{English} Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

For fans of: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell, The Magisterium series - Holly Black, Cassandra Clare
Published: 2015 (St. Martin's Griffin)
Pages: 522

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb: Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who's ever been chosen

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here - it's their last year at Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

Carry On is a love letter to love stories and the power of words - to every 'chosen one' who ever had more on their mind than saving the world...


My opinion: What most people not seem to know is that Rainbow Rowell didn’t just write a Harry Potter fanfiction. First there was her novel “Fangirl” where the main character wrote fanfictions about a fictional character named Simon Snow. A fanfiction in a fictional novel. It was clear that the Simon Snow novels by Gemma T. Leslie were just a play on Harry Potter, even though Rowell mentioned Harry Potter in the novel – if I remember that correctly, it’s been a while.
There were bits and pieces of the fanfiction that Cath wrote in the novel, which made readers (including me) curious. Now I don’t know exactly how “Carry On” came to be, only that the character Cath used a similar title and that Rainbow Rowell did neither write down Cath’s fanfiction, nor Gemma T. Leslie’s story. It’s her own take on this whole “the chosen one”-trope and I think she did a very good job.
The threads between Harry Potter and every other story about magical (boarding) schools are visible, but that’s how the genre is, in my opinion. The “Magisterium” series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare felt more like a fanfiction, despite everything they say. But that’s a different topic.
I sometimes caught myself comparing the characters to those in “Harry Potter”, but they didn’t fit in completely. That’s because they aren’t 1:1 copies and I love how Rainbow Rowell broke some stereotypes. There’s still a lot that could have been improved though.

It took me a few pages (or rather 50-60) to get into the story, because as I said – it’s a classic story about some special school. Just that Watford isn’t in Scotland but in England and that was something that bothered me. Are other countries not magical enough? At least it wasn’t set in some High School in the USA, because I’m not the biggest fan of that.
The kind of spells that are used in this book were fun and different. Of course, there’s no comparison to “Leviosa” and so on, but these were a witty way of variety.
The plot is a little chaotic sometimes, but it managed to keep me guessing about what’s happening next. I honestly didn’t see that ending coming.
What I really liked is that the reader is directly thrown into the story. Simon is already in his last year of school and already went through some adventures. I’m glad that Rainbow Rowell chose this way of telling Simons story, because I’m not sure if I would have read an entire series consisting of seven or eight books. (Not because I don’t like reading long series, on the contrary. Just not if it’s about another magical school.)
Another thing that I didn’t like was the perspective. It was written from the view of at least ten characters and they don’t have very different narrating voices. Why not use the third person in the first place?
The magicians here weren’t as separate from the “normal” world as in other books of this genre, which is something that often bothers me.

To sum things up, I enjoyed this a lot and I will continue to read Rainbow Rowell’s books.

 

My rating: 5/5 buttons

{English} Avatar - The Last Airbender: The Promise, Part One (The Promise #1)

For fans of: the Nickelodeon series
Published: 2012 (Dark Horse)
Pages: 76

 

Blurb: The war is over...but the adventure has just begun!

Picking up exactly where Avatar: The Last Airbender left off. The Promise takes Aang to a Fire Nation colony in the heart of the Earth Nation, where tensions between neighbors threaten to shatter the world's newfound peace--putting the Avatar on a collision course with one of his closest friends, Fire Lord Zuko!

My opinion: Why haven't I discovered this earlier? The TV series had always seemed to me to be unfinished, somehow. There were some unknown plot points and loose narration strings. Back then I didn't understand how they could let the series end like that.
After having read "The Promise" it makes a little more sense. It even closes the gap between Aang's story and "The Legend of Korra" in some parts. What we saw in this story is probably the beginning of Republic City.

That Happy End in Book Three didn't really convince me and that's why I enjoyed "The Promise" so much. It picks up right after they all drink tea and Aang and Katara get together (still not a fan of the latter, but that's the way it is). All the doubts Zuko and Aang have about the future of all the nations are pictured realistically. It's good that they all (not only Zuko and Aang) have different opinions on how the world should be like.

