The Book Thief [The Book Version]

So, I have been asked to write a review about The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Personally, it is not the best story, but I still found it very unique and very memorable piece of historical fiction.

The Book Thief hosts a lot of new concepts to be presented to the world of story writing and a story line that although is quite bleak, is interesting and fresh. Normally, people don't like reading historical fiction, and this story is no exception to the doubt and assumed boredom that is felt by students asked to read this book. However, I have read this book on my own free time, not only as an assignment for school, and I can honestly say that either way, the readers will be genuinely surprised and in for a story that will humble-ize everyone? Comment a better word for this, please.

Here's the Review:

The story was not particularly exceptional, nor was it suspenseful. However, if you were assigned this to read, it is not terribly boring. Truthfully, this book is more creative and symbolic than intensely captivating. The build-up of Liesel's character and her relationships with the supporting characters in the story really made it interesting in the eyes of character analysis. The setting of Molching, a German town, creates a vivid perspective on how the Germans lived through the war, whether it is the imagination of Zusak or not. Truthfully, I don't know if the books have some sort of metaphoric resonance or not—I feel like although it played a huge role in the book (with Liesel being described by Death as "The Book Thief") I was a bit blind towards how important the thievery actually was aside from the way it played into Liesel's life. I think that it is symbolic towards rebellion, the irony that there's this girl living in Germany and learning to read when Germans disapproved of literature as a whole. I mean, there were book burnings dedicated to the Fuhrer—it can't get any more anti-reading than that. 

If I had to say something about the characters, I would say that they were beautifully crafted to fit the story. Every one of them affects you somehow, even if it's just the slightest pull at your heart strings. I am a girl, so keep it in mind that I might be somewhat more emotional when reading a book. I mean, you'd probably would've avoided me when I was reading The Fault In Our Stars; I was a crying mess. Liesel has this stubbornness that you kind of dislike at first, but you start to feel for her as the story progresses. Rudy—I just love that boy. He is the cutest thing ever (again, I am a girl) and he brings this sort of comedic relief that stories—especially this story—really need. I would write more about the rest of the characters, but that would make this review way too rambly and it would become a character analysis of The Book Thief instead of a review of the whole thing. 

Not talking about the storyline. Read it yourselves, people.

If I had to recommend this book, which I do, I would recommend it specifically to teenagers and young adults or children who want to show off that they can read big books. I think if you were any older than than twenty-three you wouldn't enjoy the book as much as someone in their teens will. I don't know. Let's just say that I don't recommend this book to old people. I recommend this book to people who love metaphors, symbolism, and a wonderful book if you want to view it in a structural perspective. The complex make-up of this book was woven beautifully and creatively, and I something to spaz about if you're a English geek like me. Ha. 

So, this is my review of The Book Thief. Don't know if you enjoyed it or not, but whatever. 

I'll post the link to buy the book later, and maybe even a free PDF file. Anticipate later~

The Fault in Our Stars

This is possibly the worst thing that has ever happened to me, but yet this is possibly the best thing at the same time. I mean, this is The Fault in Our Stars that we're talking about.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Okay, I'll stop talking gibberish and get to the professionalism behind my reviewing. What am I talking about, this is a teenage girl talking to you, I don't sense any professionalism. Anyways, the book is just amazing. I remember when I first saw this in the bookstore, on the "Bestsellers List" in Barnes & Noble. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I purchased it anyway and spent the whole night reading it. Instant. Love.  

If you've read the posts before this, you would know that I am a huge TFIOS and John Green fan. Okay, maybe just the last post, but I feel like this book requires more than just ONE blog post like seriously. The story is about this guy and this girl who both have cancer and they fall in love. Yes, the whole typical "cliche" storyline with a cancer twist. It is, and I quote, "a cancer book that is not about cancer." Well, to be honest, this book is about cancer. But it's about the love cancer has brought upon two people whose lives are in the shadow of cancer. I've probably used the word "cancer" like twenty times already, but there is no other word to describe it more specifically. Should I say osteosarcoma and thyroid cancer? There is still the word "cancer" in that description. Using the word "cancer" I am able to reach those who have no idea what osteosarcoma or thyroid cancer is. Therefore, I shall continue to use this word. 

The Characters are bloody complicated. But in a way, it is good bloody complicated. The two main characters that this story revolves around have the names of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters. You've probably heard these names mentioned at least a billion times on the Internet if not in real life. If you've read the book, you probably would smile or insta-fangirl as I put it. 

Hazel Grace is your ordinary cancer survivor. Not really. Her disease, thyroid with "an impressive satellite colony in my lungs" has been named terminal by her doctors. Terminal means incurable. For now, she just has to continue receiving meds and breathing using her oxygen tanks and BiPap. She's been drawn out of school since she was thirteen. Her best friends are her parents and a author who doesn't know she exists. 

She lives as a survivor, almost. She breathes as a side effect of death. 

Augustus Waters rejects that she is unextraordinary. He is a sexy, metaphoric, hot boy with an endless mind and osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, took one of his legs, leaving him with a prosthetic and a stump. That doesn't mean that he is a depressed, lonely, guy, no, he is by the far the most infinitely fascinating boy to have graced my literary world. I just can't seem to solve the mystery of Mr. Waters. 

He lives as a survivor, almost. He lives by the grandness of a roller coaster that only seems to be heading up. 

