Two New Reviews for Very Old Reads

I really want to catch up reviewing this year, so I've written two reviews for books that I read back in 2014. I'm hoping to be almost 50% caught up by the end of 2017 with reviewing.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

First book in the Maze Runner series

2 stars

Thomas wakes up and he doesn’t know what’s going on. He can’t remember anything at all- except his name. He meets a bunch of boys who can’t speak proper English and have come up with the most irritating slang vocabulary. “Nice to meet ya, shank.” Then a girl arrives and the weird thing is- Thomas can hear her. What the fuck is going on? Thomas is obsessed with becoming a Maze Runner and there is running in a maze. Stabby, stabby, stab, die, die, the end. There you go, that’s the whole plot of The Maze Runner. You can go ahead and skip this novel because it is one of those novels that is pretty much a waste of time to read. Apparently, the only reason I picked this book up (according to my notes from 2014) is because of the movie. I was in love with Dylan O’Brien for a long time (I still probably am, but I haven’t seen Teen Wolf in years) and I was all for going see his sexy face on the gigantic, big screen. He didn’t disappoint. In fact, The Maze Runner makes an excellent film, but a horrible book.

Since I have finished this novel, when people ask me what I think of The Maze Runner, my answer is always along the vain of, “It wasn’t all that great. It read like a screenplay and that’s probably why I enjoyed the movie.” Dashner’s writing style is incredibly detached and underdeveloped. It’s disconnected and I can’t tell you one thing that stuck out in this novel. The characters were flat, the landscape is forgettable, the relationships were boring, and the plot was slow paced and predictable.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

The main male character is Thomas. Thomas is a forgettable character. I read this book over 2 years ago, and none of his character traits stuck with me. He isn’t memorable and even during reading I couldn’t pinpoint one thing that made him a sympathetic hero. I didn’t care what happened to him or where the story went because I wasn’t invested.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 2

The main female character is Theresa. Literally the female equivalent of Thomas. Their names are similar, they share thoughts, they have similar features from what I remember, and she was just as forgettable. Mirror couple.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 2

The Villain- The only thing I care about in this whole novel is the character death. The only character worth liking was brutally murdered by our villains. Again, I can’t be bothered to care about these bad guys who are hell bent on saving humanity.


Villain Scale: 1

These boys should just stop talking because their dialogue made me internally cringe and scream. The only character I liked was killed.


Character Scale: 2

Is this a book you should read? Sure! You may really enjoy The Maze Runner. I think teenage boys will love the premise of this novel and it’ll be a hit for them. Girls will probably think this novel is cool and ship the romance even though they are the exact same characters with different genders. Me, I liked it enough to see the film. I enjoyed the film and recommend seeing that for sure. Overall, this book was a letdown and it’s not anything worth raving over because there is nothing to rave over. I will not be continuing with this series or the irrelevant prequel.


Plotastic Scale: 2

Cover Thoughts: I have the exclusive Barnes & Noble edition with Dylan O’Brien. It’s the only reason I haven’t given this book away yet.

 

  Scandal by Navessa Allen

4 stars

Katherine’s marriage is a lie. It’s one of convenience and not of love. She has a fire that burns to be explored and spending time with her husband, John, and his lover, Henry, have started to spurn her into flames. This story is definitely not the conventional historical romance. It features a ménage romance story in a very unconventional time to be frisky. This story is fun, enticing, and sweet. The writing kept me waiting anxiously for each chapter to be released so I could read more. It’s free on Wattpad and you’d be silly not to check this boundary pushing historical romance! I can’t recommend it enough.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4

Katherine is a very likable heroine and she’s definitely not afraid to push boundaries. Screw society and embrace passion!


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3.5

The main male characters are Henry and John. It’s an interesting love triangle because this relationship between these two men was already established. It’s fascinating to see the desire, acceptance, and love in between these three. Imagine if Twilight had been solved like this?


Swoon Worthy Scale: Henry- 4 John- 3.5

Character Scale: 4

I highly recommend checking this out because it’s a lot of fun. It’s a story that goes against the time and essence of my historical novels and breaks tropes while keeping the witty sweetness that most HRs have while being about ten times hotter.


Plotastic Scale: 4

Cover Thoughts: I adore this cover! It’s cute and not as cliché as some HRs.


Have you read any of these novels? What are your thoughts on them? Are you a fan of The Maze Runner? If so let me know! Thoughts on the movie? Let's discuss!:)