you, my dear readers, I will merely tell you the novel is about three special characters, Doctor Svenson, a physician, the sweet and marvelous Miss Tempe, a young woman who wants to know why her fiance left her and the mysterious Cardinal Chang, a hired killer.
Together, though with very different intents, they form a sort of alliance and meet all kind of strange people on their way.
I think what I loved the most about this novel was the well-worked characters. While Miss Temple could be bloody and locked in a room, she could still be excited about the return of her green footwear. This, I really felt, defined her as a character and it helped making her feel real to the reader. Before the start of the novel she was simply a sweet girl who, while with a rather unordinary childhood, was still a lady.
Cardinal Chang has horrible experiences in his past, and despite his career of murdering you cannot help but to like him. He has honor, something I guess we all look for in a man.
Doctor Svenson is interesting. At first I disliked him, not quite understanding how he could play a large part in this novel. He felt clumsy, annoying and his apparent lack of care for the prince simple bothered me. I don't know when that changed, but before I knew it, I cared if he got hurt and I was excited to read the chapters about him.
This was actually quite an interesting concept of a novel, as most of the chapters are simply about one of these characters. It definitey made it a page-turner as you couldn't wait to find out what happened to Miss Temple while you were reading about the Cardinal, and vise versa when you were at another chapter. The literature student in me wish to call this a clever literary device, and so I did.
I loved the language of the novel, for the author managed to get the voice of the characters spot on. I remember reading novels where all the characters were speaking in the same voice, with no distinction what so ever between them. I also love the scenery which I felt was wonderfully described in just the perfect way. The settings were amazing, with hotels, brothels, basements and at one point... even a Zeppelin.
I honestly cannot find a bad thing about this novel, and I would definitely recommend it so anyone who is in search of an absolutely amazing novel. I don't think I have anything more to say now. I will however return to you when I find the sequel I did not know exist.
I am currently (starting the third paragraph with an "I") reading "the Spirit Rebellion" which is the second novel in the Eli Monpress series, if you remember. I simply love these novels, but I don't think I will write a review until I finish the tree published ones. I think this will happen as soon as I finish these blasted essays I need to hand it.
Suggestions are always appreciated!
EDIT: Apparently my teacher has read both novels and liked them very much. Perhaps you didn't need to know this, but I thought I'd let you know anyway.
This novel can be bought from Amazon HERE, but I suggest supporting your independent book-store if you can!
The title suggest that a silly, romantic and girly novel is to follow, but I have to say that was not the case. I bought this novel after several people, some of them authors such as John Green, tweeted about how brilliant it was. His recommendations have never disappointed me before, so I followed his link and bought it.
Of course Amazon had to be a bit rude when I ordered it, giving me three different delivery date and them being a month apart. I waited, and waited but it never seemed to arrive. -Insert anger here.-
But it DID arrive (after a while) together with the rest of the books I ordered. For some reason the postal-service decided to make my three packages, all ordered from different places, to arrive at the same time.
Now, at first I didn't think I would have time to read it, having to deal with a rather stressful school at the same time. Then one evening I was feeling a little bit down, and I decided to start the adorable novel, to only read a chapter or two before bed. Two hours later I closed it.
'Oh, it was wonderful!' was my first thought. There is really no other word for it. Katherine Perkins, who is the author by the way (I seemed to have forgotten to mention that ) has written a novel that just heads straight for your heart. The characters seem so alive, so real, which I find some authors these days have problems with. There are too many "empty-shell" girls (read: Bella) who have no proper characteristics.
In "Anna and the french kiss" we have a very clear leading lady, one who is special, who loves old cinema and someone whom people can still recognize. In the beautiful scenery, with Paris filling up every corner of the page. I remember the streets, the feeling and the people from when I was there.
Then, of course, there's the love interest of the novel. Oh. Oh. Oh. I think this is where the "real" characters come in again. Etienne St. Clair isn't just a pretty boy who runs around being pretty. He has issues, and I think the author has truly conveyed the issued really well. Same goes for the relationship between Etienne and Anna. It's truly complicated, and just lined with misunderstandings and awkward moments. It's real! They need each other in different ways, it isn't just one-sided. (Once again, read: Bella.)
I think this is one of my favorite YA novels ever. Filled with romance, sadness, anger, laughter, Paris and classic movies (those happens to be my favorites). The fact that St. Clair happens to speak with a British accent certainly doesn't add to my secret fantasies. Certainly not. At all.
