October Book Reviews

Welcome to October's book reviews! My reading has been a bit slow this month, putting me behind on my Goodreads goal of 200 books, but I still got a good amount read. Trying to get ready for NaNoWriMo has been the biggest thing taking away my time right now, as you might be able to guess. Anyway, on to the reviews!

Best Books

Wonderstruck- Brian Selznick

My Rating: 5 stars

Likes:

• Beautiful drawings. This is done by the same author who did Hugo, so it has the same amazing drawings mixed with writing. It makes me wonder how many pencils he uses in one book.

• Great writing. One of the few problems I had with Hugo was that the writing style seemed a bit flat. Maybe that's what he was going for, I don't know. But Wonderstruck had great writing that really made the story come to life.

• Deaf characters. This book takes a look at the subject of Deaf culture, especially back in the 1900s. I've always been fascinated by the Deaf, so it was interesting to see them potrayed through words and pictures.

• Awesome museums. I've also loved museums for a long time. Wonderstruck talks about them all the way from they were first created in traveling cases and how museums are a part of our lives.

Dislikes:

• Nothing. I enjoyed everything about this book.

Dear Mr. Knightley- Katherine Reay

My Rating: 5 stars

Likes:

• Sam, the main character. She's a former foster kid who's trying to find her place in the world. Her problem is she has trouble connecting to people, so she puts on characters, mostly from Jane Austen novels, to hide behind. I empathized with her so much, having also felt that insecurity and wanting to be someone besides myself.

• The themes. Themes of love, belonging, and being yourself run through the whole book. It has a subtle Christian message that really hits home.

• Epistolary format. Which means it's told through letters, in this case. I've always loved books told in letter or diary form, so I enjoyed it. However, I know not everyone does.

• A clean romance. There's no cursing and no sex. It's wonderful. Because I think the author is a Christian, it's a safe read that's really beautiful.

Dislikes:

• The end. Not that I didn't like how it ended. I loved it. But I didn't like the way it was written. The last fifty pages or so are not letters (you'll have to read the book to see why) and is told in third person. It felt like I was disconnected from Sam at a crucial time. I just think it would have done better in first person.

Worst Books

Horizon- Scott Westerfeld

My Rating: 3 stars

Likes:

• Yoshi. There are several kids in this story, but the only one I liked was Yoshi. He was the only one that really felt like he had a personality to me. Plus, he had a sword, so that was cool.

• It made you curious. I expected more from this book, so it disappointed me. I do want to keep reading the series just to see if it turns out the way I think it will.

Dislikes:

• It was basically The Maze Runner for kids. If you compare the plots, they were quite similar. Kids in an unfriendly environment for an experiment, surrounded by things that want to kill them.

• A bit cliche. It was a classic survival story with some high tech science gadgets thrown in. There weren't any big surprise twists or things you didn't see coming.

• Characters. They were pretty boring. Most of them were smart, and that wasn't very fun. Then there was an annoying older boy who I didn't like, who turns out to be nice, then guess what happens to him.

Pathfinder- Orson Scott Card

My Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Likes:

• Engaging. Like Ender's Game, Card is telling two stories at once that turn out to be the same story. I love how he does that. And how he keeps you confused until you suddenly realize something that he confirms a few pages later.

• Excellent science. Card isn't one for soft sci-fi. This book sounds like fantasy at first, but it's actually on another planet. The science was amazingly realistic.

Dislikes:

• It was huge. The thing was 650 pages of confusing. The middle felt like it went on forever and I switched between liking the characters and being annoyed by them.

• Too much science. I simply didn't have the brainpower to understand it. There was lots to do with time travel and space travel. If you have a hard time understanding something like Doctor Who, then this certainly isn't for you. I felt like one of the characters when I was finished it- "Excuse me while I go stab myself in the eye with a stick".

• Not what I expected. Like I said, it sounds like fantasy when you start it. Then it takes a definite turn to sci-fi. I thought it would be different (more interesting, to be honest), when I picked it up.

Notable Mention

Ahsoka- E. K. Johnston

My Rating: 4 stars)

I'm a major Star Wars fan, and Ahsoka is one of my favorite characters. She's amazing because she's gone through so much, and yet remains sensitive and kind. So I absolutely had to read this book. It takes place after Order 66 is given and is about Ahsoka trying to find her place in the galaxy now that all her friends are dead.

The author did a great job with the book. It really captured Ahsoka's voice and personality. I loved the story and the plot, except for one thing. One of the girls, Kaeden, liked Ahsoka, and I don't mean as a friend. That really lowered my opinion of the book, because I thought it was unnecessary.

Other Books

Once Upon a Frog- Sarah Mlynowski (3 stars)
The Horse and His Boy- C. S. Lewis (5 stars)
Genie in a Bottle- Sarah Mlynowski (3 stars)
Sugar and Spice- Sarah Mlynowski (3 stars)
The Eye of Zoltar- Jasper Fforde (4 1/2 stars)
Rise of the Arcane Fire- Kristin Bailey (3 1/2 stars)
100 Cupboards- N. D. Wilson (5 stars)
Prince Caspian- C. S. Lewis (5 stars)
13 Treasures- Michelle Harrison (4 stars)

There are my reviews. As normal, the ones I don't mention here are linked to my Goodreads reviews. Also, there won't be any reviews next month due to NaNoWriMo.

Let's talk! What have you read this month? Are you a Star Wars fan? Do you like hard sci-fi? Tell me in the comments.