All that Aang wants is harmony, but he soon has to learn that it's not easy to reach that goal, despite the war having ended. He might be the Avatar, but being able to communicate with his previous lives doesn't mean he's all-knowing. Avatar Roku seems to think that about himself and I never really liked him because of that.
Then there's Zuko who is sorry for everything he and his people did and wants to become even with each and every person in the world. He's desperately trying not to become like his father and I get why he's scared of that. He (and Katara, sort of) is the first one of the core group to notice that the four nations can live in harmony, BUT they don't have to be kept apart from eachother.
Kori is a great addition to the cast of original characters and perfectly fits into the story. I think she's quite the key character.
Either there's a lot more diversity here or I just didn't notice it while watching the series years ago. Anyways, it's awesome!
That side plot with Aang's fanclub is so adorable. You go, fangirls!

This graphic novel is perfect for fans of the series that weren't too happy with how it ended.
  
My rating: 5/5 Buttons

{English} Avatar - The Last Airbender: The Lost Adventures

For fans of: the Nickelodeon series
Published: 2011 (Dark Horse)
Pages: 240

 Blurb: This volume collects the long-out-of-print, fan-favorite comics previously published in Nickelodeon Magazine and with the Airbender DVDs, plus over seventy brand-new comics pages. That's twenty-six stories set in Airbender continuity, by a host of top-notch talent, many of whom worked on the original animated series!
Twenty-six in-continuity stories, plus bonus content!

My opinion: This is a really cute collection of mostly short comics. They're set during the TV series "Avatar - The Last Airbender" and (just like the series) divided into three books. Most of the adventures happened on various travels of Aang and his friends, but some follow Zuko and Co. as well.

Before reading this I thought the stories would be longer and that we'd find out more about the backgrounds of this series. But some stories don't really have much going on and they don't give us really interesting information. Some were only 2 or 3 pages long and had mediocrely funny punchlines. Something that kids would laugh about, perhaps. To be fair, the characters ARE kids.

There were many writers and artists who worked on this and of course, every cartoonist has their own style, but some stories looked very different from the original style. Apart from those few, the others were very similar.

I don't want to go into detail about what's happening in the stories, because that would take way too long. A thing that they all have in common is that they perfectly fit into the TV series. They could be cut out scenes or flashbacks.
So if you were/are a fan of "Avatar - The Last Airbender", you should definitely check this out!
  
My rating: 4/5 Buttons

{German} Professor Hieronimus - Amalie Skram

Deutsche Übersetzung aus dem Norwegischen

Veröffentlichung: 2016 (Guggolz Verlag) (Original: 1895)

Seiten: 461

Klappentext: "Professor Hieronimus" erzählt die Geschichte der Malerin Else Kant, die sich nach einem Zusammenbruch in die psychiatrische Klinik von Professor Hieronimus begibt, um wieder zu Kräften zu kommen. Dort jedoch darf sie plötzlich keine eigenen Entscheidungen mehr treffen, muss sich den Regeln und dem Alltag in der Klinik fügen. Und auch die Entscheidung, wann sie wieder in ihr früheres Leben zurückkehren kann, liegt plötzlich nicht mehr in ihrer Hand. Else ist jedoch fest entschlossen, um ihre Selbstbestimmtheit zu kämpfen und ihre Würde zu bewahren. Dafür gibt sie fast alles auf, was ihr lieb erschien.

Meine Meinung: Die feministische, gesellschaftskritische Botschaft hinter diesem Roman ist nicht zu übersehen und der Leser leidet mit Else Kant mit. Starke Frauen, die versuchten, sich gegen die Gesellschaft aufzulehnen, wurden damals schlichtweg als hysterisch abgestempelt und in eine psychiatrische Klinik gesteckt. Bei Else kommt allerdings hinzu, dass sie kaum noch schlafen kann und in einer Art Schaffenskrise steckt, da sie kaum noch ein Bild zu Ende bringen kann.

Ich habe anfangs den Fehler gemacht, Elses Erzählungen vollen Glauben zu schenken. Dabei wissen wir doch gar nicht, ob sich wirklich alles so zugetragen hat, wie sie es wahrnimmt. Bereits vor dem Aufenthalt in der Klinik hatte sie Wahnvorstellungen und ich halte es für unwahrscheinlich, dass diese plötzlich aufhören. Schließlich sind da noch diese schrecklichen Zahnschmerzen, die sie immer dann heimsuchen, wenn gerade Stille in der Klinik ist und sie endlich schlafen könnte. Vielleicht ist so manches, was sie in der Nacht zu sehen geglaubt hat, in Wahrheit nur ein Traum oder Einbildung gewesen.

