I had this book on my "to be read" list for a long while before finally adding it to my "currently reading" list. Skimming the brief description on the first page of the novel doesn't do this fantastical story justice -- there is so much more to this book than what is initially shown. And even though I will be upfront in saying that this book/series will not be regarded as one of my favorites, there were many parts of it that I greatly enjoyed. Firstly, it's a relatively easy read. I was entertained all of the way through and definitely pulled in by the many plot twists. I admire the planning that went into the making of this complex book surrounding a game that blurs the fine line between what is real and only a game - kudos to Stephanie Garber! I also loved its similarity to The Night Circus (which I didn't like so much) and The Hunger Games (which I liked a lot); I felt like it had the circus aesthetic that I enjoyed in the first and the danger of a seemingly otherworldly competition from the second. What made this novel hard for me to fully "fall" into were some of the characters' relationships. While Julian, Scarlett's love interest, exhibits behavior that makes a lot more sense once the book is in its concluding stages, I found the romance between him and Scarlett, or "Crimson," to be a bit over dramatically passionate at times. I also felt like the sister relationship between Scarlett and Tella could have been developed more in the beginning and middle of the story, possibly through consistent flashback scenes. When tensions heightened at the story's climax, the conviction Scarlett possessed throughout the Caraval game to save and find her sister felt all dried up; it was hard to believe that she would do the things that she was willing to do for her sister at times. Now, I don't have a sister, so I am merely speaking from a place of my personal impression. But I wish to end this review on a positive note by praising the absolutely amazing description and use of colors to describe emotions that Garber utilizes! Right from the first few chapters, we as readers are introduced to a character who possesses a unique sense of perception and perspective to translate her emotions and reactions through all sorts of colors and hues. And this unique narrating process endures throughout the entirety of the book. I have never read another novel that matches this craft decision, and I not only enjoyed it as the story unfolded, but found myself thoroughly impressed as a writer. All in all, this book was very enjoyable even though it is not one of my new favorites. (One small side note: I loved the length of the chapters -- each one was almost always just the right length, haha.)



Some of my favorite quotes from Caraval:

"It was the kind of night where she could smell the moon, thick candle wax dancing with the salty scent of the ocean, full and glowing."

"There's more to life than staying safe..."

"Not quite sure how far she'd already fallen, she imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out."

"She might have felt weak, but her love for her sister was not."

"She remembered thinking falling for him would be like falling in love with darkness, but now she imagined he was more like a starry night: the constellations were always there, constant, magnificent guides against the ever-present black."

"Every touch created colors she had never seen. Colors as soft as velvet and as sharp as sparks that turned into stars."

"Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it's a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed."

"Shades of the rich ruby love she'd felt during the game mixed with hues of deep-indigo hurt, turning everything just a little bit violet."

"It tasted like the moment before night gives birth to morning; it was the end of one thing and the beginning of something else all wrapped up together." 

I am currently in the middle of the early stages of planning for a novel, and I am sure that I am not alone in finding it to be a rather daunting process. I have always found that planning for any sort of fictional writing is the most successful when I start with my characters. Most often, the finer details of my plot take shape around well-crafted characters that aren't flat on the page but actually resemble a complex human being (or creature, depending on exactly what you're writing!). So, I turned to this book for help, and I sure am glad that I did! Not only is it incredibly well-structured (I basically read it from start to finish, stopping and going as I wrote about the characters I was developing, rather than having to jump around and get lost in the text), but it offers so many insights into character development that I had never even knew existed before! The book presents classic archetypes derived from the traits of the ancient Greek gods, showcasing how these mythic models allow present day writers to branch out from the basics and create characters from all sorts of eras, backgrounds, and worlds. After presenting these archetypes that allow you to have a certain outlined idea of what a fleshed out character could look, act, react, and be like, the structures of the narrative feminine and masculine journey follow. These journeys are presented in steps to be able to help authors see the relative inner and outer journeys that each male and female take within the most classic stories. Obviously, every female character isn't going to have the same descent that brings her towards an inner transformation, nor does every male character have the same exact goal in mind when he sets out on his quest. But these steps act as guides to essentially insert the characters you crafted based off of the archetypes into the basic gender journeys to help you make a more authentic character as a whole, a character that faces real hardships and comes out on the other side with real reactions and scars. This book is also great about inserting plenty of examples of characters and journeys from famous pieces of literature (and even movies and TV shows) to really help you get a feel for what archetypes and journeys look like in action. All of this to say, if you are in any stage of planning for any sort of fictional project, this book is worth your time. It eased a lot of my beginning jitters in terms of taking on such a big project as a novel. And it really is true that characters are what make stories, not the plot -- at least I think so. ;)


The archetypes I ended up using for my five main characters (if you are curious :):

