Review: A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Epic Fantasy
Four and a half stars

Outside the protective walls of a medieval society, dark forces are at work. In this foreign land, the long summer is coming to an end, and winter is on its way. It is a critical time for the king, whose adviser has suddenly passed away. His power is weakening as a new threat rises in the east and those closest to him plot betrayal. Lord Eddard Stark is called to be the king's new Hand, a position which places him and his family at the center of everything. Secrets are kept, battles are fought, and enemies are made as the characters strive to win the throne.

So I was confused for about the first 100 pages - there's like, a million characters and plot lines, and the novel kind of throws you into all of it. But I also liked the lack of explanations, it made the story feel more natural, more realistic. It's a bit of a longer book, but it really lets you get in touch with the characters and become absorbed in the world. And I think my favourite part was the characters themselves - they're each so beautifully complex with their own relationships, motives, and secrets. You just get so deep into their experiences - I was surprised by how passionate I became about some of them (cough Joffrey). Each chapter gives you a different perspective, which can get a little confusing and frustrating, but the stories are so overlapping that you don't lose the flow of them. And Martin is able to write in such an engaging way; it's clear and descriptive, and it's got that medieval feel to it that fits perfectly with the genre. You can tell he must have done cussloads of research, and that really makes it feel authentic. Everything about the book just comes together so beautifully, and you can't help but fall into this world of manipulation, betrayal, and war.

“When you play a game of thrones you win or you die.” 

Finish the series: A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

A Third Little Poem

I want to reach and grab the

stars, squeeze them in my fist

and wring them out 

until I hold all the
magic
of the world

Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Dystopian fiction
Four stars

Tris Prior lives in a society divided into five factions: Candor the honest, Abnegation the selfless, Dauntless the brave, Amity the peaceful, and Erudite the intelligent. Turning sixteen means choosing which virtue you will dedicate the rest of your life to. Growing up in Abnegation, Tris has always felt out of place, and the decision she makes at the choosing ceremony shocks those around her. She is soon thrown into an intense initiation period which will push her to the edge and challenge her beliefs. Surrounded by threats, secrets, and betrayal, she manages to find friends and even romance in a society that is not everything it seems.

So the book starts off pretty slow, but believe me, it speeds up. I think I had about seven heart attacks while reading this. I know teen dystopias are getting rather old, but Roth manages to bring some life to the genre - the factions, the characters, and just the focus of the novel are so refreshing. And the writing itself pulls you in. There's no fluff, just raw actions and emotions, which can be really intense at times. We're reading the story from Tris' perspective, so the reader really experiences the events right with her. This is great, except as a character she can often be unpredictable and hard to follow. I felt like I never quite understood her or fully got in her head, which created a bit of a disconnect. But it definitely kept me interested, because I had no idea how she would react to things. What I really enjoyed was her character, the trials she goes through, and her struggle with identity. That is the focus of the novel, and the romance almost becomes secondary. Her relationship is intense and dark and real, but it's not the whole picture. The book isn't about Tris finding herself through love, it's about courage and corruption and how far we can push ourselves before we break.

“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.”

Finish the series: Insurgent and Allegiant, the third book coming out this year by Veronica Roth

Wishes and Birds

I thought it would be different.

I thought the clouds would gather themselves in shame and the river would look more blue and the birds would not dare taunt me with their freedom.

I thought the world would stop.

But people are still moving still pushing forward still living and I am here breathless insignificant alone.

I want to be numb, to not feel the wind burning my skin the cool metal against my feet the caving hollow in my chest. Everything latches on to me and all I want is to be weightless.

I let go.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Contemporary fiction
Four stars

Anna's life is going well: she's headed to senior year with her best friend and crush/possible boyfriend. Then her parents ship her off to boarding school in Paris. Thrown into the unfamiliar, Anna struggles with language barriers and adapting to a new city and culture. But she soon finds friends, and among them is Etienne St Clair. With his British accent and bright personality, she falls hard and fast. The only problem is his girlfriend. Conflicted between these new feelings and her sort-of-relationship back home, Anna's journey is filled with romantic tension, betrayal, and honesty.

Here comes the cheese. I realize this book isn't going to get any awards for originality, but I just loved reading it. The writing is pretty simple, but there's a depth to it too in her observations and interactions. The characters aren't particularly developed, especially the secondary ones, but I really didn't care. It's not distracting enough to take away from the overall plot. I just enjoyed it - I was grinning and laughing with the characters, I understood Anna's struggles and dilemmas. Her relationship with Etienne was quite realistic in that sense, the awkwardness and frustration and pacing. And there's another level to the story, it's not just a cheesy romance novel. It's about experiencing new things and growing from them and learning to adjust. It's about friendship. Also, it just made me really want to fall in love with a British guy.

“How many times can our emotions be tied to someone else's - be pulled and stretched and twisted - before they snap? Before they can never be mended again?”

Some Things I Find Beautiful

I think there are a lot of ugly things in this world. There are deaths, battles, fears, lies. They gather around us, sink into the air, spill over our feet. We are fallen.
But I also think that we are surrounded by beauty. I think that it can be found anywhere if we know how to look. I think we can draw it out from the darkness and surround ourselves in it, become lost in those hidden moments. So here are some things I find beautiful:

1. Words. There is beauty in the combination of words, in their patterns and expression and meaning. Words are language, they are how we communicate. We communicate to learn information, to inspire, to create relationships. And having a relationship, building a connection with someone, is at the very core of what it is to be human.

2. Trees. I use them a lot in my writing because they are such a symbol of strength, of growth. We become so desensitized to them, but when you actually stop and just look at one, it's incredibly complex. The way they unfold and expand outward, how there are so many sections and crossings. So many individual leaves. How they change throughout the seasons, blending colours and adapting. It's just crazy.

3. Children. They have such amazing creativity and imagination. They are not held back by logic, by responsibility, by social norms. I feel like we lose something as we grow up, some part of us that believes the floor is lava and capes can make you fly. There is beauty in that, the freedom.

4. Actions. Our acts can be beautiful, how we respond to and treat other people. Being aware and open-minded, realizing that we are all humans with our own stories and experiences. Beauty is not limited to visual stimuli, it is in the things we do. I am inspired when I see this, when someone smiles back or offers directions or lends me some change if I don't have enough. Beautiful actions make beautiful people.

5. Laughter. I love the laughter that just explodes deep in you, that creates sounds you never thought you could make. I love the ache in your stomach after, the soreness in your cheeks. I love how contagious it is.

6. Rain. Whenever it rains I just want to run outside and dance in it. I want to feel it against my face, let it run down my spine. It's like thousands of diamonds streaming from the sky, feeding the earth. There's just something so magical about it.

Another Little Poem

I twist the ring around my finger,

pull it off then put it on again.

I sit down on the grass

beside you. I tell you about

my day, how I

saw an old friend

bought a new shirt

found a penny on the ground.

The wind comes then and

I swear I can smell your

perfume, the one that smells

like daisies and red candy.

I stop talking and silence folds

around us. I keep playing with

the ring, but when I try to put it

back on it won’t fit.

I feel it then,

a tear running down my cheek

and then more come and

they won’t stop and it’s so

cold and my fingers are

trembling and I can’t get this

damn ring back on.

I close my eyes and

fall back against the grass

right beside you. I tell you about

my day, how I

stayed awake for hours

smelled your perfumes

stared at old pictures of you

until I had them memorized.

And I lie there next to you

and imagine you are

holding my hand.