Book Look #3 Quintana of Charyn

Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta is the third and final installment in The Lumatere Chronicles.

I have to say after reading Froi of the Exiles, this was one of the books that I was highly anticipating the release of, and was really excited to read.

For those that do not know, The Lumatere Chronicles is a fantasy series based on the struggles, journeys and lives of the remaining Lumaterean royal family, those close and dear to them as well as dealings with neighboring nations.

Despite being marketed towards a younger audience, (you generally find this series in the teen section of your local book store), by no means does this mean the series is a quick and easy read. (Particularly the last two books.) The story is complex with a detailed and richly meticulous writing style to match. The surrounding environment, kingdoms, cultures, characters even religions have been carefully planned and executed. It is quite apparent that a lot of time and thought has gone into every little detail, thought and concept that is present in the books.

Being the final book, (in the series so far), Quitana of Charyn has definately been about tying up all of the loose ends from the Froi story arc and in fact it does this quite well. The ending was ever so slightly predictable, or at least you were hoping for it to end the way it did, even so it made for a very satisfying end to a very heavy and meaty series.

I personally enjoyed the series very, very much, however this is not one for everyone. The story is complex, so you need to be patient, it can also be quite graphic, harsh and not very upbeat AKA the comedic elements are on the lesser end of the scale. Although due to the complexity of the plot and the mature nature of the series I really think that a lot of adults can enjoy this series, or at least the ones' that like fantasy and the politics and cultures of different kingdoms. 

The series itself contains sex scenes, references to rape (the scenes are not detailed or graphic however they are there), violence and expletives. While the concentration of these varies in each book I've included them all since I think you really need to at least read Froi of the Exiles (the second installation in the series) in order to fully enjoy Quintana, and Froi has the highest concentration of all those things out of the whole series. I know all this sounds like very heavy stuff but it is written in such a way that I don't think younger readers will really be able to understand what is actually happening unless they stop and think about it really, really hard....and then there are other parts in which it's quite clear what events are taking place however the author does focus more on the characters emotions rather than the details of the events.

If this sounds like something you would like definately give this series a go. You don't need to read the the first book - Finnikin of the Rock, in order to enjoy Froi and Quintana, however if you do you will have more of a back story to go on.

I know that the author has entertained the idea that she may be open to delving into the back stories of some of the minor characters of the series sometime in the future...But I'd say that until Marchetta says it's actually happening this series is complete.



If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the box below!
You can find out more about the author Melina Marchetta HERE!!!

Maisy xxx

Book Look #2 Corner of White

First of all I have to say that Jaclyn Moriarty is one of my all time favourite authors! I was introduced to her works by a dear friend of mine, (who actually happens to be a family friend of the Moriarty clan according to my memory), when I was in my early High School years. This special friend sent me a copy of "Finding Cassie Crazy" (also known as The Year of Secret Assignments) and may have mentioned "Feeling Sorry for Celia" in one of her letters. Now that I think about it I can't remember which one I actually read first... Hmmn... Anyway back to the author.

The target audience of Jaclyn's books are teens and young adults although I must say that I do think adults will enjoy these books too! (With the exception of "I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes" the only adult novel Moriarty has published to date...as far as I am aware. It's a got a great plot and twist but really is for adults, not one to read to the kids before bed.) 

Moriarty has a rather clever and unique writing style in that her stories on a general whole are narrated by random post-its, notifications, diary entries, letters, memoirs and emails in some cases court hearings; which sometimes seem to almost be thrown at the reader all at once. Often all of the information and notes seem somewhat jumbled, random and disconnected and it is only as the reader progresses through the story that these become threads of clues which twist and turn and tie up neatly at the end to make for very very satisfying reading. Moriarty has made a fine art of making the small and seemingly insignificant details become crucial elements to the direction of the plot, often resulting in pleasantly  unexpected plot twists and surprises.

Moriartys' writing contains a fresh and modern out look on the world and if there is one thing she knows well it is the minds and teen spirit of young people and to quote one of her characters: 

"...the joy of the envelope..." Mr Botherit - Finding Cassie Crazy 2003

I can guarantee that you will find AT LEAST one letter formatted piece of writing in all of her written works.

With all of this information in tow, as well as being familiar with Moriarty's writing style I must say I was a little bit skeptical when I heard of the concept that Moriarty had planned for her next novel. This being a magical fantasy concept to be set in a magical kingdom called Cello forming a trilogy series. The first in the series being "A Corner of White". I personally was not sure what the writing style was going to be like and whether it really would suit a magical fantasy type novel. 
The result?

I  L O V E  L O V E  L O V E D  this  B O O K !!!

It's a fresh and modern telling of when two different worlds collide and contains a concoction of magic, science, sensibility, heart, culture, soul, the imaginary, the make believe and the human condition. 
Like most of her novels the loose ends all come together to tie up neatly at the end however in the case of this book the ends only tie up to make the first stage of a bow. It is just enough to leave the reader with a feeling of satisfaction but also leaves the reader with questions and an appetite to be satiated with the (in my case highly anticipated) next installment of the series.