I pushed the novel into my friend's hands just a few days after, not thinking she would actually have time to read it. Later that evening I get a text saying: "Page 80. F**kin hell. Where does St. Clair live and how do I contact him?" Half an hour later. "Fun. F**king. Tastic."
Approved? I think so.
I suppose this isn't much of a review, but it's all you're going to get.
I have four novels on their way to me now, "Behemoth," "The Spirit Rebellion," "The Spirit Eater" and "Water for Elephants." The last one is a recommendation from Filippa (hi Filippa) which is splendid, because I forgot I had planned to read it.
"Behemoth" is the second novel in the 'Leviathan' series by Scott Westerfeld and the Spirit novels are the second and third novels in a series called 'The legend of Eli Monpress.' Splendid, huh?
Of course Amazon had to be a bit rude when I ordered it, giving me three different delivery date and them being a month apart. I waited, and waited but it never seemed to arrive. -Insert anger here.-
But it DID arrive (after a while) together with the rest of the books I ordered. For some reason the postal-service decided to make my three packages, all ordered from different places, to arrive at the same time.
Now, at first I didn't think I would have time to read it, having to deal with a rather stressful school at the same time. Then one evening I was feeling a little bit down, and I decided to start the adorable novel, to only read a chapter or two before bed. Two hours later I closed it.
'Oh, it was wonderful!' was my first thought. There is really no other word for it. Katherine Perkins, who is the author by the way (I seemed to have forgotten to mention that ) has written a novel that just heads straight for your heart. The characters seem so alive, so real, which I find some authors these days have problems with. There are too many "empty-shell" girls (read: Bella) who have no proper characteristics.
In "Anna and the french kiss" we have a very clear leading lady, one who is special, who loves old cinema and someone whom people can still recognize. In the beautiful scenery, with Paris filling up every corner of the page. I remember the streets, the feeling and the people from when I was there.
Then, of course, there's the love interest of the novel. Oh. Oh. Oh. I think this is where the "real" characters come in again. Etienne St. Clair isn't just a pretty boy who runs around being pretty. He has issues, and I think the author has truly conveyed the issued really well. Same goes for the relationship between Etienne and Anna. It's truly complicated, and just lined with misunderstandings and awkward moments. It's real! They need each other in different ways, it isn't just one-sided. (Once again, read: Bella.)
I think this is one of my favorite YA novels ever. Filled with romance, sadness, anger, laughter, Paris and classic movies (those happens to be my favorites). The fact that St. Clair happens to speak with a British accent certainly doesn't add to my secret fantasies. Certainly not. At all.
I pushed the novel into my friend's hands just a few days after, not thinking she would actually have time to read it. Later that evening I get a text saying: "Page 80. F**kin hell. Where does St. Clair live and how do I contact him?" Half an hour later. "Fun. F**king. Tastic."
Approved? I think so.
I suppose this isn't much of a review, but it's all you're going to get.
I have four novels on their way to me now, "Behemoth," "The Spirit Rebellion," "The Spirit Eater" and "Water for Elephants." The last one is a recommendation from Filippa (hi Filippa) which is splendid, because I forgot I had planned to read it.
"Behemoth" is the second novel in the 'Leviathan' series by Scott Westerfeld and the Spirit novels are the second and third novels in a series called 'The legend of Eli Monpress.' Splendid, huh?
If anyone actually read this blog, you might have noticed that I disappeared somewhere along the line. Whoopsie-daisy.
But now I am back, full force, and while I will no longer try to read a (crazy) goal of 100 books, I will be reading - a lot - and telling you guys about it here. Exciting, don't you think?
I am currently in a fantasy phase, so if I keep ratting on about such novels, feel free to ask me to stop. I will read anything good, whatever genre it's from. And I do waste my money on books, so I am likely to buy the books you recommend.
That was all for now, expect some posts to be up in a few days as I procrastinate the weekend away.
Cheerios.
But now I am back, full force, and while I will no longer try to read a (crazy) goal of 100 books, I will be reading - a lot - and telling you guys about it here. Exciting, don't you think?
I am currently in a fantasy phase, so if I keep ratting on about such novels, feel free to ask me to stop. I will read anything good, whatever genre it's from. And I do waste my money on books, so I am likely to buy the books you recommend.
That was all for now, expect some posts to be up in a few days as I procrastinate the weekend away.
Cheerios.
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