The Green Rider Series - Kristen Britain

Hey!

Just a quick post to talk about this amazing series of books I've been reading.

I'm not going to try to review them - I cannot put into words how much I love these books. They are the "Harry Potter" of my adulthood. 

And I really love Harry Potter.

" Karigan G'ladheon always seemed to be getting into a fight, and today was no exception.

But as she trudged through the forest, using her long walk home to contemplate her depressing future - and the expulsion it was bound to hold - a horse burst through the woodland and charged straight for her. The rider was slumped over his mount's neck with two arrows embedded in his back. Wherever his horse was taking him, he would be dead before they got there.

There's nothing Karigan can do, as the young man lies dying on the road. He had sworn to carry out his mission as a Green Rider - one of the legendary messengers of the king - and he has a life or death message that must reach King Zachary. Karigan may be unable to save him, but she can deliver his message. He makes her swear to it, to keep it secret and, with his last breath, he warns her to 'beware the shadow man ...'

Pursued by an unknown assassin, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, Karigan is going to become a legendary Green Rider herself. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, her simple promise to deliver a letter is about to become a race against time ... and a race for her life ... "

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan

Okay so as I pretty much binge read this entire series I decided to review the entire series as one. Not going to lie - I can't really distinguish one book from the next. If you haven't completed the series I am warning you now there will probably be spoilers.

I really, really enjoyed these books. I love looking at religion and gods, so bringing the Greek gods into modern times is bound to appeal to me. I love how we got to know the different gods. I really liked Hermes and Hestia, and although he was a complete ass I loved Ares. He just really didn't care what anyone thought and was just so blunt. It was quite refreshing in a world of prophecies and ambiguity.

I did find it amusing how a lot of adaptations to do with Greek gods make Aphrodite into either a bad guy or a bitch. Not that I disagree - but I'm glad her half-bloods were *slightly* less selfish.

The Maze Runner Trilogy - James Dashner

I'm a bit late on the band wagon and didn't intend to blog about the series as it is already immensely popular. However I had to rant somewhere about it. Beware of spoilers.

Me and my friend bought these on our kindles (great value bundle - all four for a tenner!) as we have wanted to read them for a while. I'm really glad I didn't buy them all in paperback.

I did not like this series. As a avid YA reader I'm used to far-fetched story lines but this one just did not sit well. I found it extremely difficult to get into the books and although I persevered with the series I didn't particularly enjoy the journey. I found Thomas irritating quickly - and downright couldn't stand him at the end of The Scorch Trials. Okay Teresa hurt him and betrayed him, however if she didn't do what she did the WICKED were threatening to kill him! Granted you'd be a bit hurt but he needed to get over himself and realise that potentially she'd saved him dumb butt.

The storyline in general seemed rather poor and it was none stop and draining to read. You were trying to second guess everything constantly and by the middle of the second book you didn't trust anything you were reading because it was probably going to get twisted and warped in the next few chapters. I gave up paying attention in the third as I just could not be bothered any more.

The maths in the series also appears to be awful (which is driving my friend crazy - it's amusing to watch). We know they were in the maze for two years, so 23 plus Teresa were sent in after the original group, which we are lead to believe was a small group and most of those have perished. There are around a dozen graves, but that only accounts for about half the dead gladers as most the bodies were never recovered. So lets say that's 24 dead, which basically negates the new arrivals every month. We know around 30 make a break for the Griever hole (21 making it through the hole) but they left some in the Glade who didn't want to try to escape. Lets say they left about 10. That means that there were forty gladers once Teresa had arrived. I do not consider forty people a small group to kick start the experiment. If someone has some clarification on this it would be much appreciated!

All that being said (and more I just cannot remember) there were parts I liked. Mainly characters such as Minho, Newt, Brenda and Jorge. I thought they were great and Brenda was very realistic and forward which was entertaining. She really wore her heart on her sleeve. I found Aris extremely wet, but I did actually quite like feisty Teresa, and had I been in her shoes in The Scorch Trials I would have done the exact same thing. As tough as she appeared she was equally caring and I think the boys treated her extremely harshly. I did love Chuck, as annoying as he was he was great and lovely and although I didn't like the end of The Maze Runner, I thought it was great the way Chuck stopped being scared and sacrificed himself for someone he loved. Then I read The Death Cure and got really really annoyed. If he did it off his own back then great - but WICKED seizing control of his body and forcing him to step forward? No. Not on. That just takes the cruelty in the series to a whole new level (I know that was probably the point but doesn't mean I have to like it).

Has anyone else had a similar experience with the series?

Looking For Alaska - John Green

"Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps."

IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS DO NOT CONTINUE READING.

There. Can't say I didn't warn you now.

I was talked into pausing reading the Percy Jackson series by my best friend because apparently this book was amazing and I just HAD to read it there and then. It didn't matter that I had it in my TBR pile at home and I was 3 hours away for a few days over Christmas - I had to read it NOW. So I promised to buy it on my Kindle (awesome Christmas present - thanks Dad!) and read it on the train home.

Miles, aka Pudge, starts attending a new boarding school in search of his "Great Perhaps". He quickly becomes friends with his roommate, the Colonel, and his friends. Which is how he meets Alaska. Beautiful Alaska who doesn't seem to care if she lives or dies. The first part of the book counts down to a specific event, and the remainder of the book is dealing with the aftermath and trying to find out why, or even if there is a why. Filled with humour, romance and heart break.

I finished it within 24 hours. What an absolutely brilliant book. I loved the characters, the events, and my quotes book has several brilliant new additions including this little gem:

" I just did some calculations and I've been able to determine that you're full of shit."

I think this book dealt really well with the potential suicide, and what it can do to those left behind. The desperation to find a reason, the blame game, the anger, isolation.

I don't want to say too much as I really think everyone should go and read this. Though you should have tissues at the ready. Trust me on this - bawling on a crowded train station is not good.

And I'll leave you with probably one of the most known quotes from the book, and one of the most meaningful.

"The only way out of the labyrinth is to forgive."