Professor Hieronimus selbst schätze ich aber nicht als Einbildung ein. Es hängt, wie ich bereits erwähnt habe, mit der angeblichen Hysterie zusammen. Er dürfte wohl Elses aufrührerisches Potential erkannt haben und versuchte das zu unterdrücken. Eine starke, selbstständige Frau passt nicht in sein Weltbild.

Bei den Krankenschwestern bin ich mir nicht sicher. Sie wirken nett, wenn gerade kein Arzt in der Nähe ist und plaudern viel mit Else. Sie erzählen ihr sogar von den Krankengeschichten der anderen - Schweigepflicht gab es damals noch nicht? Oder war ihnen das egal? Überhaupt tun die Pflegerinnen die ganze Zeit so, als würde Else nichts fehlen, aber alle anderen Patientinnen sind natürlich verrückt. Das kaufe ich Elses Erzählungen nicht ab, weil es genau das widerspiegelt, was sie denkt.
Eine völlige Wandlung machen die Schwestern wenn ein Arzt auftaucht, denn dann stellen sie sich auf seine Seite, obwohl sie kurz davor noch schlecht über ihn geredet haben. Ich sage nicht, dass auch das Elses Einbildung zuzuschreiben ist, solche Dinge passieren nämlich jeden Tag.

Das Ende hat mich enttäuscht, weil der Hinweis ausbleibt, wie verlässlich Else als Erzählerin ist. Außerdem erfährt man nicht, wie es mit ihrer Familie weiter geht. Wobei ich es in Ordnung finde, dass sie nicht einfach zu ihrem Leben als Ehefrau und Mutter zurückkehrt. Schließlich hat das zu ihrem Zusammenbruch geführt. Ich finde es gut, dass sie hoch erhobenen Hauptes die Klinik verlässt und ihren eigenen, selbst bestimmten Weg geht. Denn obwohl sie in ein Hospital will, ist es diesmal sie selbst, die das entscheidet.
Ich zweifle - genau wie Else - an der Diagnose, sie sei geisteskrank. Denn als sie gehen darf, ist nichts von einer Heilung bzw. einem Unterschied zu vorher zu erkennen und eine Geisteskranke oder hysterische Frau wird wohl kaum jemand einfach so entlassen.

Im Laufe des Aufenthaltes bei Professor Hieronimus und später in St. Jørgen wiederholt sich vieles und es wird mitunter sehr monoton und mühsam zu lesen. Vielleicht war gerade diese Monotonie von der Autorin beabsichtigt, um die Eintönigkeit in der Klinik darzustellen, es war jedoch nicht angenehm zu lesen. Davon abgesehen war das Buch sehr flüssig zu lesen und ich war mit den einzelnen Kapiteln eigentlich rasch durch.

Ein Buch, das man gelesen haben sollte, damit man sieht, wie Frauen damals behandelt wurden. Auch heute noch sehr relevant!

Meine Bewertung: 3/5 Knöpfe

{English} Legend (Legend #1) - Marie Lu

For fans of: The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins, Divergent - Veronica Roth
Published: 2013 (Speak)
Pages: 308

Blurb: From different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths...

Until June's brother is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect.

In a shocking turn of events, the two uncover what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets.

My opinion: Before I started this novel I was really scared that it would be just another generic dystopian. Well, to be honest, in many points it actually was, but it was really well done. The world building was very elaborate, even though we don't get to see everything in the first book already. It really made sense this way, because we only know as much as the main characters.

Another thingt that worried me was two different first person narrators, because - as I've mentioned multiple times before - I don't like first person narrators. And then there's two of them! But I've been proven wrong before and Marie Lu did a good job here. It's just a little strange that Day's POV is written in some greenish/yellowish font without serifs. The colour didn't bother me that much, but the sanserif font made it a little hard to read. Even if you usually notice it, serifs actually have a function (;

Even though June is so good at many things, her character felt believable and she wasn't irritating - which is often the case for totally perfect characters. But still, her character felt a little cold and distant and so was Day. A little bit more insight would have been nice. The book is quite short and it wouldn't have bothered me.
Their falling in love - or rather developing a crush on eachother - happened a little too quick. I know, that was important for the story, but they knew eachother for how long? Two days?

