In English - John Green - Paper Towns

After reading more and more articles about John Green in this blog I like, I decided to finally read another of his novels, Paper Towns, soon on screen.

Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Genre: YA novel

Year: 2008

Country: USA

Summary

   Quentin Jacobsen, a teenager, used to be a very close friend of his neighbour Margo Roth Spiegelman. He is still in love with her and admires her amazing and special personnality. But they barely talk to each other anymore. One night though, Margo comes into Quentin's room through the window and takes him with her on a punitive expedition to take revenge on some of her friends who betrayed her. Quentin feels proud and happy to be the one she chosed. But the next day, Margo disappears, only leaving some clues for him to discover her retreat. With the help of his best friends Ben and Radar, and Margo's former best friend Lacey, Quentin will go on a search for Margo.

My opinion

   First of all, Paper Towns is a page-turner. I couldn't help going on reading it. Quentin's attempts to solve the puzzle Margo left him made the book fascinating; I felt like I was reading a crime novel and really liked that. I also liked the passages in the abandonned shop, because I am currently fascinated by Urbex (urban exploration); I think I am sensitive to the mysterious charm of abandonned places, and I found this charm was felt in the novel.

   But I have to confess one thing: I couldn't become attached to the characters. It was the same as in The Fault in our stars. I guess I felt this way because I find John Green's eccentric teenagers quite artificial. I could have loved this book, but I thought it had something unfinished, in a way.

   Last but not least, the novel made me laugh a lot. Quite a guilty laugh, though, the humour being rather vulgar. The writing has, to my mind, nothing extraordinary.

   I have to mention the very end of the novel, that I loved and found remarquable. 

   So my opinion on this book is mitigated... I liked it better than  The Fault in our stars though.

To conclude

4/5, artificial but quite fascinating

   I will probably go and watch the movie as soon as it will be released in France and may write my thoughts about it on my blog or on the Facebook page.

In English - John Green - The Fault in our stars

   Finally I decided to read this bestseller...

Title: The Fault in our stars

Author: John Green

Genre: YA novel - love novel

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Summary

   Hazel Grace Lancaster, 16 years old, suffers from a thyroid cancer that became a lung cancer, unabling her to breathe properly without an oxygen tank. Thank to a miraculous medicine, Phallanxifor, her life expectancy turned longer. She is forced by her mother to attend a pathetic and depressing Support Group. One day, she meets there a gorgeous and original boy, Augustus Walters. They get on well and quickly become friends. Hazel tells him about her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, that has the particularity to end right in the middle of a sentence. Her dream is to meet the author to know what happens to the characters. Augustus will do everything to show her his love and make her dream come true.

My opinion

   First things first, the plot. Of course, the subject of the book is not the most joyful ever, and the book in itself can't help being pathetic, rather sad, and, according to me, very cheesy. The love story is a little too easy between them. Hazel and Augustus are of course quite special people, Hazel being obsessed with An Imperial Affliction and Augustus loving all sorts of metaphores. So, of course, they are not banal and that is a good point. But let's be honest: I didn't manage to truly love the characters, especially Hazel, who is the narrator. Maybe I didn't because I found Hazel quite a depressing character, and Augustus a little pale. I mean that I wasn't that interested in what they were going through.

   Then, as far as the reflection about sickness and death is concerned, I found this novel was of varying quality. It could have been very interesting, and sometimes it is, especially at the end where one of the characters is confronted to the weakness and degeneracy of the sick other one, but most of the time, Hazel keeps saying "Dying sucks, dying sucks", which is obviously accurate but not one of the most profound observation ever.

   I can't talk about this book without mensioning the humor. Well, it's not really my kind of humor and a bit repetitive, but I have to admit it made me smile most of the time. The writing is like the reflection, of varying quality. As far as the narration is concerned, I found out why I didn't like that much those YA-books-that-are-told-by-a-teen-girl-who-falls-in-love that are such bestsellers nowadays (I am thinking of Twilight, The Hunger Games, or Divergent): I simply prefer the 3rd person narration than the first person narration. I think it makes the book more interseting by giving the narration some objectivity and allows a better sentimental or social analasis. I am thinking, for example of Zola's novels which are my favorite ever. But of course it is a very personal point of view.

   It is hard for me to give my opinion about this novel, because though I spotted many weaknesses and didn't fall in love with it, I still couldn't put it down and liked it. This is a paradox...

To conclude

   3/5, of varying quality

   I started watching the movie, I have not finished it yet but I can say I find the acting quite bad, except for Shailene Woodley who plays Hazel and is amazing. And I was surprised because the plot of the movie is the same as the one of the book, I even recognized some quotes from the book. So I guess it is a very good point.

In English - R.J. Palaccio - Wonder

   Here is a new article about a book I borrowed almost at random...

Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palaccio
Genre: Novel
Country: USA

Summary
   August is quite a special child. He has a genetically-transmitted disease that makes his face look deformed. He thinks that he is ugly, and every other child who sees him runs away, screaming. Even grown-ups are surprised. This is why he never went to school. But one day, his parents dcide to let him go to middle-school, because he cannot live all alone anymore. So he goes to Beecher Prep School. Unfortunately it is very hard for him. Nobody wants to sit next to him, or talk with him, or even touch him, except a boy whose name is Jack Will, and Summer, a really nice girl. He has to face bullying.

