The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

Reviewed by

Barbara Branson

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has gained so much popularity over the last few years, that I figured I simply had go read it. After hearing claims that this book would be life changing, I was excited to say the least. I don't usually find myself picking up books like this, so this was all new to me.

I found that I had just enough motivation by the end to finish it. I felt as though some of the characters were oddly forced, and while the situations that the characters faced over the course of the book were heart wrenching, I just didn't feel attached to the people going through the terrible circumstances. Maybe it was just the fact that I had such high hopes, but I felt slightly let down by the end.

Although I wasn't thrilled by the characters, John Green sets a very real picture of what it might be like to be a teen struggling with cancer. The imagery was vivid enough to mask some extremely flat characters, and it will definitely look for the movie adaptation in theaters this year.

I can't help but feel that I was an odd case out with all of the good responses this has gotten. Perhaps another go would change my mind, but as of now, I would rate The Fault in Our Stars a 2.3-3/5.

Maze Runner 

by James Dashner

Reviewed by

Devin O'Donnell

 

            In a haze of confusion, Thomas wakes up in a large metal box, with only the clothes on his back and his name; he can't remember anything from before. He arrives into the Glade, where a group of boys have made their home. The eerie similarity: the boys also don't remember anything from before the Glade. Surrounded by a deadly maze, filled with even deadlier creatures, the boys must face the perils of this new world, along with a sign that everything is changing. 

            With this book trilogy by James Dashner, surprises are around every corner. This book will have you devouring chapters, whether at school or the dinner table. Dystopian fiction is becoming quite the selection lately as a daring look at a whole new world. It makes you question everything you've ever learned...or maybe you'll just really enjoy it. 

            This book series was well written, with the right amount of intrigue, action, science fiction, and romance. I read the series in a month and cheered for the characters aloud at least once a book. Thomas is witty and charming, but also smart and inquisitive in his search of his new world.  Dashner somehow lets comedic fun into this otherwise dangerously adventurous series. I wasn't the only one who liked it though; The Maze Runner is coming out in theaters this fall! 

            In conclusion, this series is not to be overlooked and will be enjoyed by every reader.

Catherine

by April Lindner

Reviewed by

Elizabeth Mosolovich

Chelsea Price always thought her mother, Catherine Eversole Price, was dead — until she discovers a letter addressed to her and a series of news articles detailing her mother's disappearance, and she realizes her father has been lying to her for years. Angry and feeling betrayed, she sets out on her own to the place marked as the return address on her letter, and where her mother grew up: the Underground, a famous club in Manhattan. After some initial tension, Chelsea manages to convince the club's new owner (who also has a mysterious past connection to Catherine), Hence, to let her stay and try to unravel her mother's disappearance.

In between the chapters of Chelsea's quest, the reader gets an inside look into the life of Catherine Eversole, daughter of the owner of Manhattan's hottest nightclub, the Underground. In her diary she writes about her relationships with her devoted father, her angry and bitter older brother, and her mysterious crush/friend-turned-passionate boyfriend, Hence. With the twisted romance and far-reaching familial connections of Wuthering Heights, but with a modern and easier to understand twist, Catherine is a riveting story with so many twists and turns you'll never see the ending coming — an ending which, while satisfactory, is almost bittersweet, because  now this wonderful tale is finished.

Chelsea's hunt for her mother and the strained relationship with her father is the main plot, and very fun to read, but there is also a bunch of romance thrown in, mostly between Hence and Catherine 20 years in the past, but also between Chelsea and Hence's employee, Coop. If modern-day twists on great classics are something you're into, then this is definitely for you.