Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Seriously, how awesome of a name is that? Is it her pen name or her actual name? If it is her actual name her parents were brilliant.). I actually don't know how to talk about this book. In a way it is similar to The Fault in our Stars by John Green. In all seriousness, Cath (the main character) is practically me. I say that is all seriousness. I was browsing the book store when I spotted the book and read the first page. How Cath reacted was exactly how I would react, if I had had the guts to even live on campus.

Rainbow is a brilliant story teller and writer. She got the whole fangirl down to the molecule. And the fanfiction? Brilliant. This is a unique and one of a kind book. If you understand at all what it feels like to become so immersed in a series (Harry Potter anyone?), to plaster you walls with it, make constant references to it, wear clothing about it. Any of the above, you will get this book.

And seeing the ways in which Cath grew in the book, it made me wonder in what ways I will grow, and in what ways I have grown, since I am so much like Cath.

This book is going right up there with The Fault in Our Stars. It is going to stay with me, it touched me in a unique way. And I love books that do that.




   One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
  coming of age, college, fangirling, relationships

        Language:
   Cursing throughout. Multiple F-Bombs (Probably around fifty tops)

        Sexual/Romantic Interaction
 College, and no religious values. Multiple references to sex, virginity, homosexuality, bodies, etc.

        Violence
 Not so much violence as crazy life violence. Drunkenness, mental issues, parental failings, etc. 

       I would give Fangirl a rating of mild PG-13, but if you really dislike language then I would rate this as a heavy PG-13 to Light R

      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Fangirl a 4.5

Catching Fire & Mockingjay

{We can pretty much assume that I will not be able to get three posts up each day until October 31, so we will assume that I won't be finishing Blogtober. This is why I fail at things like NaNoWriMon.}

In the past week I completed the Hunger Games trilogy. I had read the first book before the movie had been released, but had not picked up the second book until this past week. Then I borrowed the third book from a friend after reading Catching Fire and finished it last night. It. Was. Terrible.

Be prepared for a spoiler-ly rant ahead. I don't promise that the first half will be about Catching Fire and the second half about Mockingjay either. When I rant, I am all over the place. Don't say I didn't warn you.

First off, the writing is horrendous. The first person present-tense narrative is my least favorite narrative, but just about every single book published today will be written in it. I dislike it because you can't help becoming attached, or 'one', with the protagonist, even if you really hate them *cough*Katniss*cough*. I think the only characters I really cared for in the end (mostly because Suzanne Collins rarely used them/killed them off before she could screw them up with the rest of them) were Finnick, Annie, and their baby.

And when Finnick was killed.... My heart stopped and I had to close the book for about five minutes. (I knew it would happen, since it had been spoiled for me before, but still.... It was terrible.)

Catching Fire wasn't as horrible as Mockingjay, but Hunger Games is the best of the three. I almost think Suzanne Collins shouldn't have even written the last two books, because it seemed like over the course of the two books she was quickly deteriorating over her desire to write the books well. Katniss had no character development until the last chapter of Mockingjay. She was insane throughout the two books. It was just...just...terrible. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.

And the way she concluded the series was sloppy at best. And it wasn't at best, so it was a complete disaster. Especially the epilogue. You really get a sense of just how cold hearted Katniss is, how 'damaged' she is, how mentally unstable. (I can't exactly blame her for being that way, but it's almost pitiful.) She didn't mention her children's names, just that the boy and girl will learn, or have learned, what had happened. She never wanted children, and she said she only had those two after fifteen years of Peeta begging because he wanted them so bad. I feel so sorry for those kids. The ending was cold, and did nothing to redeem the series.

All in all, I hate the books. The only characters I still liked by the end were Finnick, Annie, their son, and Paylor, probably because Suzanne didn't screw them up like she did everyone else. And Peeta. Still like Peeta. But other than those five, I am either on the line or hating the rest of them.

Snow was brilliant. And I will standby my earlier belief that I hate Coin more than Snow, because I do. The relationship between Snow and Katniss was one of the better parts of the story, and even by the time he died Snow was still had that 'bad guy' about him that was all 'I am the bad guy, and I'm not afraid to mess with you up until the very second I die'. And I don't like Coin because she was a career politician and her only goal with the entire rebellion was to get Snow's seat. I was a little surprised when Katniss killed her, because I thought that Katniss was siding with Coin at that time, but I think that could have been done a lot better still.