Persephone - The Maiden

Poseidon - The Artist

Hestia - The Mystic

Apollo - The Businessman/Traitor

(Side Character) The Investigator/Shadow

I wrote a review for the fifth installment of this killer series, A Crystal of Time, sometime last year. It's hard to believe that I am now writing a review for the sixth and final book, One True King. This series is truly one of my favorites; I wish more people would realize what a diamond in the rough it is! But to start this review as honestly as possible, I did feel like parts of this book were a little "drawn out." While I absolutely love Chainani's superb characters and refined writing style, I was beginning to feel like some parts of Agatha, Sophie, Tedros, and company's story were a little far-fetched. I think that it is probably best that this is the final book; too much of a good thing very quickly becomes a sour thing. In essence, I want to make it clear that I still highly enjoyed this book. I don't remember the exact year that I just happened to pick up The School for Good and Evil in a Barnes and Noble, intrigued with the title and cover art. But I do remember that it didn't take many chapters for me to realize that I would follow its characters across as many books as it took to get them to their Happily Ever Afters. Without giving away any spoilers, I was very glad with the End of Ends that this book presented, after many a trial with the Snake and confusion over who is really the true heir to Camelot. What I found myself liking about the book most of all (other than getting to essentially reconvene with some of my favorite literary characters) were its biblical allusions. They are subtle but most definitely there. I found myself viewing Japeth as a form of the Devil, the "Prince of the powers of the air," as the Bible refers to Satan. This Snake battles against all that is Good in the novel, stealing, killing, and destroying while living a lie that he believes will bring him power and satisfaction. But Tedros, King Arthur's son, stands as a source of hope, a roaring Lion, a defender of not only his father's throne, but all things Good in the Woods. And as my pastor said in his church sermon that I listened to just tonight: "Last time I checked, a Prince's authority is way less than a King's!" Elements of Jesus' death and resurrection are also present in the book, making up what I believe to be a truly epic as well as justified End. I highly recommend this book to all of my fantasy lovers out there. But like I said in my Crystal of Time review -- make sure you read the first books in the series first!



Some of my favorite quotes from One True King:

"But love has to be received as much as it is given."

"Not everyone can see the truth, Mother. It is so easy to be blind to it. But those of us who can see the truth have the responsibility to help others see it too. Even if it's dangerous. Even if it puts us at risk. The truth is worth it."

"Give yourself permission to be happy. That is the magic spell. Then everything will be possible."

"Because life was fleeting and pointless unless you let yourself enjoy it, savor it, down to its lightest, most insignificant moments."

"Love can't be controlled any more than a wildfire can... We do our part, we hope, we wish... but it writes its own story in its own time, the way its meant to be."

"An eagle on high has no view to the details, only the possible paths."

"In time, the truth will be written, no matter how many lies someone might tell to obscure it. And the truth comes with an army."

"We are all objects of our fate, but our will decides whether we overcome the challenges fate brings us."

"But ignoring the hurt or pretending it's not there doesn't make it go away. It just means you're not using all of your heart... And the funny thing is, once you're bold enough to welcome the hurt, to give it a hug and face it unafraid... then suddenly, it's gone."

"Every step she took seemed as if she was taking eight steps back, like she was clinging to the fringes of a dream just when she was waking up."

"Every good story needs a little impossible. Otherwise no one would believe it."

"All she wanted was the most ordinary of ends: to love with all of her heart and to be loved the same way in return."

This book is incredibly touching in a number of ways. The fact that it is quite literally C.S. Lewis' published journal (or one of them at least) only serves to intensify the content of the writing. Lewis grapples with a concept almost as foreign and yet strikingly similar to death as he personally writes his feelings and subsequent thoughts surrounding grief. More specifically, his grief over the loss of his wife, Joy, to cancer. Referring to Joy as "H." throughout the work, Lewis vents to his audience about the inner workings of his mind and heart, streaming his consciousness in as raw a way as I have ever encountered. He truly bares his soul, writing through his frustration and confusion over dealing with grief and confronting what comes after it. If Lewis were still alive today, I would write him a letter thanking him for deciding to not only write down his grueling thoughts, but to share them with the world. Because through Lewis' words, countless amounts of people are helped through their own unique journeys of grief in an indirect way. Although I have never lost a loved one to cancer, or even been married, I find it fascinating that Lewis' writing has the ability to ring true in parts of my life I never would have expected it to. The questions that he brings before God are similar if not identical to questions I have asked him, or at least let cross my mind but never dared to actually present to him. In fact, I think that is my favorite part about Lewis as a writer: not only does he write what most people don't know how to express or want to confront, but he causes me to realize things about myself that I wasn't even letting myself discover. It is almost like his writings give his readers permission to go deeper, to expand their worldviews and not be afraid of the outcome. In this case, he is giving us permission to step into the daunting valley, or perhaps rather the "circular trench," that is grief and explore it while simultaneously trying to make sense of the nature of God. I recommend this book to everyone. Let yourself read it. Allow yourself to be challenged to understand yourself, and maybe even God, better.



Forgive me for basically quoting half of the book... but Lewis is just so quotable!:

"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything."

"Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief."

"You tell me 'she goes on.' But my heart and body are crying out, come back, come back. Be a circle, touching my circle on the plane of Nature."

​"Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not in imagination."

"If there is a good God, then these tortures are necessary."

"He [Christ] has done whatever vicariously can be so done... 'You cannot and you dared not. I could and dared.'"

"Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear."

