The French Orphan By: Michael Stolle

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• Title: The French Orphan (The French Orphan #1)
• Author: Michael Stolle
• Publisher: Createspace
• Publication Date: August 24, 2012
• Pages: 388
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Recommended Age: 15+
• First Read: 2013
• Source: Goodreads Giveaway
• Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 stars

The French Orphan is a historical novel based in well, France in the 17th Century during the reign of Louis VIII. Pierre, who is around 17 years old or so at the beginning of this book has believed all of his life that he is a lowly orphan an has lived most of his life in an monastery. The monastery is also the current home/school of Pierre's best friend, Armand, who is part of quite an important family in France, the de Saint Pauls. While in the monastery, Pierre and Armand discover that Pierre is actually nobility- the future Marquis de Beauvoir- and that he is being hunted down by his cousin Henri because it is Henri who wants to be the future Marquis; Henri will do anything to kill Pierre to ascend to the throne. Pierre, Armand, and Marie, Pierre's love interest, journey throughout both France and England and have many adventures in Pierre's quest to gain the title that was rightfully his at birth but they encounter numerous challenges. But what is adventure without the chase?

I thought that this book was extremely well written and I quite enjoyed the both the plot and the characters. This book has everything that I look for in a historical novel and I really appreciate that. If I had to have any complaints though, it would have to be that some scenes were a little drawn out and a bunch of them could have taken out, but I guess that those scenes did eventually paint a more accurate picture of French aristocracy. The book started out a bit slow and lagged in some places, but maybe that was my fault for not paying attention. However, I did enjoy the book immensely and hope to read more of Pierre and Armand's excursions in The Secrets of Montresor! 

My Name is Rapunzel By: K.C. Hilton

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• Title: My Name is Rapunzel
• Author: K.C. Hilton
• Publisher: Createspace
• Publication Date: November 22, 2013
• Pages: 322
• Genre: Young Adult
• Recommended Age: 13+
• First Read: 2013
• Source: Goodreads Giveaway
• Rating: 0.5 / 5.0 stars

Two words: highly disappointed.


I saw this book on Goodreads and immediately told myself I had to have it. The concept was highly intriguing and I am a sucker for a fairy tale re-telling. But when I finally started reading the book, what did I find, but something not so magical and truthfully, not very worthy to be called one of the great fairy tale re-tellings. And it's such a shame too because the cover is so beautiful.

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Initially, I was extremely excited to delve into this book, but the moment I started reading (and reading further only confirmed it) I saw to my disappointment that although the concept had potential with the whole "Rapunzel is immortal and must co-exist next to the modern world while she lives with a witch and dragon" it never really took off.

The characters themselves were highly one-dimensional and did not ring true to me. No exposition on any of the characters is given and the reader barely knows anything about them other than they are stuck together. Rapunzel was particularly unbelievable, not because she was a fairy-tale character, but because I could not believe her complete immaturity and ignorance for being over two centuries old and having access to the supposed "devices" she had. And Henry. Oh, Henry. The reader never finds out anything about his background and never gets any character development from him, other than knowing he is Rapunzel's "true love." And the reader doesn't really even know why! He is supposed to be one of the most important elements of the story-why Rapunzel sacrificed so much for him, and yet the reader never once even finds out his last name! Then there was Gretta. Honestly, I couldn't hate the witch because she was too flat a character, just like all the others to hate. The problem with each and every one of these characters is that they stay pretty much the same person they were throughout the book, never evolving and maturing; they were simply stagnant. Back to Gretta. She is introduced as a terrible witch and yes, what she inflicts upon Rapunzel and Henry is terrible yes, but I could never really get into Rapunzel's anguish because she is so close-minded about everything and never once becomes curious about who Gretta really is, and just decides to hate her for two centuries, never really figuring out Gretta's history until Gretta conveniently tells her. Gretta was someone who you were supposed to hate and loathe, and I felt pretty apathetic about her-about all of them really. The greatest feeling I had while reading was annoyance, especially with Rapunzel because she decides to be extremely stupid and writes to a stranger about her life, though she does not know this man and knows that he will likely not believe her.