So, yes, I hate these books. At best they were okay. Really if you just have someone tell you want happens, you will be fine, because they aren't worth the read unless you really want to go through that mental trauma of hatred at the end.




   One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
  dystopian, rebellion, war, survival

        Language:
   Very little to none if I am remembering correctly.

        Sexual/Romantic Interaction
   A love triangle  between  Peeta, Gale, and Katniss. Kissing, some references to sex. 'Survival of the population' via repopulation is talked about a lot in book three.

        Violence
  Very heavy, especially in book three.

       I would give Catching Fire & Mockingjay both a rating of mild-heavey PG-13

      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Catching Fire &Mockingjay both a 2

Blogtober #13 - House of Night, book one - Marked

     Browsing my Facebook a couple of weeks ago, I spotted a post from one of the many book pages I like. The post contained a quote from Marked, book one of the House of Night series. This is the quote:

"Darkness does not always equate to evil, just as light does not always bring good."

     I found the idea interesting and worth pondering (I still don't know what I make of it), and posted it on my page. From there my lovely bibliophile friends said I should read this series (granted I did not know about it until then).
     So my friend loaned me the book and I just finished reading it. It was an okay read. Some parts were confusing, sometimes contradictory. The writing wasn't anything to rave over. It's not terrible to where I would be against reading the other books in the series, it just...I think it would rate a point higher  than Twilight.

     First off, at the beginning I was thoroughly confused (It actually took me the entire first chapter to realize vampyres = vampires. major brain fail there.). 'Vampyres' are not some mythological, unknown, thought to not be real idea, but actual 'creatures'. There is a school/coven and many of the famous actors, actresses, singers, writers, and so on are vampyres. There are certain types of vampyres called Trackers, and they track down humans to turn into vampyres. Those humans are then 'marked' (hence the title of the book, since this covers what happens immediately after Zoey, the protagonist, is marked) and go to the House of Night, a boarding school/coven for vampyres. The Cast ladies did not go right out and say that this is the case, it took some figuring out from the information given.

     There were also some parts that seemed to contradict earlier statements/actualities in the story. But in order to double check on those I would need my own copy and a pencil to mark them out with, so don't hold me to this statement.

     There was also much cursing (quite a few f-bombs were dropped), scenes that were hinting at sex/sexual activities, and to put bluntly, and explicit scene of attempted oral sex (ewwwwwww).

     Soooo....yeah.....Maybe I should retracted my earlier statements about being willing to read the other books. Not only did many of these 'romance' scenes make me a little uncomfortable, I wish I could read a teen book like this (which has a fantastic plot concept, a bit poorly executed) were the romance wasn't physically based, or where the two involved had a 'spiritual' attraction after two interactions. Give me some relationships like those from Harry Potter, or The Rangers Apprentice, and that would be fantastic.

     On a slightly lighter note, what's with all the blondes in the book? It's like the population in House of Night is 95% blonde, 5% other. Wow. That and there were some clichés/Mary sue descriptions. And I couldn't connect with any of the characters from the story, and I think that says a lot. If you can't connect with a character, then what kind of story is it?




    One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
 Vampyres (Vampires), Greek mythology, coming of age, survival, monsters, death, magic

       Language:
  Language throughout, F-bomb dropped by the second chapter, around ten (maybe more) f-bombs total, along with other cursing.

       Sexual/Romantic Interaction
  Heavy on sexual talk/images. Blood is used as a sexual play toy, oral sex, touching inappropriate areas.

       Violence
 Heavy on blood. One scene were a boy dies coughing up blood is descriptive. Knives, rituals, murderous ghosts.

      I would give Marked a rating of heavy PG-13

      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Marked a 2

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History

     You might have heard about a new movie coming out, or maybe you have seen the trailer already. This movie is called 'The Monuments Men', and is based off the true story of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Artifacts division of the military back in World War II. In this book Robert M. Edsel chronicles the struggles and accomplishments of the Monuments Men. It is an inspiring story, with great insight and brilliantly told. Edsel did his research and it shows. He compacted a lot of information into the book, so it was on the slower side to read, but worth it. You really get a sense of the struggles the Monuments had as the small group of men (Small, as in originally less than twelve, but more were added over the years, and many more were added when the war was won), traveled across the whole of Europe on what is indeed 'The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.'

