My Book Reviews

Just One...: Includes Just One Day, Just One Year, and Just One Night by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit I was initially a bit intimidated to start this book. Given how thick it is and the fact that I've not read anything by Forman before this (especially since this is 2 books in one), I was a bit worried that I might not finish it if I found that I didn't like it.

Turns out I didn't have to worry, because it was so easy to fall into the characters' stories. To cut a long story short (in case anyone needs it), in the first book (aka first part of this book), the story is told in Allyson/Lulu's perspective. After all the turmoil and unanswered questions, we go to book/part 2, which tells the story from the climax in Willem's perspective. Then, everything starts to fall in place, and beautifully so.

In the last bit, Just One Night (I wouldn't call it a third 'book', because it's only about a chapter long. It's more an epilogue than anything if you ask me), you can almost feel the tension as Allyson and Willem meet again after a year. Then as both parties explain their sides of the story, the tension dissolves as everything falls in place.

The ending leaves room for speculations, but this time, it doesn't sound quite as bad.

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The Kill Order by James Dashner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I could've finished this much faster, but I admit I took my own sweet time. =B

If anyone who hadn't bought this series as a set, let me just say this; if you're thinking of getting this book, know that it will not be about the Gladers.

The Kill Order is a prequel to the series, and it tells the tale of a group of people that experienced the Flare when it first arrived. In other words, this story was set years before Thomas and the Maze. Having said that, I feel that this book is 'optional' in the series, if you will. It's like a back story on how the Flare started and how WICKED was formed.

I don't think it would affect much of the trilogy in general even if you don't pick up this book.

That being said though, this is one intense book.

It's what I consider 'light reading', yes, but it's the kind where you can expect a cliffhanger at the end of almost every chapter. The scenes with the infected reminded me of the finale in The Girl with All the Gifts.

The final showdown for The Kill Order had me completely immersed, and I could feel the urgency; feel my heart pounding as I hastily scanned through the pages, eager to find out how this one ends.

There ARE little mentions of some of the Gladers (though I won't say who), but only in the prologue & epilogue.

If you want to find out how the pandemic started, then by all means get this book and fill in the plot holes. Otherwise, you can rest assured that you won't miss much.

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The Death Cure by James Dashner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is... something. I can say that in some ways, it doesn't involve another 'trial', as the first 2 books did. Though believe me when I say that it does not lack action and intensity.

There were incidents and scenes that I wasn't happy about; not in Dashner's writing, but with what happened with certain characters: characters that I had actually grown quite fond of. One such scene was when Thomas did not quite end up with the person I had been hoping for.

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The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all let me just say that I wasn't aware of how different the books and movies were until I read the book. Initially, I started with Scorch Trials, thinking that since I've seen the first movie I didn't want to waste time re-reading the first book. But about 3 chapters in, I realised the stark difference between the movie (I saw the first AND second movie before reading the books) and the book. I was confused with the book at first because I hadn't remembered such a scene in the movie.

So I went back to read the first book first.

Long story short, I think I much prefer the books. There were more 'actions', per se. A LOT of details had been left out in the movie that it could've been a completely different movie with similar characters.

At the beginning of the book, there isn't too much action. Made me wonder about what Rat Man said about the Trials being much harder than the Maze. But when the action started, it literally never stopped until the last page. And even that was left in a cliffhanger.

The part that got to me most had to be the last bit with Thomas & Teresa. I couldn't help but agree with Thomas, and sided him in his justifications (without giving too much away!) I liked how Dashner had me in a constant dilemma as to if we could trust this character or not. It was playing in my head, and I could relate to Thomas' emotion at that time.

Overall this was a much 'heavier' read than the first book, as I think this was because it had more happenings rather than when they were in the Maze, where their main concern had been the Grievers and solving the maze.

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Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I actually finished reading it last night, but am only just writing the review now. I'm giving this 5 stars due to the humour and shocks throughout the book. I thought the second book (Hollow City) was great already, but the third book is amazing. Absolutely hard to put down, and truth be told, I had more than one 'aww' moment.

I wished this wasn't the end of the trilogy, but I think Riggs stopped at just the right time. Rather than drag a story out just because it was received well and eventually becoming boring, I think the Library of Souls ended at just the right note.