Booktober: week 3

So week three's book for 'Booktober' is Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green. So having read and enjoyed a lot of John Green's novels I was extremely excited to get started on this one!

The novel is written by two separate authors; odd numbers chapters written by one author and even by the other. As a way of differentiating between the two storylines, half of the chapters are written uncapitalised. And I think that is where my issues with the novel begin. I am the most extreme perfectionist that you will ever meet and this just aggravated my OCD but because I love the author so much I thought I'd persevere. 

Something about this novel was a little odd though. Usually I find it impossible to put down John Green's books but this time I found myself strangely drawn to the idea. Undoubtedly, the plot was interesting and it wasn't too confusing to follow. However, it just wasn't quite as gripping as I'm used to. 

In some ways I was gripped; I did want to know how it ended. However, I also found that it was a little predictable and written in a way that made it a little bit more monotonous that it could have been. 

In no way am I saying that the book is awful, it's just not quite as good I expected and it didn't live up to my expectations. But expectations are a bad thing. They lead you to be let down. So if anything, I'll let it be a lesson to me. A lesson that teaches me how setting high expectations leads to disappointment. 

I am so extremely apologetic about the post which is a lot more negative but these are only my opinions on the book. If you have anything you'd like to say about the book please do so in the comments below.

Keep smiling, 

Kathryn x

Looking For Alaska: book review

Having now finished reading John Greene's novel 'Looking for Alaska's, I am back, as promised, with a quick review for you to (hopefully) enjoy. I have no intentions of spoiling it in any way but just in case you're currently reading it or about to read it, you may choose not to read any further for now and that's fine!

Looking For Alaska is quite clearly aimed at a young adult audience although it could easily be enjoyed by people of other ages and I wouldn't let the target audience put anyone off giving John Green's novels a try.

The novel tells the story of Miles, the protagonist, who leaves his school in Florida (where he is far from popular) to join a boarding school in Alabama. When he arrives he meets his roommate, The Colonel, who provides him with the nickname Pudge and introduces him to Alaska. Alaska is quite a complex character whose respect for the rules is lacking in many areas, and it is the relationships between the three characters that are expected throughout the novel. 

I found the way that the novel was written extremely interesting. The first chapter is called 'One hundred and thirty-six days before' which leaves you pretty convinced that it is a countdown to a huge event but even knowing this doesn't quite leave you emotionally prepared. Without giving too much away, the final day leaves the characters separated and the days after take you on Miles' journey to discover the full events of that night. In some ways I found the final few pages a little bit predictable but I don't think it would be enough for me to dissuade anyone from reading it. 

Another thing I really loved about this book was the way two different, possibly clashing, personalities were brought together. Miles and the Colonel are from completely contrasting backgrounds but form a remarkable friendship which is tested to an extreme level.

There's not too much more that I can say without giving everything away but I can certainly say that I would recommend giving Looking For Alaska a read! Feel free to leave your views on the novel down below and if you have any book recommendations for me, please leave them too! 

Keep smiling,
Kathryn x