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And it is this little oversight by Rapunzel that annoyed me the most. She gets infuriated because of some person who she does not know, writes an article about fairy tales being not true and all of that, blah blah blah. So what does any sane person who has a secret to keep so she does not get hunted do? Write a series of very long, badly written letters to this unknown person with her address on it so he can conveniently trace her and fall in love. My biggest problem with this scenario is that throughout the book, Rapunzel frequently stresses the fact that she wants to stay hidden and does not want anyone to recognize her-that's why she only ventures into town once every fifty years. But then, the witch lets workers into the castle (don't you think people would get suspicious?) to set up modern conveniences and Rapunzel immediately spills her guts out to a person who might expose her entire secret to the entire world. Why? Just why would she do this? I get that the letters are to tell the reader more of the story in a "unique" way, but Rapunzel's lack of foresight on the matter with John (who is another annoying, one-dimensional character)is what makes the least sense in the book. Why risk blowing your entire secret for some sassy reporter's column?

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Another thing that bothered me about reading this was the lack of developed dialogue and general use of words in the novel. Living for more than two centuries, you would think that all of these immortal characters would have developed a more refined speech, but sadly, that is false. The descriptions and dialogue-both internal and with other characters-sounds as if Rapunzel was uneducated or else rather lazy with her speech. She talks like a ditsy teenage girl, not like someone who has experience much in her long, long life. And all those books she read over the years were bound to have had just a little impact on her speech, but no. The syntax was not up to par at all and it highly annoyed me. This girl's vocabulary was so unrefined and her diction completely inappropriate for the character she was supposed to be portraying that it was one of the biggest turn-offs of the book.

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I really tried to like this book, truly I did. But honestly, the the lack of character development, the juvenile syntax, and just the annoyance of the plot (the location did not even ring true!) could not make me like the book. This book took me five months to get through, mainly because I would put it down for weeks at a time, not reading, too annoyed to go on. There was definitely a boat load of potential, but it just did not work out. I think I'll go watch Tangled or read Golden By Cameron Dokey now so my faith in Rapunzel is restored a little bit.

Truth or Dare By: Jacqueline Green

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• Title: Truth or Dare  (Truth or Dare #1)
• Author: Jacqueline Green
• Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication Date: May 14, 2013
• Pages: 389
• Genre: Young Adult
• Recommended Age: 13+
• First Read: 2013
• Source: Goodreads Giveaway
• Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 stars

SYNOPSIS:

Truth or Dare takes place on the coastal town of Echo Bay where three beautiful girls start getting mysterious dares from unknown source that lead to secrets and danger. The girls have to go through with these dares or risk getting their deepest secrets revealed. For Sydney, Tenley, and Caitlin, the truth is not an option. When the dares start getting riskier and more dangerous, the three girls' paths cross and collide until the darer does the unthinkable.

REVIEW:

The first thing that drew me into this book was certainly the cover because it is mysterious and quite intriguing, and I was not disappointed with the book at all. I really enjoyed this book because it was intriguing and a perfect summer read if you are looking to be entertained late at night or on long plane rides. The book is reminiscent of the Pretty Little Liars series, but it is in its own right, an interesting read. It certainly was not anything of great literary genius but it was fast paced, a enjoyable, YA fiction that keeps me wanting more. I gave it 3.5 stars and not four because of course it was cliched but all in all there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing.

I look forward to the next book in the series!

Hamlet By: William Shakespeare

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• Title: Hamlet
• Author: William Shakespeare
• Publisher: Riverhead Books by Penguin Group
• Publication Date: April 15, 2003
• Pages: 352
• Genre: Fiction/Play
• Recommended Age: 13+
• First Read: 2015
• Source: Purchase 
• Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 stars

Hamlet, Abridged:

  

HAMLET: My daddy's dead. And I don't like my stepdad/ uncle.
  

DEAD KING HAMLET: Go kill your uncle.

HAMLET. Should I? I should. No, I shouldn't. I should. I shouldn't.

GERTRUDE: Love your new dad and get over your actual dad's death.

HAMLET: I hate all of you. And I think I'm going to go to crazy town.

POLONIUS: blah blah blah. *death*

OPHELIA: Hammmlleeettt. Love meee. Or I'll go crazy.

HAMLET: Too late. You're crazy, I'm crazy, everyone's crazy...and dead.

LAERTES: Imma challenge you to a duel because that's what we do here. And think of three ways to kill you.

CLAUDIUS: Let's put some poison in wine and forget to label it right.

HAMLET: Ahhhh let's all fight!

GERTRUDE: Oooh. I love poisoned wine. *death*

LAERTES: *killed with his own poisoned sword*

CLAUDIUS: Yum. Wine. Oops. *dead*.

HAMLET: Well, are you happy now Dad? *also dies*

HORATIO: Where'd everyone go?

[All Exuent]

This is my third Shakespeare play to read, courtesy of my school's required reading list.

