Bookie Mee » Alex

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

mee — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:23:16 +0000

I’d been wanting to read The Book of Lost Things for a while, since I read that it was sort of like a compilation of fairy tales retellings, which is exactly the kind that I like. The beginning of the book is great. So great, I knew I had to read it as soon as I read the first couple of paragraphs in the library.

The book tells the story about David, who lost his mother and found his dad marrying another woman with her son. Drowned in despair and jealousy, he was distant from his new family and retreated more into the worlds he found in story books. Not long after that, when a plane came crashing down the house’s garden, David was somehow brought into another world that wasn’t his own. A world with twisted fairy tales, with human-wolves, bad Little Red Riding Hood, a gay knight, obese Snow White, and vampire Sleeping Beauty. Don’t forget Rumpelstiltskin, the one who inspires the main villain in the story.

I though the book was interesting, but wasn’t amazingly good. Somewhere in the middle, I felt that it slowed down, and I quickly got disinterested with the half-wolves. I thought they were just ordinary creatures. At the back of my mind, I was worried that it was becoming just another adventure story, with a little kid that overcomes obstacles and beats the baddies at the end. So in a way it is, but then there are other elements to keep it unique among others. I enjoyed it but thought it could’ve been done even better. The ideas were great, but the details weren’t spectacular. Perhaps I just had a high expectation, so it’s hard to be met. Still, I’d recommend it for people who like adventure story with fantasy elements. Or for people who like twisted fairy tales.

Apparently John Connolly is originally a thriller/crime writer. That’s not exactly my favorite genre, so I doubt that I would read his other books. But who knows what might come next?

ps: I love the cover. (I read the blue one instead of the red one.)

Rating: 4 out of 5
Pages: 339
Publication year: 2006

Awards
Nominee 2007 Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year
2007 Alex Award

First paragraphs

Once upon a time – for that is how all stories should begin – there was a boy who lost his mother.

He had, in truth, been losing her for a very long time. The disease that was killing her was a creeping, cowardly thing, a sickness that ate away at her from the inside, slowly consuming the light within so that her eyes grew a little less bright with each passing day, and her skin a little more pale.

And as she was stolen away from him, piece by piece, the boy became more and more afraid of finally losing her entirely. He wanted her to stay. He had no brothers and no sisters, and while he loved his father it would be true to say that he loved his mother more. He could not bear to think of a life without her.

Last line

And, in the darkness, David closed his eyes as all that was lost was found again.

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Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

mee — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:45:41 +0000

I LOVE this book! I’ve watched Persepolis movie twice and thought that the graphic novel would be just like the movie (good, but similar). But it’s not! It’s BETTER!

The book discusses more sensitive topics around religion and the government in Iran. More social classes issues, more demonstrations, more cruelties. Satrapi is truly one of the lucky ones. Her family is rich and she could get proper education even during war time. Her parents are kindhearted and alive. Still her point of view is really interesting. As a child, she’s critical, rebellious, and simply funny.

The book is divided into many connecting short stories. So the topics are clearer. The movie only took a few selected topics/scenes and worked on those. So there are more told in the book. It covers Satrapi’s childhood, up until she leaves Iran for Austria. The end is oh so sad. There are many sad moments throughout.

I love the art style. It’s simple, yet neat and sweet. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second Persepolis. Hope I could find it soon in my library. I’m actually thinking to buy both books for personal collection since I love the first one so much. *sigh*

Pages: 153
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I just had to :)

Award
2004 Alex Award

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A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

mee — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:15:06 +0000

This book is a memoir of Ishmael Beah, an ex child soldier during wartime in Sierra Leone. His journey started when the rebels arrived at his village. He was chased from village to village by the war that spread further and further. The places he visited destroyed and his family and brothers killed. Until he met the government side who they called the army, and recruited as a soldier. The youngest of those child soldiers were 7 and 11 years old. They learnt how to shoot when they were not even strong enough to carry the guns.

About half of the book talks about Ishmael’s rehabilitation time. It is so sad that after all the effort and time to humanize the children, the war reached the cities nevertheless and a lot of them needed to go back to their old life. At the end Ishmael ran out of the country to Guinea, the neighbouring country of Sierra Leone. Here I felt that the book stopped almost abruptly, since I thought he was gonna go on until he’s safe in US. (Later on he ran to US with the help of his contacts he met when he went to US for UN conferences)

The story is told fluidly. I never felt it slow down. It’s a good read from beginning til the end. An eye opener for situations that we normally would never think about. And they do happen in some parts of the world. This is why I read memoirs and biographies.

Pages: 229
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Award
2008 Alex Award

First line
My high school friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life.

Last line
I concluded to myself that if I were the hunter, I would shoot the monkey so that it would no longer have the chance to put other hunters in the same predicament.

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