We do not want to destroy unnecessarily what men spent so much time and care and skill in making...[for] these examples of craftsmanship tell us so much about our ancestors...If these things are lost or broken or destroyed, we lose a valuable part of our knowledge about our forefathers. No age lives entirely alone; every civilization is formed not merely by its own achievements but by what it was inherited from the past. If these things are destroyed, we have lost a part of our past, and we shall be the poorer for it.

British Monuments Man Ronald Balfour,

draft lecture of soldiers, 1944

     It is somewhat surprising on how much you can learn by studying art. You see the greediness of the Nazis, the desperateness of them as they lost more and more lead-way. The struggles of the Monuments Men as they traveled all of Europe mostly by hitchhiking, putting themselves at risk for the sake of art. They were driven by their passion, and that is clear in this biography. 

     I especially enjoyed the last chapter as it went on to tell what happened to many of the people mentioned in the book after the war had ended. It is somewhat sad that practically all of them went without recognition until now. That just now we are starting to learn the truth because someone (Robert M. Edsel!) took the time to research what he was writing about. I am interested in reading more of Robert M. Edsel's work on art and the quest of protecting our heritage through it. I would recommend this book for any history buff, art buff, or war buff. Fantastic read, and you won't regret it.

One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
 War, history, art, Nazi's, WWII

       Language:
Light to light mild. Nothing dramatic

       Sexual/Romantic Interaction
Nothing objectionable

       Violence
mid-heavy on the violence. Since this is a book centered on a war effort it is unavoidable  Some death, descriptions of concentration camps and the after effects of war on human beings. Depressing at many points, but in an eye opening, learn from it, let it change you for the better way.

      I would give The Monuments Men a rating of light PG-13


      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Monuments Men a 4

The Mortal Instruments, book one - City of Bones

     I finished reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare last night. It was a slower read for me, taking three days to complete. I believe the main reason for the slow pace was because I couldn't get into it as easily as I did Divergent, by Veronica Roth, which I had just read right before starting City of Bones. The pace of the book was also slow, it covered a span of two to three weeks, almost day by day. But it was an enjoyable read, and I know that I will be reading the rest of the series, because the way she ended it. Oh. My. Gosh. My heart was broken.

     I really enjoyed the relationships the characters had with each other. They were all well developed except for Alec, I believe. All of the sudden out of the blue Clary (the main character) could tell Alec was gay? I didn't notice a thing, but then again I might just be a lot like Jace in this area and be blind to the hints of gay-ness or what have ye. It wasn't until after Clary discovered this that I began to notice that Alec, was indeed, gay. Maybe the glamour had been lift from my eyes in this case? Excepting the homosexuality, I still feel as if Alec's character isn't fully developed and clean as the other characters.

     Another thing about City of Bones that I really enjoyed was the fact that Clare kept the mythical creatures in the story true to their origins. Demons and vampires are destroyed in sunlight. She had a hierarchy of the mythical creatures, she knew what she was talking about when it came to magic/myths. She kept the creatures true to the story while still making them fresh and new and different. And the fact that werewolves can change at will doesn't bother me, because as is explained in the book at the beginning they have no control and change against their will at every full moon, but over time they learn to control it and only a strong full moon can force the more mature werewolves to change.
     Spectacular and refreshing compared to the mumbo jumbo that Twilight has brought upon the world of mythical and magical creatures.

     As for being the first book in the series, it was a good introduction. It got the ball rolling for the plot, introduced drama, and developed characters and relationships. Despite being a slow read, it got me interested and attached enough to the characters and plot to read the rest of the series.

     And let me rant before I end this review by saying.
     What. The. Heck.
     The actors they have for Jace and Clary in the up and coming Mortal Instruments movie... just, no. No. No. No.
     The End.



 One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
 Magic, mythical creatures, demons

       Language:
Light to light mild. Nothing dramatic

       Sexual/Romantic Interaction
Kissing. One of the characters is homosexual. Couple of mentions of sex and 'hot bods' and similar.

       Violence
Light heavy on the violence. Fights, death, kidnapping, killing. Magical fights. Describes blood and wounds in some detail.

