May Mini-Reviews | Summer Ender Post

Its been really fun and I didn't regret a single day spent lazying around. I can't say I'm ready for school again, but I am willing to tackle it again (isn't that kind of the same thing?)

Anyway, beyond the Read More point is the collection of May Reviews, so click away! I've had a good reading month (most of the books were rated 4-5 stars) and I'm looking forward to reading more, hopefully school schedules will permit.

Also, all the mini-reviews are spoiler free, so worry not! But, if you've already read the books below and want a little feel fest and basically want to vent out on your feels about the book as well, click on the Spoiler Section button below each review!


The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't know why it took me so long to pick up the Chronicles of Narnia. I've been a big fan of the movies for the longest time (don't boo, loser! me. I know.)

First and foremost, the writing is amazing! There's this whole story-telling vibe from the beginning to end. It's also very informative (is this even the right word?) and answers a lot of questions if you've seen the movies, but never read the books. I liked it and I immediately picked up the 2nd book after I finished the 1st.



The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the story-telling vibe (redundancy too, apparently) and I still can't believe I'm only diving into the world of Narnia just now. I love the story overall and how C.S. Lewis brilliantly connected it to the first installation. The writing is very good and far from what I had expected. The individual books were quite short, but filled to the brim with the right amount of story and amazing writing style.

Also, while reading, I noticed that the book to film adaptation is outstanding. It was so on-point. If I have read this before I watched the movie, I would be so satisfied with it because everything was included. Narnians must have been really proud when they saw the movie.


The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 4.5 stars, rounded up

It started a little slow for my liking, but later on I discovered that the pace was slow for a good reason. Mid-story intensifies and builds a lot of hype, which makes this book the type of book that makes you grip it tightly and never let go. The Raven boys (Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah) were very well-crafted characters and each had distinct characteristics and personalities, which is great.

Although, I admittedly had to put down the book several times just to process all of the information. It's like you're thrown into the story and filled with so much information, it takes time to let it all sink in. It wasn't much of a negative thing, but I can see some people giving up on this book because of that. I'm telling you though, don't give up on this book.

Overall, it was a really good and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.



Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here's to me trying not to type everything in all caps.

First of all, I liked the pacing of the story. It wasn't too slow, it wasn't too fast. I fell in love with the main character, Celaena, throughout the book because she had flaws. She wasn't perfectly strong and skilled. She was Adarlan's Assassin, but she was also human. I loved how realistic it is when it came to pain and battle. A few battle scenes got me a bit lost, though!

There are a lot of unfamiliar terms and places thrown around and there's not much of a description given to them, leaving you so much space to actually create the world, which is awesome.

I enjoyed reading this and it deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Sarah J. Maas is an incredible writer.



Cinder by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You had me at cyborg.

I read a lot of good reviews before starting this, and this book definitely did not disappoint. It's a very interesting and unique take on a fairytale re-telling. It's doesn't really follow the whole plot line of Cinderella, but the famous aspects where present such as the cruel step mother, the step sisters (one nice, one not so much), the prince, etc. The writing style was very casual and the pace is almost perfect for me. Also, who doesn't fall in love with an angsty, sarcastic, and strong female protagonist?



The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't know if it's because this book is so mainstream or because it looks very long, but this has been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time and let me just say that I don't regret picking it up and beginning to read. The Book Thief was painstakingly beautiful. I've never really read a book narrated by death which in itself is already very intriguing.

The writing is beautiful and the blurb at the back is on point; this book is life-changing. It took me so long to finish the book because I had to stop a couple of times to just absorb everything and think about it. The pacing of the story lets the readers bond more with the characters and grow to love them.

A definite 5/5.



Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading Book Thief, I wanted to dive immediately into a light novel and so I did.

I binge-read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I literally BINGE READ it. I finished it in 4 hours, I think. Anyways, onto the thoughts.

It's past 1AM as I type this, so please bear with me. I gave this 4 over 5 stars because I thought it was a pretty pointless plot, but that's the thing about it. It deserves 4 stars because it's pointless. The writing was very light, the characters weren't exactly what I would call likable, but they were so real. There was no sugarcoating of how different Greg's emotions were towards Rachel despite the whole "sick lit" romance norm.

If I hadn't been very hungover on Book Thief, I would probably give Me and Earl and the Dying Girl 3.5 stars, but it came perfectly in my life. I needed a light read and this did not disappoint one bit. It's so different from the now becoming mainstream "sick lit" trope and yes, I do recommend it to those looking for a light read and a good laugh!