viernes, 29 de enero de 2016

The Young Elites

Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Series/Trilogy: Yes
Pages: 355

Synopsis

 

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Personal Opinion 


So much time has passed, but finally I read this book!. I loved Legend´s trilogy but I didn´t know what to expect about this book, in fact, I didn´t remember what this book was about, but once I remember I decided to give it an opportunity and.. Marie Lu has done it again! 
This book was completely different to Legend, and I don´t even know if I loved this book more than Legend, but definetly I loved it. This is not the typical story about the good girl and all of that, no, this main character is different; contempt, teasing and mistreatment has made her a person full of hate and bitterness and now she only wants power and vengeance. When I was reading I was astonished and sometimes I was scared about the evilness that poisons Adelina´s heart, I don´t remember reading a main character like Adelina before, and that gave an interesting feature to the story. Marie Lu said that in the beginning she was writing a story about a heroine, but it didn´t work, after that she thought about a villain and that is how Adelina was created.


I think it´s not a secret (especially if you have read the synopsis) that Adelina has powers, and incredible ones on my opinion and I liked to see the evolution of her powers; since she discovers them till she realizes that she can do things she would never imagined be capable to do; and I didn´t feel slow and boring this evolution, I really liked it.

It was impossible for me not to feel sorry for Adelina, she has been very harmed in her past and in some way that has made her the person she is and it justifies the things she does but sometimes it exceeds the limits. In  some parts I could notice some traces of kindness in Adelina, and I still hope that it could evolve in the following books but even if it doesn´t happen I´m really intrigued about this story.


Speaking about the characters, my favorites were: Enzo, although throughout the book I felt like there were some things we didn´t know about him and I couldn´t trust entirely on him. Violetta, Adelina´s sister, (she has some surprises to us) we don´t know much about her, just the things Adelina tell us about her; but she is certainly a person who cares about her sister, I got angry because Adelina can´t see that. Raffaele in the beginning but at the end even tough I didn´t hate him I couldn´t emphatize with him again. 

I think is a book you can read really fast, because along the evolution of Adelina´s power many things happen on the book. and that make you want to keep reading.

About the ending, what can I say?, it was the moment when I really felt sorry about Adelina, and I wasn´t expecting that ending, at all, - Marie Lu knows how to destroy you xD - but I liked it and now I understand the reason of the title of the second book and I really want to read it soon.

It is a book worth reading, it is fast paced and the evil main character give to the story an  interesting feature.

Rating 

 

lunes, 25 de enero de 2016

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician´s Nephew

There are resolutions to accomplish on 2016 and one of them is to re-read The Chronicles of Narnia series :D


Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician´s Nephew
Author: C. S. Lewis
Series/Trilogy: Yes
Pages: 221 


Synopsis 


When Digory and Polly are tricked by Digory's peculiar Uncle Andrew into becoming part of an experiment, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. What happens to the children when they touch Uncle Andrew's magic rings is far beyond anything even the old magician could have imagined.

Hurtled into the Wood between the Worlds, the children soon find that they can enter many worlds through the mysterious pools there. In one world they encounter the evil Queen Jadis, who wreaks havoc in the streets of London when she is accidentally brought back with them. When they finally manage to pull her out of London, unintentionally taking along Uncle Andrew and a coachman with his horse, they find themselves in what will come to be known as the land of Narnia.

Personal Opinion


This is the second time I read this book, I had not had the oportunity (or I had not given me the opportunity xD) of re read this series, the truth is that I enjoyed this books when I was 14 years old, it was the first series I read.

Before I talk about my thoughts of the book, let´s take a moment to apreciate this beautiful cover, I see it and I can´t think in a better cover, the rings, the pools, the woods, the man, Aslan, all that represents perfectly what the book is, that is the reason I like too much this cover.

I didn´t remember much about the story, in general I don´t remember much about this series; if you ask me about the books I remember most, those would be The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; but now that I´m going to re read this series I will remember all again :)

It is necessary explain to you why I started the series with this book and not with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, well, for those who don´t know (yes, some people don´t know it) the books were published by an order but, these books have a chronological order and it is different to the original order, that order is:

  1. The Magician´s Nephew
  2. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
  3. The Horse and His Boy
  4. Prince Caspian
  5. The Voyage of The Dawn Treader
  6. The Silver Chair
  7. The Last Battle
The first time I read these books I did it in the order of publication, and it didn´t affect anything, I enjoyed the series, this time I pretend to read them in the chronological order, having said that we can go to my thoughts about this book.

I started this book at 5 pm and I finished at 10 pm, these are books you read so fast, and you don´t get bored. This is obviusly a story for childrens but it doesn´t mean that any person can´t enjoy the book in the same way a child does.

I liked too much the story because it is directly related with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and explain Narnia´s origin; it is not a super explanation but it is well done and because of that this is the first book in the chronological order.

When I was reading this book I had a smile on my face all the time, well, most of the time, because there are some parts that touch you. It should be noted the symbolism in this story, because it makes references to the Biblical story of creation made by God.

Concerning the characters, Digory and Polly are just like opposite poles, at least that was I felt. Digory is reckless and sometimes he does things without think about the consequences, and Polly is more careful, but both of them share a common characteristic, that is their child´s curiosity. I liked more Polly´s character and I hated uncle Andrew, he is selfish and ambitious.

The book left me thinking, sometimes problems don´t seem to have an end, but the solution is there and will come soon, but we have to be willing to have patience and to follow the way we have to go; I don´t know if it makes sense to you, I hope it does xD

Rating