      I would give City of Bones a rating of light to mild PG-13


      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give City of Bones a 3.5

Divergent - Book One

     I read Divergent by Veronica Roth in around eight hours. It was very good! At less than a hundred pages in I was hooked, and when I got to chapter twelve I didn't want to put it down even though I had to. This is my favorite Dystopian book I have read (although I can count the number of Dystopian books I have read on one hand). The factions Roth made in Divergent are fascinating and I can see the individual mindsets of each faction in society today, although we act in a more 'divergent' matter, not restricting ourselves to one mindset. If I ever did end up in Divergent and was put in a faction, I would be in Abnegation, the selfless. I thought that as I read it and took the quiz at the end and ended up in that faction too. :)

     As for characters I instantly fell in love with Tris (Beatrice) and Four. Tris' evolution through the book was executed will, although there were times when I was floored by her thought process/selfishness that became stronger during the climax of the story (it's the Abnegation in me, I suppose). But I liked how in the resolution of the book she over came that overwhelming selfishness. She went from attempting to be selfless 24/7 in Abnegation, something extremely difficult and many times impossible to do even in the real 'world', to become a selfish Dauntless who wasn't afraid of revenge. Over the span of the book her instructor, Four, taught her that she needed a balance of the two, and I found it artistic how Roth symbolized the symbiosis of the two factions with Tris' tattoos.

     I think my largest complaint would be that the romantic relationship between Tris and Four was pivotal in Tris' development. I wish it could have been less focused on that. If Roth had waited until the end of the first book to flesh out their relationship's I wouldn't have argued. But I am very, very interested to pick up the next book in the series, Insurgent, to see how it all pans out relationship wise.

     Oh, and just for fun here are my picks for Disney characters and the Faction that they best fit:

Candor: Pinocchio
Abnegation: Snow White
Dauntless: Mulan
Amity: Pocahontas
Erudite: Belle

     Agree? Disagree? Share with me :)




One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
 Dystopian, revolution, power, control, government

       Language:
One or two words, very very light.

       Sexual/Romantic Interaction
Tris and Four's relationship is pivotal throughout the book. Many kissing scenes, some more passionate than others. A few times sex is mentioned/talked about.

       Violence
Heavy on the violence. The Dauntless initiation is very violent. There are guns, stabbing, facing fears, killing, murder, mind control throughout the entire book.

      I would give Divergent a rating of mild PG-13


      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Divergent a 4.5

 

A Northern Light

     I found A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly an enjoyable read with an interesting plot and storyline. I enjoyed that she was inspired by true events and how this story was her interpretation of a 'What If...' Jennifer Donnelly has a very compelling writing style, however I have to object too some of the philosophical/ideological ideas she presents in the book. From her feministic overtones, to her feelings on relationships, to what books are 'Truths' and 'Untruths'. I find the darkness that comes from these ideas depressing. (Get ready for spoilers now, skip to the end where I give the rating if you don't want spoilers)

     Donnelly calls books like Pride and Prejudice untruths, while books like Huckleberry Finn are truths because in Huckleberry Finn Hucks father is a drunk who beats his son. It is true that not all love stories are 'glamourous' like Lizzie Bennett's and Fitzwilliam Darcy's,  but in A Northern Light, Donnally condemns those relationships to be hard and ultimately heart breaking (in the book the main character's, Mattie, parents had a relationship similar to Lizzie and Darcy's which only lead to heart break for the entire family. Mattie's friend, Minnie, also had a relationship similar to Lizzie and Darcy's, and although Mattie could see the good in it, she could only focus on the bad, which all relationships will have no matter what.) Any relationship is going to have hardships. A true relationship can face those hardships with courage, compassion, understanding, and stay united. I think Mattie misses the point that in Austen's books the hero and heroine change willingly, without being forced or forcing themselves, as they come face to face with their hardships, both separate and together.

