Outlander Review SPOILERS

Outlander Review WITH SPOILERS
by Diana Gabaldon

5 of 5 Stars

Wow. Simply wow. It can be hard to find books like Outlander. Books that take the time to build up the story and the background that they need, but still in a way that leaves you wanting to continue to read and never put down the book. Books that when the main plot line is revealed, you have no power over the way the book has possessed your mind and consumes your waking thoughts. It is hard to find books like this. Outlander has all of it. Even more so, it has a detailed and creative setting with historical accuracy and the some of the best character development that is realistic and true. It is long. VERY long actually, but totally worth all of the time and effort.

SPOILERS AHEAD

CHARACTERS:

Claire Randall: She is.... amazing. She worked as a nurse in WWII, is still keeping up with her herbs and healing practices, and when she is thrown into a time loop back to the 1700s, she has only a small chance to learn what is happening and save her own neck. Which she does. Even when she is told to marry someone else, someone she barely knows, she holds her own before taking it in stride. And despite being surrounded by mostly men in a time period where men are seen as everything and women as dirt, she doesn't take shit from anyone. Bravo to her- if I ever get sent back in time, I'm going to follow her lead.

James Fraser: JAMIE!!!! I loved Jamie. A part of me wishes that the whole first section of the book that takes place in 1900s wasn't even there, even though I know that it was necessary for the book to have made sense the way that it did. It is hard to describe Jamie without seeming like I'm completely fangirling over him because his character is that good. He is loyal to a fault, handsome, brave, and has incredible morals. He supports Claire, is like a knight in shining armor, and even learns to believe the seemingly impossible. Plus, he's gorgeous.

Jack Randall: As much as I hate the guy, he is really interesting. I would never want to meet him. Ever. But his character is twisted and I'd imagine feeling trapped by his sexuality and desires in a time period that is completely backwards from today's ideals and almost archaic in its views.
There are so many more characters in the story, and all of them are really well put together, but I would be writing a novel myself just to review them all. But know that they are all really well written and original. It may help to take notes though to keep them all straight in your head.

SETTING:

I think it is safe to say that I am officially obsessed with Scotland now because of this book. The descriptions of the highlands and all of the different geographical attributes makes me want to visit there and capture all of the beauty that is there.

In the story, the original setting is 1945, which is one of my favorite times in history. But then as Claire gets sent back in time, she goes to 1743, which I know almost nothing about. I know absolutely nothing of what was going on in England at that time, and when references were starting to be made to the historical events of the time, I had no clue what they were talking about. So I did some light research as to the event of the time period and the area and it was so interesting. I then went back to the book and all of the references were much clearer and even more interesting, knowing what was going to happen because of knowing the history. Weird explanation there, but what I'm trying to get across is that Diana Gabaldon did a fantastic job of tying in the history and making sure that was done so in a way that was captivating yet accurate.

WRITING:

Diana Gabaldon's writing isn't necessarily easy to read. It's not that it is grammatically inaccurate, but just harder to read because of Scottish jargon, accents, and a more complex vocabulary and sentence structure. I actually appreciated this because it was nice to read something a little more complicated. I already gushed about how she was able to weave a tale that kept you wondering and thinking about even when you weren't reading, so I won't go over that again.
 
This book was great in that it was fun, challenging, and historical. Her writing was near impeccable, and I cannot wait to read the other books in the series to see where Claire and Jamie will go next and what will happen in the plot.

Thanks for reading!

Outlander Review NO SPOILERS

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Simply wow. It can be hard to find books like Outlander. Books that take the time to build up the story and the background that they need, but still in a way that leaves you wanting to continue to read and never put down the book. Books that when the main plot line is revealed, you have no power over the way the book has possessed your mind and consumes your waking thoughts. It is hard to find books like this. Outlander has all of it. Even more so, it has a detailed and creative setting with historical accuracy and the some of the best character development that is realistic and true. It is long. VERY long actually, but totally worth all of the time and effort.

