Rick Riordan: The Burning Maze (2018)

    While Leo flies ahead on Festus to warn the Roman camp, Lester and Meg must go through the Labyrinth to find the third emperor—and an Oracle who speaks in word puzzles—somewhere in the American Southwest (Goodreads).

     "Why do I keep reading Rick Riordan's novels?" you might ask. The last two I reviewed were entirely underwhelming, and the franchise seemed to be going nowhere fast. Well, I keep reading them because sometimes Riordan puts out gems such as this. This third installment in Riordan's newest saga is excellently crafted. Solid character development that was extremely lacking in the previous novel turns up in spades in this one. An entertaining plot, well paced, with the addition of new characters and the revival of old favourites is done splendidly. Many elements are included, many of them layered and nuanced, even though the new villain introduced is slightly less developed than might be satisfactory, but this may yet change with following novels. Arguably the darkest novel in Riordan's Half-Blood canon, the novel features some of the most emotional and raw scenes in the entire saga, although at times, the narrator doesn't really know the spot for his humour. Add to this some jokes that fall somewhat flat, while some provoke a chuckle, the comedy portion of the novel is a mixed bag. In the end, though, Riordan redeems himself from some past projects with this excellent novel. 8.1/10

Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner (2003)

    The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant (Goodreads).

     There are so many conflicting feelings that go along with this novel. On the one hand, Hosseini writes with a brilliant voice, as he dictates a wonderful story with dynamic characters and showcases his mastery over emotion. Literary devices are used excellently, and the heart-wrenching moments truly set the novel into a league of its own. That is, until you consider the other hand. Our protagonist is so awfully frustrating, and that makes him a hard guy to root for. His self-pity and the painful way he interacts with others makes him hard to sympathize with. Or maybe we see ourselves in Amir more than we would like... Hmm... Anyway, although the author writes with brilliant stunning tenacity, he seems to point out his own hidden meanings. Which sort of defeats the purpose of hidden meanings. Pacing is also an issue, as the middle section is really boring, and an unnecessary bit of suspense is thrown in at the very end, when Amir is so close to completing an absolutely fantastically developed redemption arc. The novel is incredible in parts, and that just makes the frustrating bits all the more frustrating. Brilliant parallels between characters and a story rife with symbolism battle against several glaring negatives to produce a tale that, perhaps, is all the more compelling because of its flaws. 8.2/10

Patrick Ness: Monsters of Men (2010)

    As a world-ending war surges to life around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions (Goodreads).

     This third installment in the Chaos Walking trilogy takes a step back from its predecessors, as much of the novel is of a slower pace. That's not to say it is dull, however, because there are many examples of Ness' trademark intensity and action peppered throughout the novel. Most of the conflicts are retained from book two, but they are written just as well, meaning that it is still enjoyable despite the similarities. Ness writes with such a stunning and simplistic brutality (in a good way), and readers are kept on the edge of their seats as hope is built up in a painstakingly brilliant fashion, only to have that hope snatched away in a heartbreaking moment as the climax begins. Both the main and secondary characters see their paths fulfilled as Ness builds up to a heart-pounding (and heart-wrenching) final battle. There is a vital moment concerning the main antagonist which seems somewhat forced, and his development is almost completely wasted with one action, but luckily, his overall brilliant character is fulfilled in the end. By now, the concept of the Noise is worn a bit thin, and the rules regarding its use are not extremely fleshed out, and 1017's monologue, while it does add depth to the story, doesn't live up to the other voices in terms of emotion and interest. Overall, though, Ness concludes his saga with an epic, emotional, and brilliantly-written novel. 8.5/10

Mal Peet: The Penalty (2006)

    As the city of San Juan pulses to summer's sluggish beat, its teenage football prodigy, El Brujito, vanishes without trace. Paul Faustino, South America's top sports journalist, is reluctantly drawn into the mystery (Goodreads).

     Peet writes relatively well; the setting and characters are all described thoroughly, and the overall plot is pretty compelling in and of itself. However, to put it frankly, the book is dull. Not to a huge extent, but the writing is presented in a very bland way, and it's hard to be invested in the positives mentioned earlier when the plot moves slowly. Both plot lines have their moments, but the novel goes back and forth between them so much so that, as soon as one is invested, it switches back, and the reader is forced to start over. Those looking for a book about the sport of soccer (or football for the rest of the world) should look elsewhere, as the sport is not really a factor. Not necessarily a negative, just something of note. Faustino is a likeable enough character, but the rest of the cast echoes just about everything else about the novel: mediocrity. 6.6/10

Patrick Ness: The Ask and the Answer (2009)

    Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town (Goodreads)?