I want to say that he is an enigma, but I'm not sure if that's the right way to put him as he is quite open to Hazel. Augustus is that kind of character where you feel like he is fine and develop a crush on. Like Four from Divergent, just minus the whole 'Dauntless' and 'four fears' and 'mysterious past' measures. Let's just say it is fairly easy to develop crushes on guys that don't exist for the sake of imagination. 

The way that John Green displays these characters in such a story just pulls on your heartstrings, literally. It's such a simple story, but the complexity of the romance is how their diseases play into everything: their encounter, their experiences together, their feelings towards one another, their love story. This book makes you want to curl up into a ball and not let go of the story forever. 

The Story itself is hard to explain. But then again all stories are hard to explain. I'll give too much away if I summarize it, yet it's very vague if I don't. Let me just say that the two bond over books, one of their friends goes blind, and there is a very beautiful European city in the mix. Augustus is willing to go all out, while Hazel wavers, almost becoming her disease. Peter Van Houten is a dick, and that is giving away all too much already. Sisiphys the hamster has a future, although the same cannot be said about Anna's mom. 


So unless you want a huge spoiler, I suggest that you leave the rest to the book.

Buy it here on Amazon~

To be honest, I think the book was definitely a masterpiece. I also think that the movie is going to the book justice, judging by the trailers and clips I have seen on the web and on YouTube. John Green himself said that he felt the movie portrayed the book stunningly, so I am just going to follow our beloved author's judgment. 

Speaking of the movie, why don't we all see the trailer (although you've probably watched it only a few million times already): 

The Fault in Our Stars Official Trailer (2014)

Alittle more about John Green:

He has been the author of a total of four solo books and about two/three co-authored books as well. The author of Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, and now The Fault in Our Stars, Green is a force to be reckoned with. His writing isn't amazingly elegant, but the stories they portray are touching and realistic. Almost. 

Young Adult fiction. Sigh. 

Eleanor and Park~

Oh. My. God. This book. Just thinking about it gives me feels. Oh god. 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell 

Buy it here on Amazon~

This book is just tear-jerkingly good. I finished it at about two in the morning a few months ago, and let me just say it made my cry so much I couldn't comprehend anything. it's like... almost the size of The Fault in Our Stars's emotional damage times two. 

The story follows a girl named Eleanor and a boy named Park who fall in love. Sounds totally cliche, I know. But there is a twist in their lives, and their romance is a much more bumpy one. This book conveys what it's like to be in love whilst you're young, and it really pulls heartstrings at points. The book basically shows that the first love practically never lasts, but there are two people willing to attempt at defying that rule. Their backgrounds are totally different, but somehow, they end up loving each other. It gives off the message that you don't necessarily have to be pretty, skinny, and whatever it is girls want to be, to find a love worth fighting for. 

The Characters are beautifully crafted. They were born on the page as misfits. I guess you see more misfits in the fiction nowadays, and it really does help readers to connect. Park Sheridan, god I just love that name, is a Korean American born into an Irish family. Yeah. His father was a U.S. soldier that married a Korean woman after serving in the Korean War. He is the main male of the story, and is the only Asian in the entire school. Which is kind of unfair, but quite realistic in Midwestern America. When you read the book, you'll understand why I love him so much. He's a straight-forward, inexperienced, hot guy. The kind that you want in a boyfriend. He is just... wow. 

Eleanor is a more... frustrating character in my opinion.  It's not that she's snobby or stuck-up or whatever, it's just that she is too busy wallowing in self-pity and living in her problems that she doesn't really try to live her life. However, she is realistic, and as a realist I do quite enjoy that she doesn't seem to be someone who is unachievable; in fact, I think she is someone we can all relate to in a way. Eleanor really does let her insecurity get in the way of life, which is what happens to a lot of us, and my heart really reached out towards the life she was leading. She seems to be an unlikely person that Park would fall for, yet you get that gut feeling that they were meant for each other. 

The character build-up in general was incredible. I love how Rowell is able to create her characters so artistically and effectively. Being an Asian myself especially, I can understand the discrimination and semi-isolation from others when in a non-Asian environment. She handles her characters so very delicately, yet there is passion and emotion in all the actions they take and decisions they make. It's just a work of art. 

The Story is captivating. I know the whole Asian-coupley thing isn't huge in the teen literature world, but in this story, it plays a major role in the enjoyment and pain of the reader. Rowell handles the difference in ethnicity and heritage to weave a socially inacceptable couple in their society and shows that love really can cross boundaries. The story isn't just about love, it is about so many other topics that every one of us has come across or will come across. 

The story is about how Park and Eleanor fall in love unknowingly, then all at once. They bond through comic books and Walkman tapes (this is 1986, people, 1986), then have to overcome the hurdles in life set in front of them. Happy ending? No promises. 

The book is just so... [insert unidentified murmuring and fangirl groans] YOUNG ADULT SLASH TEEN SLASH ROMANCE SLASH COMEDY. It will make you laugh, make you go "Aww~" and make you cry. 

I love saying that Eleanor & Park is "a quiet book with a resonating voice," because it is. Generally, I'm not that into major-cliche-love stories (well, maybe I am), but when I read this I cried. Well, I cry during any emotionally touching book which is possibly every book I read and buy, but this book really is special. 

As for the couple, I ship them even if Eleanor is a crazy witch in my dreams. 

Suggestions for reviews?