I read the No Fear Version (as pictured) which shows the original play on the left side and a translated version on the right side that reflects today's language, which I recommend for people who may have a little trouble adjusting to Shakespearean language. I definitely benefited from this because I was able to clarify some bits that I did not completely understand. I also liked it because there were helpful tidbits that explained the history and context of some of the things said in the play that may not have translated to today's audiences.

As a whole, this was an interesting play to read, especially witnessing Hamlet's fall into insanity. I laughed at Hamlet's wit and sarcasm because there is just something so likable about a character that is able to play with words so easily. And though I found Hamlet's ability with words enjoyable, I did not particularly enjoy the way he treated Ophelia. Which is, I know, purposeful on Shakespeare's part, but can you really blame Ophelia for what she did? She was a pawn in a greater game (well, you can make the argument that they all were, which is true) and did little to deserve her fate.

Ophelia is one of my favorite characters, but my absolute favorite was actually the gravedigger, who is only in the play for one act. And the fact that he is such an insignificant character in the grand scheme of things makes me like him a lot more because Shakespeare makes a point in giving him some of the most profound lines in he play. By doing this, Shakespeare gets the point across that sometimes the most interesting thoughts come not from the rich, but from the common man.
The grave digger is the only one who is able to match wits with Hamlet and even outsmarts him in word play sometimes. I also liked this particular scene because it gets the point across that everyone is equal in death- that we all return to dust and it does not matter who we are in life if we all end up in the same place. Which is a little morbid, I know, but is also very thought provoking.

My least favorite part about this play was Hamlet's relationship with his mother because I think that he is waaayyy too interested in her marital affairs, if you know what I mean. It just was not right. There is a deeper significance to that and everything, but it was still disconcerting.

I also did not like Hamlet's indecisiveness, which the entire play is built on. Make up your mind Hamlet! It takes the death of four people before Hamlet actually makes up his mind to go kill his Uncle. Which, if Hamlet wanted to kill the guy in the first place, should not have taken that long to decide.

Hamlet my friend, you are a special guy.

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And if you guys are just too lazy to read all of Hamlet's sassyness, then just watch The Lion King. But read the play too, it's one heck of a ride!

The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini

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• Title: The Kite Runner
• Author: Khaled Hosseini
• Publisher: Riverhead Books 
• Publication Date: March 5, 2013 (10th Anniversary Edition) 
• Pages: 400
• Genre: Fiction
• Recommended Ages: 13+
• First Read: 2013
• Source: Goodreads Giveaway
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

The Kite Runner is a gut-wrenchingly amazing book that gave me a picture of Afghanistan that I did not know existed until reading this book. The plot was achingly spectacular and I became emotionally attached to each and every single character who graced the pages. This book is so much more than just a story about two boys growing up in Afghanistan, but a complex tale of friendship, love, loyalty, integrity, and family.

For you, a thousand times over. 

So haunting, so mesmerizing, so tragic.

Amir and Hassan grow up together in Afghanistan in the late sixties and mid seventies, when there was still a monarchy running the government. Amir is the son of a prominent man who is well known and respected throughout the community, and Amir is an affluent child. Hassan, though Amir never outright tells him, is undeniably his best and only friend, and also his servant. The two boys share a bond that starts in the womb and though they, as children are different social classes, they still become inseparable. The two boys' personalities are complex, with Amir being a bit of a coward, as he calls himself, while Hassan is infinitely braver (as Amir thinks) and a loyal friend to no end.

An incident that happens during the winter of 1975 during a kite festival changes Amir and Hassan's entire relationship. Amir is too cowardly to come to Hassan's aid, and as a result, Hassan is never the same again. The guilt that Amir carried was far to great for him to handle, and in desperation, rids himself of the cause of his grief by tearing apart his life.

Not long after that, Afghanistan itself starts getting into turmoil, and the country is never the same again. Amir grows up in America after fleeing his native Afghanistan and lives there for over two decades, suffering his own trials and tribulations while Hassan is almost always in the back of his mind.

Hassan is not introduced again until much later, when Amir gets summons to return to his roots by an old friend. What Amir learns about Hassan, himself, and his whole life changes everything. To make things right again, Amir agrees to look for Hassan's only child and bring him to Pakistan. This is not an easy task, and Sohrab is as much a tortured soul as his father and Amir.

The ending of this book is filled with tragedy as well as a bittersweet, hopeful moment that shows that there might be hope out there. For everyone.


Words cannot fully describe how haunting this book was; it just so beautifully crafted and powerful. Khaled Hosseini gives us all a window into the soul of Afghanistan and its resiliently complex people.