     A brilliant foray into some of the most difficult themes in literature, this second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy delivers on all levels. It starts right where the first book left off, although from there it actually goes fairly slow. A new narrator adds some variety to the novel's voice, and again Ness writes with simple diction that seems to strike a chord. The concept of the Noise wears a bit thin this time around, though, and as we learn more about it, the rules surrounding its use is somewhat vague. The pace picks up as the plot develops, and the latter half of the book is rife with emotional, heart-wrenching scenes, as we see our protagonists struggle with difficult issues, and readers, too, are forced to pick sides as Ness unveils the true brutality of civil war. As far as complexity goes, this sequel outweighs its predecessor by far, and although some character development is slightly unrealistic, it delivers on that front as well. The antagonist(s) are given a lot more substance this time around, and Ness is able to narrate with such urgency that keeps readers on their toes for the majority of the novel, except for the slightly slower beginning. 8.7/10

Kate DiCamillo: The Tale of Despereaux (2004)

    Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea (Goodreads).

     It might be charming, but beyond that, The Tale of Despereaux is extremely underwhelming. It's hard to root for the protagonists, not because one of them is named after a vegetable, though that doesn't help, but, to be honest, they don't really do much. Light is good and dark is bad, and sometimes, the imagery going along with that in the book is pretty well-executed, but the entire plot is mostly forgettable. It's also kind of annoying being constantly reminded of what just happened a few seconds ago by random interjections from the author. Luckily, the author writes well enough, with a calm, clear diction, that these interruptions are bearable. Imagery is done well, and the author describes things with an endearing, intelligent voice, and the vocabulary is pretty well done, but a bland plot, characters, and dialogue make for a fairly 'meh' read. 6.5/10

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Return of the King (1955)

    The armies of the Dark Lord are massing as his evil shadow spreads even wider. Men, Dwarves, Elves and Ents unite forces to do battle against the Dark. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle further into Mordor in their heroic quest to destroy the One Ring (Goodreads).

    Although it is the third installment in his fantasy epic, Tolkien's world building expertise shines again as he introduces new places, people, and history that makes one feel as if they have been immersed for much longer than they actually have. As the suspense builds towards the climax, readers are torn between wanting to stay surrounded by Tolkien's beautiful, borderline verbose, diction and discovering the penultimate ending. The author switches between different points of view seamlessly, and the many layers of plots and subplots add to an incredible experience. Having Frodo and Sam's journey as a completely separate section of the book has its pros and cons, a pro being able to stay involved with each character more thoroughly, a con being repeated reminders of what is taking place at which time. Nevertheless, Tolkien's fantastic, and by now legendary storytelling abilities more than make up for it, stupendously finishing the saga. 8.8/10

Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

    Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society (Goodreads).

    A brilliant portrayal of humanity at its most raw, Oscar Wilde uses his trademark wit and thought-provoking philosophy to weave a grand tale that begins as a bold venture into human morality and sin, and finishes as a chilling yarn of horrific proportions. Countless quotable lines are peppered throughout, as Wilde showcases his talent at both dialogue and overall narration. Characterization is also done splendidly, as Basil, Lord Henry, and Dorian Gray himself all shine in their own specific way. The title character in particular stands out, as his transformation from innocent young man into cold-blooded killer paints (heh) an eerie picture of humanity at its worst. Wilde wraps it up with a grim (although, to be fair, somewhat predictable) ending, yet the novel itself leaves readers thinking about its contents for a long time afterwards. 8.7/10

Patrick Ness: The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008)

    Imagine you can hear everything the town of men say about you. And they can hear everything you think. Imagine you don't fit into their plans. Todd Hewitt is just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man. But his town has been keeping secrets from him. Secrets that are going to force him to run (Goodreads).

    Yeah, it's a little hard to get into, a little difficult to adjust to the narrating voice, but at the same time, the simplistic diction strikes hard into the heart of the reader, and the repetitive way that Ness writes is only repetitive in the sense that his writing strikes an emotional blow every time. This repetition seems to bleed into the story structure, however, and some scenes feel a bit too much like earlier ones. In addition to the writing, Ness also develops wonderful characters, with the conflicted Todd and the intelligent Viola. His world building is also executed decently, although the setting itself isn't incredibly unique. The history and lore of the world, however, is perfectly written, complete with a sadistic cast of villains that relentlessly pursue our heroes, leading to a seemingly hopeless main story, which, with Ness' short, poignant style, leads readers to also long for relief with the protagonists. The main intense scenes are written with such an enthralling simplicity that readers are left with an unfamiliar sense of "hold up, did that just happen?" that they wouldn't have gotten with a scene that is extremely detailed. It's a bold approach, but Ness pulls it off. And that's without mentioning the cool, overwhelming font changes with the Noise. Some heartbreaking... erm... departures add to the overpowering sense of hopelessness woven throughout the tale, and the recurring themes of truth and coming-of-age are also developed well. Wrap it up with one heck of a cliffhanger, and we're left with an incredible series opener. 8.6/10

Ransom Riggs: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2011)

    As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Goodreads).

