Fiction & Literature

This book is just plain haunting... I got through this book in one sitting... This is undoubtedly going to be one of my favorite books. The book is sad, honest, raw and beautiful at the same time. It becomes one of those books that you do not want to finish because it is so good but find yourself incapable of actually stopping.

While going through the book you have the decision of either steeling yourself or to completely immerse yourself. The book surrounds Lakshmi, a 13 year old girl who goes through just goes through heartbreaking situations. The entire scope of the book lasts just one year but the tragic circumstances that she endured is more than one needs to endure for a lifetime. The writing was haunting in nature and taken from the vantage point as Lakshmi herself makes it even more heart-wrenching. You see as she moves from a hopeful, naive girl to a seemingly broken shell of her former self and then to a downright fighter. The book is gripping throughout and plays heavily on your morality and sense of humanity.

The narration, for me, was superb. The way that the narrator was able to bring across the entire story in such a haunting manner is impressive. She only adds to the mood of the book and leaves you utterly gripped to the novel. 5 Star Narration through and through here.

I wasn't sure how the book was going to turn after the previous books parts. Some interesting elements were introduced in this books, a couple new characters as well and some surprising twists. The narration is what I have come to expect from The Secret Circle and delivers as I would expect it to with nothing extraordinary to speak of.

To be honest I thought the book series had ended after the third book. Everything appeared to be tied up to an extent and left me thinking there was nothing too major to be resolved. So I was quite surprised when I was browsing the site and found that there was another book out.

This fourth book to me reminds me of the first book where L.J Smith was putting the elements in place for the book to 'pick up' later on. It reminds also of one of the more annoying aspects of the books for me surrounding the teenage-fated-to-be-forever-love thing. That's not to say the book wasn't good and it did have a lot of exciting parts and twists about it, I actually enjoyed it and am also genuinely interested as to how it will proceed. I am a bit wanting as it regards to character development of anyone in the circle other than Cassie though... The circle is twelve witches and at most the only ones who had made any meaningful development/change to me are Cassie and Faye.

Overall to me a good starting point for what is to come.... Whatever it is....

This book was honest, fun and chilling all at once. I have seldom liked 'coming of age' titles for the mare fact that it is either too PG or just plain too twisted. This on the other hand was just plain right... It did not attempt to share some shocking deep life lesson nor did it attempt to hide behind a whole lot of useless fluff and annoying teen angst... It just felt real.

Stephen Chbosky's writing style allowed the reader/listener to really see Charlie's life just how he wishes it to be portrayed. It was a unique sort of writing style if you ask me and I can see how it can be a miss if done incorrectly, but when done right in the case of this book, it is utter genius! You find yourself reminiscing about your High School career, seeing the faces of your friends in your high school classes being represented here and unlike most other books that seem to force down the typical jock/cheerleader/nerd, this was done in such an effortless and real manner you can't help but falling into that mood of sheer nostalgia. The book was honest and actually was able to broach a rather disturbing topic but again because it was so time, done so effortless and so right I truly could not see the book done in any other way.

Perfection was found by choosing Noah Galvin to be the narrator. I could find very little titles that I could say was better narrated than this one.

I appreciated this book vastly for all the things that it did here and all the fundamental truths that it represented. It will strike a chord with almost anyone I believe; from the pitch perfect narration to the excellent storyline... all of this was just done really well.