Looking for Alaska

Hey everyone!

This week's review is on Looking for Alaska by John Green.

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

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I have to say Green really likes his metaphors. He always sneaks in metaphors. I read this book because I needed an ugly crying book and I knew Green could deliver. It was a really good book though. It was somewhat predictable. Pudge kept not-so-subtly foreshadowing and basically gave everything away before it happened. It is definitely written for teens. Although I enjoyed it as an adult but I would probably have enjoyed it more as a teen. He manages once again to hit you in the feels. There's a lot of smoking, sex, and drinking. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Hello, hello, hello from Disney,

Today my review is on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.

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This was a charming little book. It was funny and whimsical. It was such a quick read. It's actually quite genius. Everything we do will eventually be erased because Earth will be no more. Not so much the aliens. It's almost like before climate change was a thing Adams knew that it was coming. If you want a light read this is the book for you. There is a lot of clever commentary on humans. And it's a classic! A book you have to read at least once. At first it's a little confusing but then things clear up. It's just a ridiculous kind of book. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

The Seventh Son

Hey everyone,

This week's review is The Seventh Son by Joseph Delaney which is the first and second book of the Last Apprentice  series.

Only the Spook has the knowledge and skill to face ghosts, bind witches, and bargain with boggarts. Now he needs an apprentice—Tom Ward, who is the seventh son of a seventh son. Other apprentices have come before. All have failed, or fled, or died. Will Tom learn what they could not? Can he trust anyone, even his one true love? He will find out—and soon, for the dark is getting powerful, and the Spook's time has come. Will Tom survive to carry on his master's battle? Will he be the Last Apprentice?

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I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It wasn't what I expected at all. I thought it was going to be some silly imaginary war story. Kind of like a bad Lord of the Rings. It was actually nothing like that, at least in the first two books. It was kind of spooky and they fight off different types of evils. I quite enjoyed it. It was simply worded so it would be great for a younger child. It really goes into depths about different creatures out there. Some situations seem impossible to get out of but they always manage it like in most books. This book really shows evil comes in all forms. The main character is strong but an outcast and kind of a jerk. So we don't have a perfect protagonist. (yay!) And finally no romance story line! How often does that happen? Rarely! There is a lot of gore and specifics of rituals though. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Welcome back!

This week my review is of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.

Half sketches create a story in pictures too, relevant history. Real last-century French pioneer filmmaker Georges Méliès collected mechanical robot-like automata, and, impoverished, worked at a toy booth in a Paris railway station. Here, orphan Hugo fixes his late father's automata, and meets Méliès through his god-daughter Isabelle.

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I absolutely love this book! (And not just because it's mostly pictures) This has a great story line behind it and is absolutely fantastic. This isn't like the Oz series by Baum where the stories seem kind of silly when you're older this book is still fantastic as an adult. The illustrations are gorgeous. There is an actual story that coincides with the actual history of that time period which is rare for a children's book. This 500+ page book really is just a short story because a good amount of the book is pictures. The ending was somewhat anti-climatic but this book is definitely magical and is just what ever adult and child is looking for in a children's book. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie