JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

I should really review Divergent and The Hunger Games in the same post, because of all the similarities. They’re both dystopian, and the main character in both novels is a feisty female who must learn to survive in an environment full of people trying to kill her.

I read Divergent on a plane from Sydney to Brisbane. I bought it just to read at the start and end of the plane trip when you’re not allowed to listen to music because you have to “switch off all electronic devices”. I ended up reading it the entire trip and then finishing it when I got home.

The premise is at first confusing: futuristic, post-apocalyptic Chicago is separated into different factions (similar to the districts in The Hunger Games). These factions are Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Erudite, and Dauntless. Beatrice Prior grew up in Abnegation, the faction known for being selfless. However, in the year she turns 16, she – and all the other 16 year olds in Chicago – can choose if they want to change. Beatrice changes to Dauntless, and becomes Tris.

She is thrust into a violent faction filled with deceit, lies, murder, and brutality. She is trained to be a fighter and defender of the city, and those who fall behind from the group are cast aside and deemed factionless.

The novel has an intriguing premise, but the first fourth of the novel is a little confusing and Roth doesn’t quite explain the setting well enough for the reader to picture it. The main character is refreshingly feisty and learns how to survive. The book has a strong romantic element that I think is missing from The Hunger Games. Tris is independent and relatable, and Roth’s writing is strong. The pace moves quickly and she’s created three dimensional characters.

My Score: 8/10

 

The Fictional Woman by Tara Moss

I’m one of those people who doubted Tara’s ability to write because she’s spent so many years not trying to be a writer. Perhaps I thought that great writers are those who have always wanted to write, or tried to write. Many doubted the quality of Tara’s crime novels because she spent her adolescence as an international model. I haven’t read any of her crime novels – mostly because of this doubt – and was therefore the perfect person to read ‘The Fictional Woman’.

Tara squashes those who don’t believe she can write. The book is well-written and Tara comes across as honest, compassionate, and very self-assured. She talks about some very sensitive topics in a respectful way. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Tara’s life, and the book could probably be read in a different order and still make sense. In each chapter, Tara weaves in personal stories, anecdotes, and facts to argue a certain side of her that she feels she needs to reflect.

The pace, however, does slow down mid way through (around the chapter on the gender wars). For a few chapters, there are few personal stories and a lot of facts, and I felt myself losing interest. She did regain my interest for the final third of the novel, but by then, I was inundated with information and statistics. After a while, you become quite passive to the facts and statistics because there’s too many of them.

This non-fiction novel highlights Moss’ intelligence and awareness of women and their importance in society. The book becomes an insightful eye-opener for those who don’t realise how marginalised women can be in the home or in the workplace.

My Score: 8/10

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

Occasionally, I come across a novel that is so well-written, and so engaging, that it makes me angry. It makes me angry out of pure jealousy. I get annoyed at how amazing the author is at constructing characters and plot. And right now, I’m angry at Patrick Suskind for his 1985 novel, Perfume.

The protagonist, Grenouille, is tossed aside as a baby and grows up with a sense of smell stronger than any other human being. He becomes fascinated with different smells, and learns about making perfume with the once-great perfumer, Baldini. Soon, Grenouille is not satisfied with the hundreds of smells and perfumes that he has stored within his mind. He needs to attain the smell of a virgin, because it is the one smell that has evaded him thus far.

I must mention that Grenouille’s desire to capture the scent of a virgin doesn’t actually arise until about the 200th page. So, between pages 100 and 200, I kept asking myself ‘Where is this story going?’ But, once you hit the 200th page, the pace quickens and you can’t put the book down. You think you know how the story will end and then Suskind twists the plot and it ends a different way. The ending is actually quite gruesome, in a brilliantly-satisfying kind of way.

The novel is dark, romantic, tragic, and comedic all at the same time. The writing is seamless, and at times, the novel jumps forward a few years (at one point, seven), and yet Suskind has written the transition so smoothly that the reader isn’t jolted at all. I may be jealous of Suskind, but I’ll still recommend Perfume to anyone and everyone.

My Score: 10/10

The Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien

I realise that most of the novels I’ve reviewed so far have been given high scores. But, most of the novels I want to read are the ones that I’ve heard of from other writers. They’re either a classic, or they will be a classic, or they’re just amazing in a ‘that’s such a good idea for a novel. Why didn’t I think of that?’ kind of way.

This review is no different. Tolkien could do no wrong. I love The Lord of the Rings almost as much as I love Harry Potter. Although it took me until I was 21 to read the series. I must’ve tried to read The Fellowship of the Ring about 20 times when I was younger, to the point where I had Bilbo’s birthday speech memorised. Sometimes it’s hard to read the book when you’ve seen the movie so many times. And, it just killed me when I realised that most of the female characters in The Lord of the Rings films were created by Peter Jackson, and actually didn’t exist in the novels.

The series – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King – follows Frodo Baggins as he tries to destroy the ring of power, which was forged by Sauron in the depths of Mount Doom. Frodo originally sets out with nine companions, but they soon separate and multiple journeys are documented. Unlike the prequel (The Hobbit) where I felt the journey was rushed, each novel in the series is well paced and the character’s actions are realistic. The setting is described well and can be imagined easily, and the dialogue is representative of each character’s role within the novel. When the journey finally ends, it’s doesn’t feel like one of those TV shows where it’s dragged on (Prison Break and Lost). It’s bittersweet, and Tolkien did the story justice.

My Score: 10/10
The Next Novel on my List? Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare

It kills me when people say that they don’t like Hamlet:
“I just don’t get it.”
“Well, I don’t get you.”

That’s the best reply that I’ve got. But when they ask me why Hamlet is my favourite Shakespeare play, I can’t seem to answer. Perhaps it’s because it feels the most realistic. Most of Shakespeare’s plays seem to have that unnecessary death and silliness. Like, ‘I heard a rumour about you and before I work out if it’s true, I’m going to kill you’ or ‘I’m sad that you’re dead so I’ll die too, even though I haven’t double checked that you’re dead yet’.

Hamlet takes place after Prince Hamlet’s father, the King, has been murdered by Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius. And now, Uncle Claudius is married to Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet can’t quite move on from this, and plots revenge. But, he’s a procrastinator, and can never quite do it. He almost does it, but then kills someone else instead, and then he puts on a play about the murder so that he can judge Claudius’ reaction to make sure that he is 100% guilty. And then he tries to stab him, but stops himself, because he doesn’t want Claudius to go to heaven. It’s take quite a while for Hamlet to do what he set out to do. And, many people die in the process. But, it wouldn’t be a Shakespeare play without death.

The play introduces themes of supernatural, god, religion, madness, and identity (my personal favourite) and is a popular choice for Grade 12 English assignments. So, naturally, teenagers are bound to hate it if they’re forced to read it. But, I was forced to read it, and I’m glad I was.

My Score: 8/10
The Next Novel on my List? The Lord of the Rings series, by J.R.R Tolkien