Book Review: Variant by Robison Wells (Variant #1)

Synopsis from Goodreads
Title: Variant (Variant #1)
Author: Robison Wells
Publication Date: 26 September 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Paperback, 376 pages

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Acadmey would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence, where video cameras monitor his every move and where breaking the rules equals death.

All Benson wants is to find a way out. But when he stumbles upon the real secret the school has been hiding, he realises that escape may be impossible.

My Review

Benson is a seventeen years old boy who does not know who his real parents are, which lead him to move from one foster home to another. In his last foster home, his foster father used to make him work a lot and over-exhaust him. He was not able to make any friends, and his social life was even worse. Tired of it all, he filled up an online application to enter a fancy boarding school, which in fact changed his life drastically, but to the worse. Variant was very intriguing and original. What I mo...more Benson is a seventeen years old boy who does not know who his real parents are, which lead him to move from one foster home to another. In his last foster home, his foster father used to make him work a lot and over-exhaust him. He was not able to make any friends, and his social life was even worse. Tired of it all, he filled up an online application to enter a fancy boarding school, Maxfield Academy which in fact changed his life drastically, but to the worse. Variant was very intriguing and original. What I most liked about the book was how it started. It wasn't draggy, and Robison wells introduced us to the plot straight away. Also, he did not concentrate a lot on the surroundings, which was actually perfect for me because I wanted more of the story rather than how the school, or forest looked. Having that limited description, made me come up with my own imagination of how things looked. The book kept me to my toes the whole time; there were times where I skipped sleeping, just to continue with the action. I did not enjoy such a book for quite a long time. There are many twists in the story, which literally left me dumbfounded; there were things I did not expect at all. The ending was wrapped up pretty well, there wasn't a single thing I hated about Variant. On the side note, I just realized that I do not read a lot of books with male protagonist. Reading this novel might change things for me :) This book is highly recommended because it is action packed, and thrilling. 5/5 Xoxo Meera

Book Review: Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

Synopsis from Goodreads

Title: Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter

Author: Adeline Yen Mah

Publication Date: 7 September 1999

Publisher:  Puffin Bks

Format: Paperback, 234 pages

Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair.

My Review



A very touching story of the author's in which she was mistreated by her family, just because her mother died giving birth to her. Adeline had a tough childhood; her step-mother, brothers, and father used to bully her and beat her up. During her childhood, Adeline was studying very hard just to gain her father's acknowledgement and acceptance; which was very frustrating. I just can't understand how people like that exist; this book really shows how life can be unfair. What I liked most about this...more A very touching story of the author's in which she was mistreated by her family, just because her mother died giving birth to her. Adeline had a tough childhood; her step-mother, brothers, and father used to bully her and beat her up. During her childhood, Adeline was studying very hard just to gain her father's acknowledgement and acceptance; which was very frustrating. I just can't understand how people like that exist; this book really shows how life can be unfair. What I liked most about this book were the characters. I really adored Aunt Baba so much as she was very sweet to Adeline, and treasured her so much. Also, Adeline's grandparents were such sweethearts; reading about them made me want to hug them throughout the story. These three amazing people were the only ones that did not carry that hatred towards Adeline. What I did not enjoy about this book was how random the storyline was, it kept jumping from one scene to another. I felt that her memories were plucked from her brain, and were randomly inserted into the book. I can totally understand though, because this book is for young reader, but it would have still been better to have it a bit organized. All in all, this book is still recommended for young readers. 3/5

Xoxo Meera

IMM (In My Mail Box) 11 November 2012

Hi Book-Geeks :)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi from The Stroy Siren where people can share the books they've purchased or acquired.

This week, I've purchased a couple of books that I wanna show you guys. Some of them are books that I have been really looking forward to reading.

There are 6 books in total that have been added to my reading pile, and I can't wait to read ALL of them :D

Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

Publication Date: 7 September 1999

Publisher: Puffin Bks

Format: Paperback, 234 pages

Goodreads

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Publication Date: 4 September 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Format: Hardback, 394 Pages

Goodreads

Variant by Robinson Wells (The Variant #1)

Publication Date: 26 September 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: Paperback, 376 pages

Goodreads

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Maze Runner #1)

Publication Date: 6 October 2009

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Format: Paperback, 375 pages

Goodreads

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Across the Universe #1)

Publication Date: 11 January 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Format: Paperback, 398 pages

Goodreads

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Publication Date: 1 July 2009

Publisher: Violet Books (Grasindo)

Format: Paperback, 320 pages

Goodreads

That's all for IMM this Sunday, thank you for reading.

What's in you mailbox this week?

Xoxo Meera

IMM (In My Mail Box) October 2012

Hello Book-Geeks :)

 In My Mailbox (IMM) is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren where people can feature the books they purchased, borrowed from a library/ friends, and/or received for review.


Over the past month, I have purchased 9 books which I am so eager to read and devour. One of the books is an Arabic Novel.

Hotel K: The Shocking Inside Story of Bali's Most Notorious Jail  by Kathryn  Bonella

Publication Date: 1 February 2011

Publisher: Quercus Books

Goodreads



Jane by April Linder

Publication Date: 11 October 2010

Publisher: Poppy

Goodreads

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Publication Date: 4 February 2010

Publisher: Razorbill

Goodreads

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Publication Date: 2 December 2010

Publisher: Dutton

Goodreads

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Publication Date: 18 September 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

Velveteen by Daniel Marks (Velveteen, #1)

Publication Date: 9 October 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

Shadowland by Meg Cabot (The Mediator, #1)

Publication Date: 28 December 2004

Publisher: HarperTeen

Goodreads

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine, #1)

Publication Date: 7 June 2011

Publisher: Quirk

Goodreads

وللكذب رجال للكاتبة سارة العليوي

الطبعة الأولى: 2011

دار النشر: دار فراديس للنشر والتوزيع

Goodreads

So what did you get for reading, you free to post your haul/IMM link in the comment section :)

 Xoxo Meera



TAG: 7 Deadly Sins of Reading

This tag was created by Malyza from  BookishlyMalyza

Click here for her youtube channel
Click here for her Website

I wasn't specifically tagged by anyone, but I thought of doing it ayways and share my answers with you guys :D

Okay, here we go!