The writing style compared to her previous novels has a bit more narrative compared to the short snippets of notes or letters, however I think it is necessary and well suited for the genre. The story has elements of romance, adventure, action, mystery and intrigue. So far the first part of this trilogy has been light on the romance and magical elements, (so if you're not a fan of that please don't let it deter you from a great read, and if you do like that you'll still like this book), focusing more on character growth and plot. (Which in my opinion is absolutely fine, whether or not the author will choose to delve deeper into these themes in the later books is unknown.) I should also make note that it is a little bit fact heavy, so just be prepared for that. The first book makes for a lovely coming of age story with potential for more growth to be seen in the future.

I would recommend this book to just about anybody. As far as mature themes go...hmmmn... The main protagonists in the story are 15 year old teenagers, so of course there is the odd sexual reference (NO sex scenes) and themes to do with parental relationships and alcoholic fathers. There's no explicit language written, if a character does use that sort of language it will just say So-and-So swore etc. I think this novel would be appropriate for those 13 years and older. :)

Like always I would love to get to know my blog visitors so please leave a comment down below!
If you would like to see what Jaclyn Moriarty is up to you can check out her official page HERE!
And if you would like to you can ORDER and BUY the book HERE!!!

Maisy xxx

Book Look # 1 Gone Girl

First Book Look post ever!!! Finally~! And for that we get a Yay me!!! \o/

The book is written by Gillian Flynn and titled 'Gone Girl'. I do have to say that this book is quite an adult story for someone with my taste. I heard about this book through various sources. Blogs, reviews, magazines were all talking about it and how amazingly mind blowing it was and I was coming into contact with them all around the same time, so I was like: "It's a sign! Must read this book!".

So I went to Big W, (I think Big W is kinda like Walmart), to get this book and ended up going on a book binge and got 3 books in total. I had been looking at other book stores but so far from what I'd seen Big W has the best deal price wise.

The first few words that come to mind when I think about this book are sociopath, psychotic, insane, crazy... I think you can see where this is going. 

The format of the story is quite interesting as it is split into two parts. It's meant to be a thriller so the first part is like the mystery and main story and the second part kinda like an extended epilogue with an epilogue. If that makes sense? (It makes sense in my head...) It's like the mystery solved section except you've gone back a bit and you're following the mystery as it's still being solved.

It is quite apparent from the start of the story that the author is definately making a statement on various issues and media through the not-so-subtle social commentary woven into the story. As the main characters in the story are a married couple, many of the reviews and comments I had read touted and praised the book for it's refreshing and realistic yet dramatic portrayal of the complexities found in relationships. Honestly I'd have to say after actually reading the book that I disagree with the reviews. I didn't find anything realistic or normal about the main characters and their relationship except for the fact that they were once happily married. For starters one partner in the relationship, although not explicitly stated, comes across as so crazy and psychopathic that one questions why a mental health check was not realised sooner? When you combine these elements with the mind of a brilliant genius you have quite the interesting character to play with. (I haven't stated which half of the relationship this is so it shouldn't spoil it for you if you want to read it.)

This is all fine and well on it's own but when you take all the crazy and then present it in the guise of normal, that's when questions should start to arise. I think that yes it is true that there is a lot of dysfunction in relationships out their today, however I also think that if you found relatable experiences in this book then you need to be talking to the police, a friend or someone. It's true that over time people change, they fall out of love and sometimes in love again I understand that but very very rarely would these things be premeditated. If sociopathy and psychopathic behaviour is considered normal in society, then we really need to be reconstructing the way we think about societal norms. I think that premeditated factor is the key element that the critics overlook in their reviews, it's what changes things from unfortunate effects of time to twisted and psychotic unacceptable behaviour.   

Personally this book is not really my thing. I finished the book in a day and a bit but I was bored in the first half and instead of being compelled to read it because it was so good, it was more just me forcing myself to read it so I could read something else. The second half was a lot easier to read. There were moments when the story was predictable, (well for me at least), and the plot twists weren't that shocking, just annoying in some cases. Finishing the book is satisfying yet unsatisfying at the same time, I'd go into more detail but that would just spoil it for you. Hmmmn looking at this post so far it's kinda negative...ish. Muwahaha! It was something different to what I normally choose to read and it's good to mix it up sometimes and try new things. If you don't try different flavours of books how will you know what's out there and what you may potentially like. I did enjoy the majority of my reading experience....it's just my mind wasn't blown away like all the critics and hype said it would be. I do have to say though, in all honesty, I probably won't ever read this book again. If I had money I was considering doing a give away. (Sorry I'm a poor student at the moment. Gomen ne.)

For those concerned, 'Gone Girl' has (graphic? I'm not sure, because I think some would consider it graphic and some might not) sex scenes and frequent course language through out the book. (Like I said much more adult than my normal children/young adult fiction.)

If you would like to find out more about 'Gone Girl' or the author Gillian Flynn you can check it out HERE.

Everyone is different and even though this one wasn't for me, you might actually enjoy it, it's a New York Times Best Seller so I guess that means lots of people have enjoyed it so far. 

Like always please feel free to let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions of something you think I might like to read by leaving a comment or sending a message. I would love to hear from you!

Book Look #2 will be out next Wednesday!

As always signing out with love.

Maisy xxx