[
CHARACTERS:
Claire Randall: She is.... amazing. She worked as a nurse in WWII, is still keeping up with her herbs and healing practices, and when she is thrown into a time loop back to the 1700s, she has only a small chance to learn what is happening and save her own neck. Which she does. Even when she is told to marry someone else, someone she barely knows, she holds her own before taking it in stride. And despite being surrounded by mostly men in a time period where men are seen as everything and women as dirt, she doesn't take shit from anyone. Bravo to her- if I ever get sent back in time, I'm going to follow her lead.
James Fraser: JAMIE!!!! I loved Jamie. A part of me wishes that the whole first section of the book that takes place in 1900s wasn't even there, even though I know that it was necessary for the book to have made sense the way that it did. It is hard to describe Jamie without seeming like I'm completely fangirling over him because his character is that good. He is loyal to a fault, handsome, brave, and has incredible morals. He supports Claire, is like a knight in shining armor, and even learns to believe the seemingly impossible. Plus, he's gorgeous.
Jack Randall: As much as I hate the guy, he is really interesting. I would never want to meet him. Ever. But his character is twisted and I'd imagine feeling trapped by his sexuality and desires in a time period that is completely backwards from today's ideals and almost archaic in its views.
There are so many more characters in the story, and all of them are really well put together, but I would be writing a novel myself just to review them all. But know that they are all really well written and original. It may help to take notes though to keep them all straight in your head.
SETTING:
I think it is safe to say that I am officially obsessed with Scotland now because of this book. The descriptions of the highlands and all of the different geographical attributes makes me want to visit there and capture all of the beauty that is there. In the story, the original setting is 1945, which is one of my favorite times in history. But then as Claire gets sent back in time, she goes to 1743, which I know almost nothing about. I know absolutely nothing of what was going on in England at that time, and when references were starting to be made to the historical events of the time, I had no clue what they were talking about. So I did some light research as to the event of the time period and the area and it was so interesting. I then went back to the book and all of the references were much clearer and even more interesting, knowing what was going to happen because of knowing the history. Weird explanation there, but what I'm trying to get across is that Diana Gabaldon did a fantastic job of tying in the history and making sure that was done so in a way that was captivating yet accurate.
WRITING:
Diana Gabaldon's writing isn't necessarily easy to read. It's not that it is grammatically inaccurate, but just harder to read because of Scottish jargon, accents, and a more complex vocabulary and sentence structure. I actually appreciated this because it was nice to read something a little more complicated. I already gushed about how she was able to weave a tale that kept you wondering and thinking about even when you weren't reading, so I won't go over that again.
(hide spoiler)]
This book was great in that it was fun, challenging, and historical. Her writing was near impeccable, and I cannot wait to read the other books in the series to see where Claire and Jamie will go next and what will happen in the plot.

Thanks for reading!


View all my reviews

Me Before You Movie Review

Me Before You Movie Review

4.2 Stars out of 5

I really like this movie. I didn't love it, but I thought that it was really well done and that they did a really good job with what they had. I say this because in the movie, it seemed like the relationship and time frame moved really fast, when in reality, it was a process and development that took months. I feel like this is something that is better portrayed in general in books than in movies. Books takes hours if not days or weeks to read. It feels like a more natural progression of what is happening in the story. In movies though, there's only about two hours to tell the full story. That being said, Me Before You did a pretty good job with the movie adaptation of the book. Obviously, being an adaptation, things were cut out of the movie that were in the book, but that is almost a given when it comes to adaptations. There were only one or two parts cut out though that I was sincerely missing, so overall, not a terrible job of cutting out stuff. :)

The acting I thought was great. I adored the cast and thought they did a really good job working together on stage to make the story believable and realistic. Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke became Will and Lou, which was a relief to see. I was worried that with knowing almost all of those actors and actresses from other places that I wouldn't be able to connect properly to the story, but that wasn't the case at all. They became their characters and made the movie. Also, the setting was absolutely gorgeous! I want to live (or at least visit) the castle that they filmed at. The small English town they chose was adorable, and the beach scenes made me want to make a deal with the devil to go there. ;)

Overall, I would recommend going to see this movie, but don't go into it expecting it to be totally accurate or like the book. Granted, I still cried at the end of the movie, just like I did at the end of the book, but it was a different feel than the book gave me. Be open going into it, and watch it as the movie, or as a movie. Otherwise, I am not sure how pleased you will be with it, because like all book to film adaptations, things had to be cut out. If you haven't read the book and are still thinking about going to see it, go for it. It was really well done and it a beautiful mix of humor, hope, and sadness.

Thanks for reading!

Torn Release and Big Giveaway

BIG JENNIFER ARMENTROUT GIVEAWAY and TORN RELEASE

Today is so exciting!!! Another Jennifer L Armentrout book is being release today, and not only is it another one of her books, but it is Torn, the next book in the Wicked Saga. I have been waiting for this book for what seems like centuries, and it is FINALLY HERE!!! The Wicked Saga is about Ivy Morgan and her job working for the Order. She meets this guy Ren and as they start to get to know each other more they both realize that they each have secrets. There are fight scenes, romantic scenes, and one of my personal favorite magical creatures. Seriously, if you haven't read it yet- go do so now, it is phenomenal. Here is the link to the Goodreads page of the first book, Wicked: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22895264-wicked And here is the link to the second book Torn (which comes out today) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31038172-torn

As the title of this post mentions, Jennifer L Armentrout is hosting a GIGANTIC giveaway in honor of the release of this book. There are 36 books in physical format, and a Kindle to read the ebooks. PLUS, it is international, so anybody can enter. Here is the link to her website and giveaway: https://jenniferlarmentrout.com/2016/07/19/torn-available-now-giveaway/

Lastly, if you haven't read any Jennifer Armentrout book yet, GO DO IT NOW! They are freaking fantastic and I have never been disappointed with one. If you have only read a few, you know what I'm talking about too, and you should go read the other ones. Good luck and happy reading!

Thanks for reading!

My Ilvermorny House!

My Ilvermorny House!!!