1. GREED -  What is your most expensive book? What is your least expensive book?

My most expensive book I own is: The Diviners by Libba Bray

It costed me AED86 (around $23.4), I purchased it from Kinokuniya at Dubai Mall.

 

My least expensive book I own is: Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra

and this costed me AED28 (around $7.6), this one I purchased from House of Prose - my utmost favorite second hand bookshop here in Dubai. I believe that there is a movie out for this book, and I need to watch it :P

 

2. WRATH - What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

My answer of this will be based on the author's style of writing.

I have a love/hate relationship with Jeffery Archer. There are books from him I adore, and there are some that are, hands down, boring.

3. GLUTTONY - What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?

I'll cheat a little with this question, because it is not particularly 1 book. I tend to re-read the Goosebumps series that I own by R.L Stine. They are my favorite childhood books, and it is sometimes nice to sit in a cozy place, and re-read them all over again, since they're short, but LEGENDARY :D

Aaahh.. memories!

4. SLOTH - What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

I can't seem to finish "The Luxe" by Anna Godbersen, the first book from the Luxe series. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't because it was a bad read, as far as I remember, it was good.

I've started reading this last year, and I'm somewhat half-way through, but everytime I open it, I get into this whole reading slump.

One of my goals though, is it to continue with the series; when? I am not sure, maybe it'll take a while... :P

5. PRIDE - What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

Thinking about it, I actually have not read any book that makes me seem a very intellectual reader :P Such an embarassing fact hehe.

Soon though, very soon, I'll have an answer to that question :p

6. LUST - What attributes do you find most attractive in male or female characters?

I like the male character to be strong, tough, and funny all at the same time. He should have a great sense of humor.

It is too boring if the male character was too serious, dramatic, and overly romantic -_-.

7. ENVY - What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

There are two books that I really am eager and looking forward to reading which are:

- My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

- Meant to be by Lauren Morrill

And that's all for the 7 Deadly Sins of Reading tag.

I tag anyone who wishes to do this :D

Thanks for reading                               Xoxo Meera

Book Review: The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

Synopsis from Goodreads
Title: The Casual Vacancy
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publication Date: 27 September 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Format: Hardback, 503 pages

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

My Review

I've never read the Harry Potter series before so I did not know what to expect from this book. However, I've heard many awesome things about the series and J. K. Rowling

When Casual Vacancy came out, I was actually excited to read it, but oh how I wish I read Harry Potter first because this was such a disappointment. I know it is her first adult book and I should be more understanding, but this storyline was very dull to say the least, and the pace was so slow that I couldn't get into it at all. There were times when the story grabbed my full attnetion, but then it suddenly drops me back to boredom.
The book was all about politics and how the death of one guy ignites a meaningless turmoil .

However, in terms of the characters, I can say that they were good and kind of relatable.

Some people might actually enjoy this book especially those who love politics and its wars, because to be honest, this was absolutely not for me.

I'm not going to let this change my mind about reading the Harry Potter books, because I really believe that they are gonna be great reads; hence, I won't base my whole opinion of the author on this book.

1.5/5

Xoxo Meera

Book Review: Shadowland by Meg Cabot (The Mediator #1)

Synopsis from Goodreads

Title: Shadowland (The Mediator #1)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publication Date: 28 December 2004

Publisher: HarperTeen

Format: Paperback, 287 pages

Suze is a mediator -- a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind ... and Suze happens to be in the way.

 My Review

The only time I've heard of Meg Cabot was when I watched Princess Diaries on TV.
Due to that, when I was younger, I've bought some of her books, but haven't read any of them as they had seemed too girly for me, which I tend to rarely read. That in mind, I pretty much believed that all of her works were of that type, but watching and reading reviews on some of her other books shared by reviewers I trust, I was encouraged to pick up the first book in the Mediator series.

I was not disappointed at all. Shadowland was a very entertaining, hilarious, and fast paced read. What interested me more about it was how smoothly it was written, where you get sucked in pretty much by the first sentence.

Suze is a normal teenage girl who moved to California to live with her mom and her new family which consists of a step-father and three amazing step-brothers. But wait, she is not as normal as she seems to be, see, she has a secret special gift that no one knows of, even her mom. Suze can see and talk to ghosts!
Suze, like Melinda Gordon from Ghost Whisperer :P, helps ghosts move on to the next life through solving their unfinished business, but what if the ghost wants someone dead in order to move on, or if the ghost is super hot and gorgeous that you might actually want to stick around?! That's when the adventure begins for Suze.
I absolutely enjoyed this book, and I am gonna continue with the series.

In addition, I like that fact the Meg Cabot did not include that whole cheesy romace, and love at first sight crap. Don't get me wrong, Suze had some moments of instant crushes, but thankfully not the whole "I can't live without you, you are my soul " joke. Actually Suze is a very strong, funny, and witty character. I loved it when she said something about her crush at one point who was injured which was, "Okay, I have to admit I sort of stopped liking Bryce so much when I saw him acting like such a baby..." I've never rolled my eyes with disappointment with Shadowland, which is AWESOME! :D

I loved all of the characters in the book, even the bad ones :P I really recommend this book if you are up for a light, funny read, and a hint of action.

4.5/5

Xoxo Meera