I was really shocked when June's brother died, because first I thought he had just been injured. I have to admit I didn't read the blurb before I started reading and I bought this book years ago. One thing that didn't surprise me was the identity of the murderer. I suspected this person long before June had evidence. Still I liked this little crime story within the distopian.

Even though I really enjoyed this novel and read it within two days, I'm not sure if I will continue reading. Something that I've expierienced with many dystopian series is that they have a promising start and the rest sucks. Therfore I don't want to destroy the positive feeling that Legend left behind.

  
My rating: 4/5 Buttons

{English} milk and honey - Rupi Kaur

For fans of: the princess saves herself in this one - Amanda Lovelace
Published: 2015 (Andrews McMeel)
Pages: 204

 

Blurb: The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes listeners through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them—because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

My opinion: Words can't describe what this book made me feel! It's seriously beautiful and everyone, especially every woman, should read it!
It centers a lot around rape, trauma and other bad experiences, but also around healing, femininity and loving yourself. That's a very important message!

The only problem I had with it was
the way
it's written
like every word
is a quote.
I'm totally okay with not using capital letters though.
And some poems were just a little too abstract for me.

My favourite one is:
accept yourself
as you were designed
Because that's just it. That's what most women struggle with. They always find something ugly about themselves, no matter what they do. They talk about their "problem zones" and feel ashamed for them. That's what our society is like and it's aweful and ridiculous.

I personally would have needed this book as a teenager already. Because even though I didn't suffer any trauma, there were some things I struggled with, including accepting myself as I am.
Therefore Milk and Honey should be mandatory for every girl around the globe. Scratch that, for every teenager! The author doesn't directly blame men for causing all the adressed problems and neither do I. But they are just as responsible for it as womem are.
Even though not every woman has experienced the same things the author described, there's something for every one to identify.

I don't want to go into further detail about the plot. Not because I'm too lazy to write a proper review, but because I can't do it justice.
Rupi Kaurs love for words is almost palpable and I'd read everything she writes in the future. You go Girl!
  
My rating: 4/5 Buttons

{English} King's Cage (Red Queen #3) - Victoria Aveyard

review part 1

For fans of: Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch, The Lunar Chronicles  - Marissa Meyer
Published: 2017 (Harper Teen)
Pages: 528

 

Blurb: When the Lightning Girl’s spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother’s web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare’s heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

My opinion: I am disappointed. If I had known where this would go, I wouldn't have read it and could have pretended there's only two books. It's like it's a totally different book, compared to Red Queen and Glass Sword.

I'm very well aware of the fact that characters make some developement, but here they don't feel like quite themselves, especially Cal and Mare. I can't even talk about it, because I have no words for them.
What bothers me the most are the different first person POVs, because their narrating voices weren't individual enough. If their names weren't at the beginning of each chapter, I wouldn't have been able to tell them apart. Besides that, it's a sign of bad planning. If the author had known where the story would go and what characters it would follow, she would have chosen a third person POV. (At least that's what I would have done.)

Cameron was... meh. She had so much potential in the previous book, but here she wasn't quite as awesome as I expected. Sorry.

But EVANGELINE!!! I went from "OMG that bitch!" to "OMG I love that bitch!". I definitely want to see more from her POV in the next book.

Then there's Farley. She used to be my favourite character and here her only function was being pregnant.
And why is it that parents in YA books (and not just in those) always have to name their newborns after some dead family member or tragic hero? Come on, don't you know any other names? Be a little more creative!
SPOILER: I was almost certain Farley would die, simply for the drama. But just that it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that it can't happen in the final book.

SPOILER: When I was halfway through the book I found a little spoiler online which quite misled me. Someone complained how Mare always chooses the wrong brother and I was like: "Wait, what? She chooses Maven?" Well, as it turns out, she didn't. I honestly don't mind who she ends up with, as long as she's happy. But how can anyone think that Maven would be good for her? He's abusive, kept her prisoner and let her be tortured. If anyone thinks that's romantic or finds that attractive, there must be something seriously wrong with them!

The plot lacked some structure and I sometimes had a hard time finding the motivation to keep reading.
I really, REALLY hope the last book will be better and even this disaster out.
In the end this rather some kind of rant and I don't have much positive to say.
  
My rating: 3/5 Buttons