Book Corner - Life of Pi Review

As promised, I have gotten round to reviewing this book!

I have been reading it throughout exam season so it has taken much longer than I would have liked to get into it.

Life of Pi is a story about a 16 year old boy surviving on a life boat with a zebra, hyena,orangutan and a Bengal Tiger.  The idea is so obscure that you are unable to compare it to any other book!  It is beautifully written and has the most original ideas I have ever read.  I have to say though, in parts there was a bit of gore which sent shivers down my spine!

Book Corner - Numbers

This gripping book by Rachel Ward is about a girl called Jem, when she looks into people's eyes she can see the dates that they will die.  She has stayed in the shadows her whole life but when she meets a boy called Spider and goes to London she finds her life exposed. 

I found out about this book around world book day when our teachers had to put up posters about their favorite book, this was the librarians and although she didn't sell it very well, I was looking for a book to read and a few of my friends were interested in it so I decided to order it. 

After the first day of reading this, I was hooked!  Jem is such a unique character and shows life with a completely new perspective which is really interesting, the book really explores all of the ideas about predicting the future and super-natural behavior  it also made me think about how we, as a society, judge other people we see in media.  The more you think about the idea of her power, the more mind-boggled you get, it's such a hard concept to get your head around but that is what makes it interesting and as you read on, you find that Jem is just starting to think about the consequences of her power too.  The style of writing is casual as Jem and Spider would speak which suits it, making it an easier read.  Unlike many books, I didn't feel that this one dragged on for too long in many places, I was constantly willing to pick this up.  As for the theme, it defiantly focuses on romance and Jem's many relationships with foster parents, her mum, and her peers but it certainly does have some action parts which makes it exciting.  As for the ending, I thought it was unpredictable (even though you know what will happen the whole way through the book) and it really was a cliffhanger.
Unfortunately, I did feel that this was just a pleasure read, usually I like to get something out of a book, but because I couldn't relate to Jem much it was difficult to apply anything to my own life.   

One of my friends is reading the book at the moment and she thinks it's great too!  She said that it was gripping and exciting. 

I don't know whether I will read the other two books in the series as I would like to try some other genera's that could be better.  I haven't yet ordered the next book but I think if I am ever stuck for something to read then I will come back to the series, but I am currently reading 'The Life of Pi' which I expect will take some time to finish as I am not really engaged in it so far.  

Have you read this book?  What do you think?  Would you read it?

Sorry there was no post yesterday but something strange happened to my blog posts (I know, I shouldn't be making excuses!).  Oh well, i'm sure you survived!

Em x

Book Corner - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I love reading.  It is what inspires me to write.  I love reading magazines and other blogs to see what trends are around and I love reading books to relax me and make me engage in someone else's life for a while, and escape from my own.  
So I thought why not let you know what I think of the books I read so that I can recommend them and give you an idea about the different books.  I am going to call all of my book reviews 'Book Corner' posts. 

Today I want to review 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'.  

Charlie is a wallflower.  He makes friends with his teacher, barely speaks to anyone his own age, has a family full of trouble, and not to mention, very socially awkward. 

I found this book so gripping, I read it in about a week!  The main character, Charlie, writes entry's into his diary over the course of a year telling his 'friend' about his life and secrets, he explores drugs, alcohol and love which is the case for many teenagers and makes it so relate-able!  
It is so different to any other book I have read because it's plot is just like everyday life so the ending is unexpected and I truly felt that I was in Charlie's life and experiencing what he did as a 'wallflower' which is a point of perspective that few books seem to explore realistically.  I also found it fascinating because it is set in 1991-2 where life seems so similar yet so different.
To start with, I wasn't sure whether it would be any good, however after picking it up a few times a day I was able to become a part of their lives and have opinions on the different events that happen throughout the book.  Honestly, I was quite disappointed when the book ended because it felt like it could go on forever and I would love it.  But I think the length is practical, it really is a perfect holiday read because it is so easy to read and a fairly upbeat book but it really does have some important meanings if you read between the lines.

I can't recommend this book enough to teenagers, probably girls as I don't think boys would be as interested but what can I say - the main character is a boy and so is the author (maybe it's because the cover is pink?).  I can't think of a single girl in my year who wouldn't enjoy this book!

If you've read it, let me know what you thought?  If not, would you read it?

Em x