"... you must have a capacity to receive, or even omnipotence can't give."

"We will be still married, still in love. Therefore we shall still ache."

"The less I mourn her the nearer I seem to her."

"Did you ever know, dear, how much you took away with you when you left?"

"Thus up from the garden to the Gardener, from the sword to the Smith. To the life-giving Life and the Beauty that makes beautiful."

"'She is in God's hand."' That gains a new energy when I think of her as a sword."

"I need Christ, not something that resembles him."

"My idea of God is not a divine idea. It has to be shattered time after time. He shatters it Himself. He is the great iconoclast."

"His love and His knowledge are not distinct from one another, nor from Him. We could almost say He sees because He loves, and therefore loves although He sees."

"The best is perhaps what we understand least."

Persepolis is the first graphic novel I have ever read, and I can confidently say that it won't be my last! I never would have delved into the comics genre if it wasn't for the current Literature & Culture class I am taking through my university's summer school. The books I have read within the class have all been highly enjoyable and enriching, but Persepolis is by far my favorite. Marjane Satrapi's story of a pre-teen growing up in the tumultuous landscape of wartime Iran is interesting in so many ways. She allows her readers to step into not only another country, but another mindset by displaying her personal endeavors and discoveries and the hardships of growing up in a country full of strain and confusion. What I appreciated most about this book was its ability to challenge stereotypes the Western world has created in regards to the life and culture of Middle Eastern countries. There is certainly a disconnect: countless misrepresentations and preconceived notions about the character and lifestyles of those living within the countries that some perceive as "the axis of evil," Iran, Iran among them. But Satrapi's memoir subtly comes against these stereotypes, challenging their authenticity by sharing her life experiences and emotions as a young girl trying to make sense of her own beliefs and the world around her. The graphic novel's artwork also plays into this simplified mode of storytelling. All of the images are simply drawn in black and white, but by no means are the themes and concepts represented by these images and icons downplayed. In my opinion, they are accentuated. While the story does deal with visually horrific and gory concepts, the story is also told from the perspective of a child growing into an adult. To me, it would seem inappropriate to make the novel too realistic. In essence, this novel was enjoyable and certainly hard to put down. It is a free-flowing story, a narrative that gives you no choice but to become invested in its characters and sometimes forget that you are only looking at images meant to represent the very real conflicts that happened in Iran. But I walked away from this novel better educated about the Islamic Revolution as well as the living conditions and well-being of so many Iranian citizens, making it more than a worthy read.


Some of my favorite quotes from Persepolis:

"There is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance... Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself."

"Nothing's worse than saying goodbye. It's a little like dying."

"I want to be justice, love and the wrath of God all in one."

"Once again, I arrived at my usual conclusion: one must educate oneself."

"I realized then that I didn't understand anything. I read all the books I could."

"To each his own way of calming down."

Suzanne Collins created so many stand out characters in her amazing The Hunger Games trilogy. I would definitely say that President Snow never made it onto my list of favorite characters, but I think he is certainly a well-crafted villain. When I heard that this prequel was about President Snow, presenting him as the protagonist, I was immediately intrigued (and also just plain excited to read more of Collins' enthralling writing). I can say that this prequel does not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations with its story of love, treachery and power. In essence, it is the 10th Annual Hunger Games, and young Coriolanus Snow has been assigned the strange Lucy Gray Baird, District 12's female tribute, to mentor. Inevitably, this story turns into more than just Lucy's fight for survival in the arena and Coriolanus' efforts to make a name for himself by winning the Hunger Games through his tribute. Love follows the challenges they face together, but Coriolanus' grotesquely magnetic charisma proves that perhaps love does not prevail when pitted against the opportunity to attain power and status. All in all, I was incredibly impressed with the ins and outs of this novel, how they relate to the Snow fans love to loathe as well as build upon his established character by showcasing his grotesquely magnetic nature. Following a protagonist that was never really the protagonist at all was fascinating. Lucy Gray Baird's character is also extremely interesting and disturbingly similar to Katniss in so many subtle ways. I recommend this book to all of the Hunger Games fans out there (definitely read the original series first before reading this if you haven't already). Even though some die hard fans may have a problem with some of the more intricate parts of the plot, I choose to focus on how Collins successfully gave more depth to a character that, in a strange way, is very deserving of such a backstory.

*Some of my favorite elements of this prequel come from the title. I love how the "songbirds" reference not only jabber- and mockingjays, but also Lucy Gray Baird and her affiliation with music. The "snake" part physically references snakes in the Games, but also can be alluded to Coriolanus' actions and intentions throughout not just this book, but also The Hunger Games trilogy. 
I also love how the assorted songs that Katniss sings throughout the books and movies are given explanations/backstories of their own in this prequel. It gives them more meaning and eerieness than they had before.*

​
Some of my favorite quotes from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

"Do you hear that, Coriolanus? That's the sound of Snow falling."

"He slept like the dead, which made sense since it was only a matter of hours before he joined them."

"The show's not over until the mockingjay sings."

"I think there's a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you've stepped across the line into evil, and it's your life's challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line."

"Snow lands on top."