John Green - An Abundance of Katherines

Title: An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Pub. year: 2006
Pages: 229
Editor: Speak

Summary: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home [..I skip this part because it tells too much of the story IMO..] Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

That was the last solo book from John Green I haven't read yet (that is... until he writes another one). I was in a phase where I couldn't read much, because of the work I had to do and because I was too tired and not motivated and so on. So I had to pick a book that I was sure to read fast and to enjoy. Otherwise I would have spend too much time on it and I hate that. And it worked perfectly (even if the not-in-the-mood phase is back now...).

So Colin has this awesome friend, Hassan, who takes him on a road trip to help him to get over his former girlfriend. That's a pretty good idea, if you want my opinion. But it also means that you have a lot of time to think in the car. Not that cool. But anyway, Colin end up trying to have his Eureka moment by creating The Theorem, so having time is a good starting point. What I appreciate is that even if he spends a long time mourning his relationship, he stopped just before bothering me, because Colin doesn't stay in a state of nothingness. He gets over it slowly without really realising it.

Obviously, they meet people and settle somewhere for a while, they get to do stuff that they weren't expecting to do. I really enjoyed this "we're leaving what we know for a while to somewhere where everything is different and people don't do the same stuff" aspect of the story. They get to see another point of view of the world and that makes them think about who they are and where they're going. And apparently, Colin's ability to anagram very quickly helps him doing that too.

It isn't my favorite John Green book, but I enjoyed it very much. It's funny, smart and even if some parts are predictable, you still get some surprise on the way. So, if you want to discover what happened at Gunshot in this story and how the grave of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand managed to be there instead of in Europe, you know what you'll have to do!

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Justine Larbalestier - Liar

Title: Liar
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Pub. year: 2009
Pages: 376
Editor: Bloomsbury Publishing

Summary: Micah Wilkins is a liar. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Did they kiss? Did she see him the night he died? And is she really hiding a family secret? Where does the actual truth lie?

First of all, we have bad news for you: you shouldn't read this review. It's not us saying it but the author herself, explaing why you should not be spoiled. So now, you are warned. We'll do our best not to spoil you and only refer to the general feeling, but if you can read the book first and come back afterwards, it would probably be best.


Was the story good?

Lily: Ah, well, I don't know. I'm not sure this is the kind of story really suited for me. As the author says, it's that sort of book which has many reads, and no one is right or wrong, and everyone sees it as they want to. I don't like that, I want to be told a story from start to end, not guessing what's true or not. I guess the story is good, and many people will find amazing how the reader can decide what to believe in, but I don't. Ok, so I was clearly bored with all the questioning, truth and untruth, and more questioning... bleh.

Lyra: I personnaly enjoyed it. The "many reads, no one's right or wrong" aspect didn't bother me. I was expecting a lot more messing with my head, so actually it wasn't that disturbing. Plus, open ends tends to both annoy me (I want to know what the author thought) and make me glad that I can imagine what happens next (because the story also belong to the reader), so I'm okay with them. Then, I liked the questioning even if sometimes it was a bit redundant because it made me thought about some stuff about myself and how I see things. So it's always a good point.


Were the characters moving?

Lily: No. It pains me to say it as plainly as that but THE character is Micah—the narrator—who only talks about herself or her dead boyfriend (and sometimes, friends and family, but they are only "helping" characters). The dead boyfriend could have been nice if he wasn't, like, dead. But Micah? Gosh, this girl... so she's a liar, ok, no surprise there. But beyond this (I don't care so much about the lying part) she's always, always asking questions, reflecting on herself, on others, bathing in self pity and mourning and complaining and oh-gosh-kill-me-now do I have to be with her for 376 pages?! I wish I would have liked her, because that would mean I would have liked the book. Well, that didn't happen.

Lyra: I agree on the "not moving" part, and the fact that sometimes you just want to slap Micah so she stops with the self pity. But other than that, I enjoyed her character. I liked to see the picture from the liar, get to know what she is thinking and why. I liked the fact that I felt I was in her mind (with limited access of course), not reading a book. We don't really have time to discover the other characters, so, not moving either. I felt like this book was shorter than it was, as if it was a short story, when it comes to what we know about the others.


So altogether... a must read or not?

Lily: I don't really need to explain more than I already did, right? This book is great, it's original, it's worth re-reading many times if you like making theories and chasing clues, but I never got into it. I'm just too old fashion, waiting for the story to come out by itself—if I need to dig for it, all is lost. I think anyone curious should read it because somehow, it's worth doing it, the mix of reality, fantasy and craziness is really something else. But well... it didn't work for me. Too bad!

