Tag Archives: brooke reviews

Brooke Reviews: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ll begin by saying I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Game of Thrones. It’s thrilling and intriguing and the plot is intricate.

There are so many characters it’s difficult to keep count. However, each one is unique and memorable.

Game of Thrones is a story about a kingdom which is slowly falling apart. Winter is coming…and it could last for years, bringing not only bitter cold weather but also death. As Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell in the north, discovers secrets and scandals surrounding his friend King Robert, everything begins to fall apart. His family is in danger, threatened by the Lannisters, but Lord Stark must serve as the King’s Hand to attempt to keep the peace.

The story is narrated by each of the characters in turn, which keeps the reader on their toes. I flipped ahead just to see if my favorite characters were alright, because just when things got interesting the author would switch perspectives. But let me warn you…George Martin spares his characters nothing. And perhaps that’s why the book is so, so captivating.

The subplots, each somehow connected, moved the story forward. Martin develops each character by giving him/her back-story and personality.

Read the book. Read it, read it, read it.

I’ve got four more books to go…and if this first book is anything to judge the rest of the series by, I just know it’s going to get even better.

– Brooke

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Brooke Reviews: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Ship Breaker (Ship Breaker, #1)Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

This book was recommended to me, so I decided to give it a shot. Sometimes, my favorite books are books I would not have normally chosen to read myself.

Ship Breaker was a good book, but it did not make my list of favorites. I liked the futuristic setting, and the plot, which was very original. The book is unlike the other dystopian novels I’ve read, as there is no controlling government and rebels hoping to break free. Just the opposite, actually. The world is in disrepair, and there is a very large gap between the rich and the poor. Nailer is a ship breaker, a boy who strips grounded ships of their copper wiring to earn his living. He has never been fortunate, with few loyal friends and an abusive and unpredictable father.

Competition is fierce because resources are scarce. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.

However, when Nailer discovers a beautiful beached ship and a rich “swank” girl, he realizes his luck might have changed. Nailer embarks on an adventure to return Nita to her father, but the pair is chased by both Nailer’s father and the people who wish to kidnap Nita. Although the action moved quickly and there was plenty of high-seas adventure, I still found myself slightly uninterested and unconvinced by the characters.

I would like to read the sequel, The Drowned Cities, to see how Nailer’s story ends. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I probably would not read it again.

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Brooke Reviews: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched (Matched, #1)Matched by Ally Condie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic dystopian fiction novel. Author Ally Condie presents the reader with a very intriguing situation, which makes it quite difficult to put the book down. This is what I love about dystopian novels: the authors dare to ask the “What if…?” questions that plague us all.

Cassia, a teenage girl who lives within the confines of the Society, is ready to be Matched. After their 17th birthday, Citizens of the Society are “matched” with other citizens based on their personalities and genes. There is absolutely no free will or choice in the Society – the Society chooses your wardrobe, what you eat, where you work, who you will marry. When you will die.

Cassia has nothing against the Society at first. She believes, as does nearly everyone else, that the elimination of choice is a good thing. The Society keeps things under control. The Society can fix any problem.

Everything changes when Cassia sees a different face flash before her eyes – a boy who is not her Match (best friend Xander), but a boy named Ky Markham. As Cassia struggles to decide which path is right for her, she faces for the first time real decisions and real consequences.

I loved both Xander and Ky, and as the reader I am sympathetic to Cassia’s plight. I can’t wait to read Book 2, Crossed, as I am eager to finish Cassia’s story.

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