My opinion
   By reading the summary of the book, you could think it is really sad and depressing. But it is not at all like this. It let you go into the world of childhood, that can be really cruel, but has a kind of freshness. The thing is, most of the kids are mean, but they do not really mean it,and cannot help it, they are,in a certain way, innocent. There is a duality in these children.
   Second, the story is told by several children, such as August, his sister Via, his friends Jack and Summer... It is very interesting to have children's point of view, they regard things and social relationships in such a different way from grown-ups ! I really found August was so cute, and I enjoyed a lot these children's stories. Moreover the book is not sad nor sanctimonious; and the end is charming.
   The chapters are short so the book is easy to read. And I did not have trouble understanding, the English is easy to understand. Nevertheless, the only thing that bothered me is that one chapter iswritten without any capital letter. I wonder why (excuse me, that was a really bad pun...).
   I adored this book so much that I have already ordered it on Amazon.

To conclude
   5/5, amazing

I hope I have not made too many mistakes... I am currently reading The Magic Skin by Balzac (La Peau de Chagrin).

In English - Rick Riordan - The Kane Chronicles 2

  I am back with a new book by Rick Riordan, the second one of the Kane Chronicles, The Throne of Fire . I know, I should have written an article about the first one, but I read it about six months ago and I have just finished the second one, so... Please forgive my English mistakes...

Title: The Throne of Fire
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy
Year: 2011
Country: United States

Summary
   They defeated Seth in The Red Pyramid, Carter and Sadie Kane, 13-years old- teenagers, the pharaohs' descendants and powerful wizzards, teach young beginners magic in Brooklyn. But their second task is hard: they have to face a dangerous ennemy: Apophis, the big snake and the Chaos Master, is awaking. That is why Carter and Sadie want to wake Ra up. Ra is the god of the Sun and used to fight Apophis every day. In order to find him, Carter and Sadie, helped by the dworf god Bes, have to search for the Book of Ra and fight against the wizzards from the House of Life, represented by the dangerous Vlad Menchikov. They have only five days left to save the world, though the gods themselves are against them.

My opinion
   I did not find The Red Pyramid, the first book, was a good novel. According to me, it looked like Percy Jackson too much, and was not at all as good as it. But I enjoyed The Throne of Fire much better. First, the characters are more complex and the book is thrilling. Then, I learned more about Egyptian mythology, which is quite fascinating and not as well-known as the Greek mythology. And overall, to my mind, The Throne of Fire is funnier than The Red Pyramid or Percy Jackson. I really laughed while reading this book. And the main character are human and you can really well identify with them.
   According to me, the book is still not well-written, and not as awesome as the Percy Jackson series, but I was surprised by this book. I really thought it would be worse than The Red Pyramid.

To conclude
   3/5, a good surprise

In English- Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

   Here I am ! I just started writing articles in English. The first one will be about a fantasy novel by Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. In fact, I have read the whole serie and I enjoyed it very much. I dedicate this to my friends from Google +. Please would you forgive me, I do not speak English very well yet, so if you spot a mistake, please let me know it. The first book is The Lightning Thief.

Summary
   Greek gods are actually real. That is what a teenager, Percy Jackson, whose mother is married to an unbearable loser, finds out. His best friends Grover is a satyre and his Latin teacher is the famous centaur Chiron. They tell him that himself is a demigod, half human, half god. He must go to a special camp where such people are safe from the attacks of monsters. But somebody happens to have stolen Zeus'most powerful weapon, his lightning bolt, and the king of gods suspects Percy. He must find the Lightning Thief before the Summer Solstice to prove he is wrong. His friends Grover and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom, will help him.

My opinion
   I really enjoyed this book, maybe because I like Greek mythology very much. I find the idea of mythology in today's world just awesome. The characters are friendly, and the Wicked are quite complex.
   Nevertheless, I did not like some characteristics of the book. First, I think Rick Riordan does not write very well. I know this is a book written for teenagers, but to my mind this is not a reason to write like a teenager. Second, the book is about Greek mythology, so I expected more Greek stuff... In the book America is the centre of the world and the whole story takes place in the US. For example, Olympus is above the Empire State Building. I know the USA are the main and the most powerful country in the world, I find it good that American people are proud of their country, I like this country and its language, but I believe that maybe the book is "too American". Third, it was written on the cover the book was "hilarious"...well, I did not find it very funny.
   Despite these reserves, The Lightning Thief seemed to me very thrilling and on the whole, I really enjoyed it a lot.

To conclude
   4,5/5 read it as a relaxation, but still awesome.

   The movie (2010, directed by Chris Columbus, starring Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T. Jackson) does not follow the book at all, and it is average. It is better to watch it before reading the book, not to be disappointed by the film. It is not as awful as the fangirls say, to my mind, but yet, not a masterpiece.