Lyra: I can't really say. I think it's a very personnal appreciation (as always, I know, but especially here) because as you can see, this book devides. I hope our explanations of our perceptions helped you to position yourself about whether you could like it or not. Also, it's better if you have the paper version because if you want to be able to go back to check something (and trust me, it happens a lot), it's easier if it's not an ebook.

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Susan Beth Pfeffer - Life As We Knew It

Title: Life As We Knew It (The Last Survivors, book 1)
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Pub. year: 2006
Pages: 337
Editor: Graphia
Summary: Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

As Muffin says, I don't do 'it's-the-end-of-the-world' stories. But I have this friend with whom I exchange books in a way that the other has no choice but to read what the first put in her hands. So, yeah, she lent me this one and I had to read it. And as it turns out, I'm kinda glad she did.

This book is kind of an Anne Frank's diary. In a 'lol-it-didn't-really-happen' way, here. Anne Frank had WW2, Miranda has 'the Moon is getting closer and the everything is messed up'. She writes about her day-to-day life and what is happening to her. We are following the catastrophe as it happens in her life, and their consequences on it.

What was incredible is that during the whole reading process, I was like 'Oh my gosh, do I have enough cans? I should probably buy some other blankets! I miss chocolate.' and then 'Oh wait...'. When my curtains were closed, I was wondering if there really were a blizzard outside. So yeah.. I really felt like I was living the climate changes and its consequences.

It's a quite realistic book about a possible end of the world. I mean, I don't know if scientifically it's plausible, but it could be. What's interesting is how people react when this happens. And there was this bizarre effect that made me care more about new changes in climate than about people dying in the story. I don't know how to explain that... maybe the way the author wrote about it was more nerve-racking.

Anyway, I was quite absorbed in the story 'til the end, and really enjoyed it. So if you're into apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic stuff—even if you're not, I'm the living proof of it—give it a go!


Quotes:

'I never really thought about how when I look at the moon it's the same moon as Shakespeare and Marie Antoinette and George Washington and Cleopatra looked at.'

'It wouldn't be New Year's without a resolution. I've resolved to take a moment every day for the rest of my life to appreciate what I have.'

'I have no privacy. But I feel so alone.'

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John Green - The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Pub. year: 2012
Pages: 336
Editor: Dutton Juvenile

Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Lyra's review:
So. John Green again, as announced! The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS) is out since January, the 10th, and I couldn't wait to read it! Why would I?

So here we are, after turning the last page. I'm still not sure about the word to use to talk about this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and think, and feel, and smile. I had to take a break an hour or two in the middle of the story to stop myself from reading it in one go, because I needed to think about what I was feeling. I felt heart broken. I wanted hugs from my friends. I had just this sentence in my mind: Why, John Green, why are you so good with words? And a couple of hours later, I took the book and made myself comfy to finish it. Another couple of hours later, I was crying. Like, really. And later again I closed the book with a limp in my throat, very confused about the state of my feelings.

TFIOS is a smart, funny, sad, poetic, and so many other adjectives, book. John Green depicts as always clever and funny teenagers, or should I say nerdtastic ones. And he doesn't just take a sad subject and make people cry. He also makes them laugh, and think, and doesn't just bring pity on characters. I like how Hazel and Gus (and Isaac) see things. Their illness makes them think a lot about death and its side effects. But they don't mourn about it. Of course, sometimes they ramble about how it pisses them off, but most of the time, they deal with it quietly, or make fun of it.
I love how this book fights clichés about dying people and dead people. Like the way everybody suddendly loves you because you're dead and they can attract attention by the loss of a dear friend. Or the way that dying people are seen by the others. I can't say to much because I don't want to spoil it to you, but I appreciated to read a book with kids who have cancer that is not a cancer book.

You probably get it by then, but this book left a strong impression on me. I'm probably gonna think about it for a while, and it certainly did change how I see some things. I really enjoyed this reading, even if it broke my heart in a very different kind of way, and I definitely recommend you to read it too.


Lily's review:
Hey, I'm here too! Funnily (unexpectedly would be more accurate), I also had time to read this book—it took a day and half that should have been used for other purposes, but sometimes we don't have a choice, reading takes over and that is it. So, I read this book, but not because I was dying to (no pun intended): I knew already it wouldn't be my sort of book. See, I don't do Sad Stories. I don't do Heavy Drama. So, logically, I don't do Kids With Cancer books. But John Green being who he is, and Lyra being the persuasive/menacing friend she is, I read it. And I read it fast, if that tells you something.