So a little while ago J.K. Rowling posted on Pottermore all bunch of new wizarding schools around the world. One of these houses was Ilvormorny, the school in the United States. Of course, I had to know more so I read through the entire history and house stories that are provided on Pottermore and I am so excited! There are four houses, just like there are at Hogwarts. Unlike Hogwarts though, these house have a slightly different set up and are different houses. The houses are: Pukwudgie, Horned Serpent, Thunderbird, and Wampus. Like I said, there is a really interesting story here, and I would definitely recommend checking out the website to read more about them. That being said.....

My house is.....

 THUNDERBIRD!

It was so much fun to take this test and find out my Ilvermorny house. Go over to Pottermore so that you can do it too and find out more about Ilvermorny and its houses!

Thanks for reading!

Need by Carrie Jones WITH SPOILERS

Need by Carrie Jones

4 of 5 Stars

Book Review WITH SPOILERS

The actual rating I have for this book is 3.68 stars out of 5, but I rounded up because I do think that people will really like it, it just wasn't all the way there for me. Need is a nice break from the average stories that involve fey or fae or faeries or the Shining Ones or whatever else people have called them. It emphasizes the aggressive and primal nature of the creatures that is lost in some other stories due to romantic elements, which I really appreciated. Not that I don't like those romance faerie stories, but books like this help keep things interesting and me invested in the genre. 

PLOT: The plot was really good. I had a vague idea of where it was going, but then it didn't go that way, and I saw what was really going on. I thought that the king was going to choose her, that he wanted her to be his queen, but then it turned out that he was only using her as bait for her mother and that was something I haven't really read yet- at least not in a way that I couldn't see or predict. The main issue that I had with this plot line was that various characters would suddenly know things about the others, without talking to each other. It would be suddenly, bam! there's background information being brought up by a character that shouldn't know yet what they were talking about. It actually got a little confusing because of this.

CHARACTERS: I am not entirely sure why, but I just couldn't get a super strong attachment to the characters. Maybe it's her writing style....? I can't place my finger on it, and it's bugging me. There was also some insta-love between the characters which, I know that there is only so much space in a book, but it was slightly frustrating because, again, I couldn't really get a feel for the characters so the whole thing felt rushed and unfounded. The people themselves have interesting backgrounds and personality traits. They all have something that is unique to them that don't usually come up in other books.

WORLD and WRITING: I love Maine. I love stories that take place in Maine. I love watching characters adjust to ice and snow (it's hilarious). This world was no exception. I loved how Carrie Jones included elements of the town and forest and weather into her story and used it to round out the plot line and characters. Her writing though I still haven't figured out why I am not connecting with it yet. It's a strange feeling, not being able to pinpoint why exactly that is, so, not going to lie, it is throwing me off a bit.

Need by Carrie Jones is good for people who love fae, Maine, and an interesting plot line. My own misgivings may be only my own, so don't let them hold you back from picking up this beautifully covered book. :)

Thanks for reading!

Review: Need by Carrie Jones NO SPOILERS

Need by Carrie Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Review 

The actual rating I have for this book is 3.68 stars out of 5, but I rounded up because I do think that people will really like it, it just wasn't all the way there for me. Need is a nice break from the average stories that involve fey or fae or faeries or the Shining Ones or whatever else people have called them. It emphasizes the aggressive and primal nature of the creatures that is lost in some other stories due to romantic elements, which I really appreciated. Not that I don't like those romance faerie stories, but books like this help keep things interesting and me invested in the genre.



[
PLOT: The plot was really good. I had a vague idea of where it was going, but then it didn't go that way, and I saw what was really going on. I thought that the king was going to choose her, that he wanted her to be his queen, but then it turned out that he was only using her as bait for her mother and that was something I haven't really read yet- at least not in a way that I couldn't see or predict. The main issue that I had with this plot line was that various characters would suddenly know things about the others, without talking to each other. It would be suddenly, bam! there's background information being brought up by a character that shouldn't know yet what they were talking about. It actually got a little confusing because of this.
CHARACTERS: I am not entirely sure why, but I just couldn't get a super strong attachment to the characters. Maybe it's her writing style....? I can't place my finger on it, and it's bugging me. There was also some insta-love between the characters which, I know that there is only so much space in a book, but it was slightly frustrating because, again, I couldn't really get a feel for the characters so the whole thing felt rushed and unfounded. The people themselves have interesting backgrounds and personality traits. They all have something that is unique to them that don't usually come up in other books.
WORLD and WRITING: I love Maine. I love stories that take place in Maine. I love watching characters adjust to ice and snow (it's hilarious). This world was no exception. I loved how Carrie Jones included elements of the town and forest and weather into her story and used it to round out the plot line and characters. Her writing though I still haven't figured out why I am not connecting with it yet. It's a strange feeling, not being able to pinpoint why exactly that is, so, not going to lie, it is throwing me off a bit.
(hide spoiler)]

Need by Carrie Jones is good for people who love fae, Maine, and an interesting plot line. My own misgivings may be only my own, so don't let them hold you back from picking up this book. :) Plus, do you see that cover???? It's gorgeous!!!!!

Thanks for reading!

View all my reviews