    A very unique concept with found photography is fleshed out beautifully in this introductory novel to Riggs' trilogy. The first half of the novel is particularly excellent in establishing characters and conflict, and although the protagonist is a bit of a brat at times, his multidimensional character gives wonderful substance to the plot around him. The supporting cast has its moments, but are slightly flat at times (other than the protagonist's father, who has great depth, and almost needed more plot dedicated to his internal conflict). After the first half, the book slips slightly into the YA novel trap of typical good versus evil tropes and a weak romance. The main villains aren't too interesting, but Riggs' use of descriptive language and red herrings overwhelms the novel's few shortcomings, most of which are hopefully redeemed in the last two parts of the trilogy. All in all, a great world-building novel that combines intriguing images with an equally compelling story. 8.0/10

Marcus Sedgwick: The Ghosts of Heaven (2014)

    A cleverly interlinked novel written in four parts by PRINTZ AWARD-winning author, Marcus Sedgwick, about survival and discovery, and about the effect of the spiral, a symbol that has no end, on all our lives (Goodreads).

    Sedgwick creates a cool concept, with the four unique stories and compelling characters, but for all the anticipation of a mind-blowing novel, it doesn't really live up to the hype. Sure, it's mildly thought-provoking, but more like a nice collection of short stories slightly tied together, similar to Bradbury's Illustrated Man. In addition to stretching its connectivity, the possibility of reading the stories in different order is somewhat useless and doesn't really add anything (there is also the matter of there being an obvious conclusion in the final installment, tying the four together, rendering this concept of reading in any order somewhat useless). Other than the wasted potential, Sedgwick successfully builds great suspense in each story, and the use of verse in the opening is also a creative way to narrate, and what is very impressive about that is the way it stays compelling. The third tale is also quite intriguing and original, but the second and fourth, while still interesting, aren't quite up to par with the originality of the others, even though the last two are wonderfully emotional and profound. 6.9/10

Kevin Sands: The Assassin's Curse (2017)

    Wherever Christopher Rowe goes, adventure—and murder—follows. Even a chance to meet King Charles ends in a brush with an assassin. All that’s recovered from the killer is a coded message with an ominous sign-off: more attempts are coming (Goodreads).

     It was going to be difficult to follow up on the fantastic second book, but this third novel in Sands' historical mystery is really quite satisfying on many levels. A new setting is given to readers, this time exploring Paris instead of London, and the winding streets and secrets of the city give a good backdrop for the story. Christopher is, once again, very compelling, as are his two sidekicks, although it's becoming a bit Golden Trio, if you know what I mean. Tom especially branches out in this one, and provides good comic relief throughout. Sally, too, is fleshed out a bit more as well, which is great considering her character was a bit bland in the second book. Sands once again has readers on their toes throughout, giving several candidates for the main antagonist, but still giving a surprising twist at the end. The villains are adequately, well, villainous, but they are not developed quite as much as would be ideal, although the ending message could prove otherwise in the future. 8.1/10

William Goldman: The Princess Bride (1973)

    What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams (Goodreads)?

Fantastic characters certainly take the spotlight in Goldman's novel, with the Spaniard and the giant stealing the show, with their unusual friendship, from the two main protagonists themselves. Indeed, the two lovers are slightly less dynamic than ideal, as they have much less of a compelling background than either Inigo or Fezzik. However, all characters throughout (Goldman himself included) strut their stuff as an entertaining and humorous plot takes place. Goldman's writing (or perhaps it is S. Morgenstern's) moves so quickly, and readers are thrust from one exciting plot point to another, with Goldman's amusing commentary providing a refreshing pit stop in the midst of fast-paced storytelling (sometimes so fast-paced that one may have to track back a few sentences). The ending is somewhat satisfactory, but readers are still left hunting for a continuation of the tale (part of which is satisfied in the annals of the 30th anniversary edition). 8.4/10

Stephen R. Lawhead: The Warlords of Nin (1983)

    An urgent message summons Quentin to Castle Askelon. The king, who is dying, wishes to name the brave young man his successor. But first, he sends him on an unfathomable mission (Goodreads).

As verbose and dense as it is, Lawhead's second advancement into universe-building is, well, alright. The dialogue is dry and stretched out, but what action there is is well described and somewhat entertaining. A select few scenes are particularly well done, but the rest of the novel is so extremely over-described that these scenes are almost not worth it. Similar to the first installment, the character development is unrealistic and the entire plot, almost every aspect, is highly anticipated and, yes, cliche. Lawhead obviously tries to keep pace with other, more renowned world-builders such as Tolkien and Lewis, but his attempts fall rather flat in nearly every area. The main antagonist is once again extinguished extremely weakly, after having no interactions with the protagonists. The one main addition to the protagonist's side completely vanishes after only a short time in the plot, while the climax is one of least suspense, as the very element of salvation for the seemingly doomed heroes is introduced before they are even at their most underdog-like status, therefore rendering the hopelessness that is woven throughout the novel (which might have been a good element otherwise) completely useless. Lawhead switches between points of view rather smoothly, but scenes that don't really lead to anything and almost no plot twists make the novel similar to a flat soda. 6.6/10