Monday, April 28, 2014

Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut

9593 Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut
Series: N/A
Publisher: Dial Press
Format: Paperback
Pages: 324
Source: Purchased


Galápagos takes the reader back one million years, to A.D. 1986. A simple vacation cruise suddenly becomes an evolutionary journey. Thanks to an apocalypse, a small group of survivors stranded on the Galápagos Islands are about to become the progenitors of a brave, new, and totally different human race. In this inimitable novel, America’s master satirist looks at our world and shows us all that is sadly, madly awry–and all that is worth saving.

 

 This book was a huge bust for me. I was really hoping to love it considering I loved both Slaughterhouse-Five as well as Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut. This book just seemed to be lacking everything I enjoyed in the previously mentioned books.

One of my major issues was the repetition of how terrible a large brain was for humans in the past, I get that this was the basis for the whole story but it seemed like it was repeated on every other page. I got to the point where I could barely even finish the book and I had to force myself to do just that.

I could not enjoy this book and I think the fact was that it was so unlike the previous two books I had read by him that I was thrown off guard. I could not get into the style of this one and it's a shame because the description sounded really cool. If only it had been executed in a way that was a little more exciting and didn't have me putting the book down constantly just so I could stay awake.

If you're new to Vonnegut I would highly recommend starting with another book, but if you do insist on reading this one be prepared that it's extremely slow and you probably won't remember much of what happened after you finally finish it.




Friday, April 25, 2014

Cress by Marissa Meyer

13206828Cress by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #3
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 551
Source: Purchased

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

 
When I started this one I was expecting to be thrown right back where we left off with Cinder and Scarlet and their crew. To an extent I guess I was but it was through the eyes of Cress. I'm just going to come right out and say that out of all of the characters that have been introduced and have joined Cinder's group, Cress is my least favorite.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved this book, but in a way it left me wanting more from Cress as a character. There was nothing wrong with the plot or the story, because trust me there was enough action and heart stopping moments to keep me going. Cress was just a little blah as a character. She had her own thing going and that was totally cool but she was so naïve and had no clue about much of anything that it got a little tedious.

The ragtag team of heroes definitely do go through their own growths in this one. Thorne was the most surprising, he developed a lot in this one and I definitely enjoyed seeing more of him. Cinder also really seemed to grow into herself in this and that was a great thing because she really needs to step up the game. After Scarlet, most of you who read my review will know I was less than thrilled with Kai but he redeemed himself in this book.

Cress left me eagerly awaiting the last book in this series. I can't wait to see how it all turns out and whether or not Cinder and her group get their happy endings.