Random Fridays: Books I Wanted to Throw Against a Wall

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Hullo, everyone! I'm sure everyone's read at least one of those books, the sort that make even the gentlest soul want to hurl them against the nearest wall. Maybe the main character annoys you, a plot twist nearly drove you mad, or your favorite character died, or maybe your motivation is something else completely different. It might not be a bad book- it might even be one of your favorites- but the desire is still there. This week's Random Friday is about the books that do it for me.

1. Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini.

 I mostly blame Eragon (the character) for this. He annoyed me for a very long time. I don't remember specific reasons (I haven't read the books in a while), but I do recall thinking that he made a lot of idiotic decisions . . . particularly concerning Arya in book two. I mean, yes, I shipped them, but I still thought that Eragon could've gone about things a little better. Thankfully, he shaped up a bit in time for Brisingr.

2. The Star Wars novelizations

Episodes II and Episode III were the worst . . . Anakin is in my top five favorite Star Wars characters because he has some pretty good lines (particularly in Episode III) and because you can't help feeling sorry for him in some ways, but I also want to smack him across the face and talk some sense into him. The original trilogy was somewhat better, but Luke still bugged me. And then there's Episode V, in which everyone bugs me. And there's Yoda, who I kind of don't like. Call me weird, but I don't.

3. The Elite by Kiera Cass

 If your romantic relationship is forbidden on pain of death, end said romantic relationship. Do not continue it in secret, especially not when you're staying in the royal castle, and especially especially not when you're a much better match for the other guy in the love triangle. It will end in trouble and heartbreak and all sorts of messiness.

Now for some books which contained entirely too much angst (but are otherwise pretty awesome):

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

5. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

Vin. Elend. Seriously. You fell in love with each other because of who you are. Stop freaking out about it.

6. To Darkness Fled (and the first half of From Darkness Won) by Jill Williamson.

Achen, stop complaining about being king and having to get married to someone who's not Gren or Tara. Done? Thank you. Vrell, stop being in denial. You and Achen are made for each other and you know it. Your stubbornness is not amusing.

7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

 Everyone knows how I feel about Mockingjay by now, probably. I won't repeat it. (If you actually don't know and you want to, ask me and I'll tell you in the comments.) 

Not all these books are bad- in fact, I really like most of them. But that doesn't stop me from getting aggravated- usually because of characters and their bad decisions. Or their angst. (Maybe this post should've been about characters I'd like to talk some sense into instead.) 

What about you? What books give you an urge to introduce them to the nearest wall? Please tell me in the comments!

Tschau!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

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Mockingjay Review

Author: Suzanne Collins

"Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to become a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay- no matter what the personal cost."

Characters: I’m honestly not sure what to say about the characters. On one hand, like in the previous two books, they seemed to come to life as the book progressed. On the other hand, I disliked the fact that half the time, I didn’t know who it was safe to trust, and many main characters who I knew were supposed to be good (*cough* KATNISS *cough*) make some pretty bad choices. The characters were realistic, yes, but in this case, the realism seemed disappointing.

4/5

Location: Good. The settings were fairly easy to envision, as well as being fairly interesting. I didn’t get confused as to where places were in relation to other places. I will note that occasionally, I did get confused as to when things happened in relation to other events.   

4/5

Plot: I have mixed feelings about the plot. On one hand, it does a good job of finishing up the trilogy. It’s full of twists and quite fast-paced. Like Catching Fire, however, it almost seems too fast-paced in some parts. Also, I will note that a lot of people die, making it almost a little depressing at times, and the last few chapters seemed a little rushed.

3/5

Other: While The Hunger Games was the type of book you can’t put down, and Catching Fire you could put down but you didn’t really want to, this seemed like the kind of book that you have to take a short break from every so often to keep yourself from being overwhelmed. I definitely do not consider it the best in the series.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Catching Fire Review

Author: Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

 

Characters: I have very mixed feelings about the characters.  On one hand, the main characters are lifelike enough that they seem to jump right off the page. I liked getting to find out more about Haymitch, and most of the new characters were interesting. On the other hand, some of the returning characters (read: Katniss and to a degree, Peeta) disappointed me with certain choices they made.

4/5

Location: Very good. Unlike the previous book, I was able to really get a feel for the locations in Catching Fire. I especially liked the Arena; it was much more interesting and much more easy to envision than the Arena from the first book.    

4/5

Plot: Ok. The plot is fast-paced, with plenty of twists. However, I almost think it moves too fast. Several times, I lost track of exactly how much time passed between events.

3/5

Other: Catching Fire, though a good book and worth reading, is definitely not as good as The Hunger Games. I’d also like to say that right now, I think that if certain characters die, I’ll go crazy.  

Overall Rating: 3/5

The Hunger Games Review

 Author: Suzanne Collins

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed."

 

Characters: Excellent. The major characters are written in a way that makes them seem to come to life, and the good characters have a way of really getting inside you. I also glad that you only get a feeling of a few of the tributes, since it would’ve been a supremely depressing book if you’d known any more of them.

4/5

Location: I have mixed feelings about the setting of this book. On one hand, it’s interesting and generally easy to visualize. However, inside the Arena, I had trouble figuring out where locations were in relation to one another.

3/5

Plot: Very good. The plot was exciting, even before they entered the Arena, but it’s not so much nonstop action that you feel like there’s too much happening, and there’s not so much detail about people dying that it turns into a depressing book. And while there was a bit of romance in the book, it wasn’t overwhelming.

4/5

Other: I was unsure about reading this book for quite some time, but now that I’ve read it, I don’t regret having done so. There were one or two spots where I had an “Uh, I didn’t need to hear about that” reaction, but overall, it was an excellent book.

Overall Rating: 4/5