Elsewhere

Elsewhere
written by Gabrielle Zevin



The idea behind Elsewhere is a fascinatingly unique one. It is set in a world where one dies and then ages backward in a land called Elsewhere, until they are babies set to be reborn in the real world. So the natural assumption I had was that this would be a tragically depressing book--but surprisingly enough, it was absolutely NOT! The progression of time is done in such a great way that there are no periods of time when you think to yourself that it's going too quickly or too slowly, it all just moves naturally along. I was surprised by how much was in this book--it wasn't just a girl getting over her death, there were elements of mystery, suspense, romance, plot twists where you'd least expect them. All of this is tied up with what could have been a horribly sad ending, but is short and sweet and leaves no room for tears other than happy ones. What surprised me most was the elegance found in the symbolism. I can tell you with all honesty that before this, I had never found a book in which I enjoyed the symbolism or thought it contributed to the well-roundedness of a book, and I probably never will again. The symbolism (Charlotte's Web, Tuck Everlasting, the Nile river, etc.) is actually relevant and easy to find and understand. It actually makes sense, adds to the story, and I have never encountered that before. Well done, Ms. Zevin!

Rating: 5/5

The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water
written by Anne Spollen



The Shape of Water was just a little difficult to get into--it opens with a huge chunk of descriptive babble that seems to make absolutely no sense. It took a while to understand what the book was about, and even now, it's a little hard to explain. The Shape of Water lacks a solid plot, everything about it, the wording and the structure, is fluid and always moving and changing. I really enjoyed the dialogue; it was highly realistic. I think the main character's need to set fires could and should have been explored in more depth, as it was pretty much the closest thing to a plot that the book had. It took a while to understand the Fishes, and like everything else in this book, I still don't think it's possible to fully understand, but everything gradually began coming together and making more sense. I found parts of the book intriguing (fortune teller), parts very predictable (sibling), but parts unexpected (Andrew). I'd like to talk about that last one a little more. I really liked that something Andrew was going through, something that would ordinarily separate people, brought them together in such a unique way. It's a strange book, not like anything else I've read, but I'm glad I did.

Rating: 4/5

"We're in the process of unknowing one another."

Five Minutes More

I've really been looking forward to reviewing this one! Hope you enjoy :)

Five Minutes More
written by Darlene Ryan



Darlene Ryan's Five Minutes More is just another example of edgy teen literature that is ready to dive right in and make a splash to change the genre for the better. The raw honesty in D'Arcy's narration will make the reader sympathize with all of the horrible, rotten things she has to go through, at the same time thanking the powers that be that you're not the one dealing with it. It's painfully obvious that Darlene Ryan wrote this book from the heart. It's such a unique, but relevant, topic, dealt with a heartbreakingly real way. It almost seems like each and every word was handpicked to create a haunting poignance. The characters, just like the writing, is honest to humans, and I particularly enjoyed reading about Seth's breakdown aimed at D'Arcy, veering sharply away from the 'cute and cuddly' typical love interest stereotype found in young adult fiction. While I felt that the ending was somewhat rushed, I also found it reverberating for days after I finished the book in it's raw power. Everything comes full circle in this amazingly written snapshot of D'Arcy's life. I am ranking this book with the likes of Thirteen Reasons Why and Just Listen in that I believe every teen should, at some point, read and fully appreciate this wonderful piece of literature.

Rating: 5/5

Looking for Alaska

reading next: oh, God help me, I don't know. I'll probably eenie meenie miney mo it.


Looking for Alaska
written by John Green

So I'm proud of myself for finally reading this book after plenty of people told me I definitely needed to. However, I do not think it lived up to the hype at all. There is nothing particularly 'spectacular' about this book, I still believe the 'spectacular' fully resides in An Abundance of Katherines. This isn't to say I disliked it. I think John Green's style has developed since Alaska and for the better. The book had its moments of intense description that made me, not going to lie, skip some paragraphs for their density. I can see the beginnings of Green's clever writing style in the book, particularly the concussion part, and Alaska choosing her own name, but the rest, it's really just another YA book. There is the beginning of a boy best friendship, and those are always really sweet to read about, but the truly good examples of those, again, are in Green's later books. I did enjoy his commentary on 'fake grievers', God knows I get annoyed by those, and I found the Old Man's class sessions/assignments to be absolutely amazing, desperately wishing I had a class like that. But Alaska's death...eh. I've heard people say you can't get through this book without crying, but I'm doing just fine, and believe me, I'm a crier. You could see her death coming from miles away. Nothing surprising about it, nothing particularly tragic about it. Alaska wasn't as amazing, I feel, as Miles made her up to be. It was sad, sure, but nothing powerful about it. (If you want a good YA book that'll really make you think about death differently, try Thirteen Reasons Why. Now that one had me bawling). Still. Alaska had it's moments. Few moments, but awesome ones, and Famous Last Words FTW.

Rating: 3.5/5