I think it's fair to say this book is about its characters before being about its story. They're not so many, and taking aside the usual worrying but great parents (they're not usually great, in fact, but those ones are, and it's worth mentionning), the usual important-but-not-so-much friends (that includes Isaac, who made my day while reading thanks to his funny reactions), only two remains: Hazel and Augustus.

I know I'm vain, but those names, really? Oh, well. Hazel, being the story teller and all that, applies to the usual treatment: being great but a bit too much, too much of her, too much of the bad that comes with the good in everyone. And she has cancer and kind of hates it, though she often talks about it in a funny way. Somehow, I have to give it to her that she's very alive (still no pun intended) and that makes her quite a good character. Augustus is... well, I loved Augustus at the begining, even though he's really too much—too tall, too beautfiul, too sweet, too romantic, too impossible—(something Hazel and Nerdfighters apparently disagree with, but I don't have the privilege to know them enough to really figure it out), and then all goes wrong somewhere. I feel like I've been kind of cheated by the ending, I admit.

I said I don't like Sad Stories (really, I'm not kidding there) and this one starts as a funny story, where you feel slightly guilty to make fun of cancer kids, and it ends as it should end, and leaves you as it should leave you, quite overwhelmed indeed. I don't do crying, but if I did, I'd have a cup of my own tears laying around. However, I do laughing, and I had enough chuckles to make me say that this book is great, greatly written by a very good author who knows how to say what he wants to say, and make people feel what he wants them to feel, and keep feeling it for a long time afterwards.

But I am rebel deep down, and I don't do Sad Story, so I don't think I'll read it again. I learned things, fancy words, fancy poems, I learned about life and death, even thought there was so much of it that I'll never remember everything, but that's alright. This story left a tiny scar in me, and it's better than nothing.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

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John Green & David Levithan - Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Authors: John Green and David Levithan
Pub. year: 2010
Pages: 304
Editor: Dutton books

Summary: One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Funny how you can't rely on our "next read" image sometimes - it's because lately, we've wanted to organize a little surprise for you. As you might (or should) now, John Green latest book called TFIOS by anyone who's desperatly expecting it has just come out. So I'm afraid we need a little time to read it before reviewing it. In the meantime, let's make this a John Green Special! Last week was Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns came already last August, and today... let's hear a bit about Will Grayson!

Who are Will Grayson? I say "are" because they are two: the one who has this crazy gay friend obsessed with musicals, who doesn't want to get involved in anything, who's kind of in love with a girl but kind of not. Then there's the gloomy one living with his mom, friendless apart from this strange girl he hangs out with, totally in love with this mysterious internet guy that he hasn't met yet. And someday, they meet, they share their wrongs and rights, and somehow try to make it better for both of them.

Sounds like a happy story, isn't it? It's a pretty strange story, first because being written by four hands doesn't make it easy, then because most of it isn't so happy (it's pretty dramatic even), and ultimately because I hate the fact that Levithan's Will writes with no capital letters at all. I know, he explains why, and he's right and it's awesome, but it drove me crazy. Especially when two guys are called "will" and "will" is also a very common word, and I had to read some sentences twice for my brain to register. Poor brain of mine.

It's bad to play favorites but we all do: Levithan's gloomy Will was definitely my favorite. I had a bit more trouble to like the other Will, who always plays so detached and sometimes selfish and other times quite a pain in the ass, while gloomy Will was just so depressed and angry and passionate—I always prefer those. Ah, and he's gay, that's always a plus for me. But still, I quite like them both; the one who really got on my nerves was Tiny Cooper.

Sometimes I wonder if this story shouldn't have been called "Tiny Cooper, Tiny Cooper". Only one of him but he's a handful, and he's there always, talking, moving, singing, obsessed with this high school musical about Tiny Cooper that comes again and again and again. I think you got my point: I don't like musicals. And though the story was great and the ending quite touching, I was bothered by this musical that was all over it.
But wether you like musicals or not, I think you should definitely try it. It's a fun, original, sweet and touching story, kind of magic sometimes, and there's definitely talent in there!


(Hear John Green talking about it, reading the beginning, and telling you why this book is also enjoyable for cats)

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John Green - Looking for Alaska

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Pub. year: 2005
Pages: 263
Editor: HarperCollins

Summary: "In the dark beside me, she smelled of sweat and sunshine and vanilla, and on that thin-mooned night I could see little more than her silhouette, but even in the dark, I could see her eyes - fierce emeralds. And not just beautiful, but hot too."
Alaska Young. Gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, screwed up - and utterly fascinating. Miles Halter couldn't not be more in love with her. But when tragedy strikes, Miles discovers the value and the pain of living and loving unconditionnaly.
Nothing will ever be the same.