     When relationships are based on physical attractions, feelings, and personal gain, as Mattie's and Royal's was, it is doomed and will fail, as it did. And when you have a flawed view of romantic love and a false idea on what love is, you will never marry, as happens with Mattie and Royal. Mattie goes off to college and rejects Royal's marriage proposal because she feels like a tool he is using to get her father's property. I think Royal was intending to use her for his own gain, but I also believe that he did have some feelings for Mattie, especially when he gave her a book as a gift. It might have been a cookbook, and it might have offended her (because she felt Royal was trying to change her to be a proper housewife who cooks and rears children), but he was becoming more open to her love of reading, he was starting to change. But that wasn't quick enough for Mattie. Impatient she leaves. After being oppressed to a promise she made to her dying mother, Mattie leaves, breaking her father's heart, returning the ring Royal had given her, leaving her younger sister to take care of the two youngest... Mattie was full of a selfish heart, and she had grown tired of attempting to be selfless. Her problem as she was trying to be selfless was that she was still selfish.

     Then comes the feministic overtones. They frustrate me more than anything else in the book, because to me the problems I've already discussed stem from the feminism in the book. I find the feministic view to be depressing most of the time, and this book reinforces that belief.




One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
 Coming of Age, murder mystery, historical fiction

       Language:
Very little

       Sexual/Romantic Interaction
Multiple 'groping' at body parts and passionate romantic gestures that made me feel uncomfortable, but not violated.

       Violence
Almost an entire chapter is dedicated to a birth scene with much detail. Donnelly describes drowning, racial violence, sickness, and a dead body, in mild detail.

      I would give A Northern Light a rating of light PG-13


      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give A Northern Light a 2.5

God Grew Tired of Us, A Memior

     I ran into a friend the other day at the library. We talked for a bit before she dragged me across the building to check out a book, God Grew Tired of Us by John Bul Dau. She told be she had watched the documentary on it (same titled as the book) but didn't want to read the book until I had done so she would know if it was worth it. Haha, I guess that is what happens when you are a bibliophile and you have some not-so-bibliophile friends.

     When I read the introduction, which gave a detailed account of what happened the night his village was attacked by Arab soldiers called 'Djellabas', I felt like crying. Perhaps it is because I normally fiction that ends 'happy', but to know that events like that take place and are real is sometimes very difficult to understand. John's journey from Sudan to America is inspiring. And his comparisons of the Sudanese lifestyle and American lifestyle is very thought provoking. I liked what he said about America and it's 'tribes'.

"America as many tribes. Irish, German, Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Italian, and on and on through scores of other ethnicities, religions, and languages. Jews and Christians and Muslims. Great-grandchildren of slaves and great-grandchildren of slaveholders. Those who crossed the ocean in first-class cabins on luxury liners and those who traveled in steerage. Red-state citizens and blue-state citizens. Unlike the Dinka [John's tribe from Sudan], whom God placed along the Nile long, long ago, Americans live in a young and restless country. Everyone is an immigrant in this nation of immigrants; even the so-called 'Native' Americans once traveled to this continent from Asia. As an outside to the U.S., who knew next to nothing about America before arriving on these shores in 2001, I have observed many things that others have stared at but failed to see. Too many Americans have put on blinders. They see only what they choose to, not taking the time or effort to try and understand the big picture. I believe a macroscopic view of America must take account of all things that make this country great, as well as the things that stand in the way of its achieving even more greatness." (God Grew Tired of Us, chapter 6)

     John is very proud of America, he continually blesses it and will do anything to help America, just as he would do anything to help his homeland. I love what he had to say about America's great strength too.

Without even pausing to think, I can tell you America's greatest strength is its enormous spirit, manifest in its generosity. Americans deserve huge credit for giving to those in need. They open their checkbooks and make donations to people in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, and in devastated New Orleans, and they seldom know personally who benefits from their altruism. Nowhere else in the world do people give so much, so freely, with no expectations in return...You tell an American you need assistance, and chances are you will find in his or her response the spirit that made this country grow and prosper. (God Grew Tired of Us, chapter 6)

     After reading this book, I feel good. I feel inspired. I feel like my opportunities here in America as an American citizen are endless, and I am so proud of this country God has blessed us with. I also have a great respect for the Dinka culture, and want to learn more about them. I think it would be a good thing to incorporate some key Dinka teachings into my everyday life. This is a book that makes you think, and is well worth it.

     I love the story that John Bul Dau shared with us, and I hope you will take the opportunity to read his story too.




      One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
 Survival, Hope, perseverance, war and its aftereffects.

       Language:
None.

       Sexual/Romantic Interaction
The Dinka practice polygamy, John marries a woman, but it's all done in a modest and 'courtship' like manner.

