THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST

The Monstrumologist – Rick Yancey

5/5

This is the first in a series of middle-grade horror books and it’s very unique in that it is part historical fiction and part horror. It was absolutely amazing. I am personally a lover of gore (I love the Hannibal and Saw series) so this book was right up my alley. I’m not really a huge reader of middle-grade books but in my opinion, this was definitely geared more towards an older crowd.

My favourite part about this book were the descriptions. I thought Yancey did a great job especially with the fictional monsters- I had no problem imagining how they would look like in my head. It definitely added to the book as it helped the reader visualize the richness of the world created within the book.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone of any age and I cannot wait to pick up the rest of series!

HUNGER GAMES

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

5/5

This book was great. I fell in love with the setting, the plot, the characters. It’s set in a world that is divided into factions. The Capital hosts the annual hunger games, in which two children are chosen from each faction to take part and compete to the death. It is essentially a death wish for those who participate and serves as a form of entertainment for the Capitol, the wealthiest and most extravagant faction.

Katniss Everdeen is a bad-ass girl with a soft spot for her family and of course, Gale, her long-time friend (who might as well be her boyfriend). She volunteers herself in place of Prim, her little sister. And the story takes off.

I think anyone reading this book would get attached to Katniss, she is a very relatable and down-to-earth character. She seems to manage quite well despite the circumstances. Peeta of course was another character I got very attached to, especially because he remembered Katniss from their childhood. I was definitely team Katniss & Peeta, Gale was just not someone I grew attached to. I friend-zoned Gale. This is probably because he wasn’t in the book as much as Peeta, and who can say no to Peeta?

Although the book was for the most part, very fast-paced, it didn’t skimp over the important details from Katniss’ past or developing the world. I thought it was written very well, as often times dystopian young adult novels can be so action-packed that they fail to build the world completely. The book wasn’t very long so I was able to read it in one setting.  I think this one of those books that anyone can read and enjoy. If you are looking for a adventurous, quick read, be sure to pick this up (and who are we kidding, you must be under a rock if you haven’t read this one yet!).