I wasn't in a hurry to read this book because I heard it was really similar to Paper Towns. I didn't want to spoil my reading by reading it shortly after.
But to be honest, if obviously there are some similar points in the plot, they are to me completely different books. They don't deal with the same kind of stuff, the reflexions are different and I wasn't bored at any moment.

What I like with John Green books is that there always is an incursion of things you don't particularly know about, and he gives us the opportunity to learn about new writers by integrating them in his stories. It fits him really well, and in a really smart way.

I also very much enjoyed the deepness of the characters. Miles, Alaska, The Colonel, Takumi, Lara, the Old Man... even the Eagle. They're not just random characters with no background, they are very different from one another, moving and enjoyable. Characters are probably the thing that matters the most to me in books, because the whole story is built around them. They carry it.

In the end, I think I chose the perfect moment in my life to read it because of what was going on around me when I did it (about a month ago). It moved me and made me think about a lot of stuff (like it did for Paper Towns, but a lot more).

As you probably have guessed by now, John Green's books are not just random teenage books for teenagers. They are smart, funny, they make you think, they make you laugh, and sometimes cry. They are really good books for teenagers but adults too. So give it a try, if you haven't already!

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Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, book 1)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pub. year: 2008
Pages: 374
Editor: Scholastic
Summary: "Once I'm on my feet, I realize escape might not be so simple. Panic begins to set in. I can't stay here. Flight is essentiel. But I can't let my fear show."
Winning means fame and fortune.
Losing means certain death.
The Hunger Games have begun...

I've heard of this book a long time before I finally agreed to read it. It reminded me of the movie "Battle Royale" which I didn't like, and it was too praised—something that often repels me too much to try it. Luckily, one of my friends didn't really leave me any choice and decided that I should read it: she lent it to me and wouldn't take no for an answer.

Knowing that we usually have the same taste, I was almost certain that despite the fact I wasn't willing to read it, I'd probably love that book. And indeed I enjoyed it very much! I read it pretty quickly... actually, I was so into it that from the moment the characters entered the arena, I read it in one go overnight.

The idea of a game where the principle is to kill or die kind of made me worry about the story, but it's so well written with not that much details that it quickly became an unputdownable book. The strategies, the relationships between the characters (not always the obvious ones) and the laws imposed in this world by the Capitol are, IMO, a good part of the reason why this book is so well received. Obviously, there's an heavy atmosphere and everything is far from being perfect, but as in 1984 by Orwell, you want to see what happens to the main characters (and you hope really hard that nothing like that will happen in real life)

So, since I really appreciated this story, I'm glad I read it! As you can see, sometimes it doesn't hurt to look beyond one's prejudices.

I've started the second book a few days ago, and I really liked it too ! I don't know if I'll come back with the other two, cause I don't like to spoil. But may the odds be ever in your favor!

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John Green - Paper Towns

Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Pub. year: 2008
Pages: 305
Editor: Speak
Summary: Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life--dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows. After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues--and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

I discovered this author through is vlog (=video blog) on youtube and when I heard he was a writer, I was curious to read one of his books. I liked the cover of Paper Towns I saw, so I bought it and read it a few weeks later.

I'm pleased by the ability of John Green to write a story about teenagers without falling into clichés. Each character is credible, neither too popular nor too much of a loser, as we often see it in this kind of story (and being French, I never experienced the gap between cheerleaders/footballers and isolated people, in my High School it was all about being with your group of friends). Quentin is a normal teenager who shows us the complexity fragility of relationship at his age. The writing is clever and funny, and the author as a keen sense of teenage reactions.
Plus, there's a lot of references in it, especially to Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, which adds moments of reflexion about who is the other in front of us, about leaving, and so on. A lot of ideas that may change the way you might see things.

I like how John Green finds a way to teach all sorts of stuff while is telling you his story. I really enjoyed all the plot around "paper towns", for example. I didn't know what it was before this book and I appreciated to learn that kind of not really useful but still fun facts.

I believe this is the kind of book that can invite people to read more, because it's really easy to read, and because of it's sensibility.

Quotes :

What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.

I'm not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.

If you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all.

That's always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people want to be around someone because they're pretty. It's like picking your breakfeast cereals based on color instead of taste.

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