       Violence
War time violence. Shooting, starvation, burying dead friends who get eaten during the night, and so on.

      I would give God Grew Tired of Us a rating of light to mild PG-13


      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give God Grew Tired of Us a 4.5

 

The Fault in Our Stars

Poignant - adjective
1. Keenly distressing to the feelings
2. Keen or strong mental appeal
3. Affecting or moving the emotions.

      This is a perfect description of The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. A beautiful read. My mind literally cannot comprehend it. Something in this story has resonated deep in my soul.

     This is one of those books that the technical aspects does not matter to me, the words were music to my heart. All I am left with is the emotions and a need to keep this book close to my heart. This was such a beautiful read, that I can't do a 'proper' review on it. The emotional aspects affected me in such a beautiful way. I read the library's copy of The Fault in Our Stars, but I had to go out and buy me my own copy.



     One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
  Cancer, death, relationships, coping

       Language:
  Mild language throughout, the F word is used once but not in a sexual way.

       Sexual/Romantic Interaction
  Kissing (sometimes passionate) One scene where sex happens, but it is a paragraph and very very little detail. I am a stickler for this, I don't normally let things like it slide, but it did not make me feel 'icky', or violated, so it didn't bother me.

       Violence
 Cancer is such a huge thing, the book revolves around it (The main characters have cancer). Not surprising there is a lot of anger and sometimes that is taken out physically (mostly on inanimate objects, I don't think there was every physical, human harm)

      I would give The Fault in our Stars a rating of mild PG-13

      On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Fault in Our Stars a 5

True Grit

     I picked up True Grit by Charles Portis on a whim from the library. My dad enjoys the movie adaptation starring John Wayne. After hearing that the 2010 adaptation starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Hailee Steinfeld was truer to the book, I was interested in finding out for myself. (You will discover my findings in a later 'Book VS. Movie' post).

     True Grit follows the story of Mattie Ross as she enlists the help of US Marshal Rooster Cogburn and Texas Ranger Laboeuf (pronounced La-beef) to track and capture Tom Chaney, who, intoxicated, murdered Mattie's father. Laboeuf is tracking Chaney for a crime done in Texas. The trio sets off into Indian territory where Chaney fled, hot on the fugitive's trail.

     The book is written in the style of a memoir from Mattie Ross's point of view. She wrote it to tell about her experience with Cogburn and what happened afterwards to both him and her.

     I found Mattie Ross's character intriguing. I wouldn't be afraid to say that Mattie has some grit herself. She is a very determined girl who doesn't like to be treated like a weak girl. She doesn't like Cogburn calling her 'little sister', feeling like that means he believes her a weak girl needing protection. She abhors LeBoeuf insisting she not join them on the hunt. She believes she should be respected by all being a property owner, and she knows what she wants and will, under any circumstances, get it.
     Cogburn is a drunk and a marshal who would rather shoot first, ask questions later. He has killed around 27 fugitives in his duty as a marshal, but who knows how many more come from his time serving during the Civil War (on the confederate side). He doesn't enjoy talking about his past, although in one scene later in the book he tells Mattie a lot as they wait to ambush some fugitives. He develops a paternal/fraternal relationship to Mattie (although I don't think neither he or Mattie would admit it at the time). Her safety and survival is his main goal (besides capturing Chaney) near the end of the book.
     Laboeuf is that 'side character' you grow to love by the end of the book, although he didn't seem near as developed as Mattie and Cogburn. He does seem to develop fraternal feelings for Mattie near the end of the book, whereas in the beginning he whipped her in attempts to get her to go back home, abhorring the idea of a girl, not to mention a child, joining the men as they worked. He doesn't take instruction well and is a bit cocky and proud about his abilities.


     One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.

     Themes:
 Wild-west, murder, fugitives

      Language:
 Mild cursing (SOB a couple of times)

      Sexual/Romantic Interaction
 None pertinent to the story

      Violence
 Talk of killing, Mattie's father is killed. Mattie totes around a revolver. Mattie is whipped by Laboeuf. There is a shoot out resulting in injury and the death of multiple fugitives. Fight scenes at the end resulting in death, injury, and loss of an arm.

     I would give 'True Grit' a rating of light to mild PG-13

     On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give True Grit a 3.