The Lunar Chronicles Review

Dear Reader

Review Time!!

Series Synopsis:

So the The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a series of fairy tale retellings. But they're not just ordinary retellings... oh, no, no ... these retellings have a twist. The Lunar Chronicles are set thousands of years from now, in a dystopic world complete with hover-cars, walking-talking androids, a genetically modified werewolf army, a new plague pandemic and super-humans with mind-control abilities that live on a colony on the moon (Luna) and called themselves Lunar. And just as the world has been given a futuristic make-over, so have our leading ladies been modernized:       

1) Linh Cinder (aka Cinderella) is a cyborg, with a mechanical hand and foot. When she's not being bullied by her step-mother and step-sister, she spends her time working as a mechanic in New Beijing, earning her keep by fixing androids and other electrical devices.  

Cinder by Lostie815

2) Scarlet Benoit (aka Little Red Riding Hood) delivers fresh produce from her farm to the local town of Rieux. But she can also drive any space ship, a talent and skill she got from her grandmother who's an ex-military pilot of the European Federation. 

Scarlet by Lostie815

3) Cress Mira (aka Repunzel) is a skilled hacker, sorry I mean programmer. But she also happens to be a Lunar (not an Earthen) who's lived alone in satellite orbiting the Earth, for seven years, keeping a watchful eye on all the important people. 

Cress by Lostie815

4) Princess Winter (aka Snow White). We don't know much about her at the moment except that she is the step-daughter of the Queen of Luna. But come 2015, I have no doubt that I will be just as thrilled and delighted to see how she fits into this new world, as I have been with all the other characters.          

Winter by Lostie815

Though each book, Cinder, Scarlet and Cress, plays out the plot of their own fairy tale, the story arc that spans and connects all the books is that of Cinder and her fight against the Evil Luna Queen, Levana.  

Levana by Lostie815

Warning: what follows is my review and personal opinion of each book in the series. This may contain spoilers for anyone who has not read any of the books. SOME SPOILERS AHEAD. BE WARNED.

***  

 Cinder

This book was absolutely captivating from start to finish, even though it was more of a "set up" novel, introducing us to the key characters (Cinder, Iko, Prince Kaito and Dr. Erland) and the world of The Lunar Chronicles. The plot was well-paced and incredibly enjoyable, and I had a great time finding the symbols and making connections with the fairytale we all know and love. It especially delighted me to read how Marissa Meyer was able to incorporated the "fairy godmother" and the "pumpkin carriage". Not to mention that this has the most well developed fairy tale "prince" I have ever come across, in all the fairytale retellings that I have read (trust me, that is a large number). It is also the second most well developed fairytale/dystopian world I have had the pleasure to read. 

To be honest, Cinderella has always been my least favourite fairytale; but I have to admit that I love this version, so much so that it is now among my all time favourites. And I will say this, I believe Cinder is a great role model young girls, though I never thought that about Cinderella, even as a young girl myself. Which goes to show the mastery with which Marissa Meyer has crafted this book. However, though I feel genuine affection for the overly-burdened and charming Prince Kai, Iko the Android is my favourite character and every scene involving her made me smile. 

Scarlet

A phenomenal sequel to what started out as a wonderfully imaginative series. I loved it, especially Marissa Meyers continued incorporation of symbolism and little references of the original fairy tale. I read the entire thing in one sitting, without skimming through a single word. Not only were the new characters that were introduced (Scarlet, the Grandmother, Wolf and Captain Thorne) entirely loveable, I was also really glad to see the character development that Cinder underwent and rejoiced at meeting Iko once again, though in a different form. 

The only downfall of this book is that I felt that the romance between Scarlet and Wolf felt a little forced and rushed; I think it needed time to grow but because of the multiple story arcs and the super-fast pacing of the novel, it just didn't get the room to seem natural. And on the topic of romance, I'm sure I'm not the only one to miss the Kai-Cinder relationship. The entire time I was reading the book, somewhere at the back of my mind, the teenage girl inside me kept wishing that they would at least just "comm" each other. 

Also, it bothered me that the characters were just not asking the right questions. They eventually came to the right conclusions and revelations ... eventually. But, I suppose if they had been asking the right questions to begin with, it would make for a much shorter story. But overall, I really did love this book.

Cress 

Though it might sound tediously repetitive and cliche, I LOVED Cress!!! I just couldn't put it down. Marissa Meyer has definitely out did herself with Cress. Though, to be honest,  I might not have loved it to this extent if Meyer hadn't already set such a strong foundation in the first two books and made me care so much about the characters. 

The plot is, again, incredibly fast paced and action packed, balanced wonderfully by a huge dose of character development for Cress, Throne, Cinder and Kai, as well as Dr.Erland and, surprsingly, for sort-of-newcomer Jacin. I really liked the way all the characters, especially the heroines, are very distinct from each other, with their own traits and peculiarities, which isn't always the case when reading fairy tale retellings or sprawling epics. Levana remains the evil queen you love to hate and I was glad to see how one particular character got their just desserts. 

The only minor grievance I had was that the Scarlet and Wolf plot line could have done with some work. Again, I felt the issue here was that they needed more time to grow, which is clearly not available in such a hectic, almost crowded, plot. I can only imagine how difficult it is to juggle so many central characters. Be warned though, this book does venture into some really dark territory, just like the original Grimm and Anderson fairy tales. That happens to be one of my favourite aspects of Meyer's writing: her faithfulness to the original stories, while still being unique and new. 

Nevertheless, there are still some very humorous scenes, that are reminiscent of Shakespeare's style of a comedy of errors and miscommunication, along with many touching scenes that warm the heart. Overall impression: I'll say it again, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! It is definitely up there among my favourite YA, along with Cinder. 

Waiting a whole year for Winter (2015) is going to be painful and will require a great strength of will on my part.

Characters of The Lunar Chronicles by Lostie815

Novellas

Glitches - This tells the story of how Cinder came to live with her step-mother, Linh Adri. It's sweet and funny, though equally sad and though it adds nothing new to the overall story, it's essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about Cinder, her mysterious adoptive father and how Iko came to be. 

   

Queen's Army - This short piece takes place several years before Scarlet and tells us the story of how Wolf had no choice but to become part of Queen's Army and how came to be Alpha. But most importantly, we get to see the Luna colonies for the first time and the extent of beautiful-terror that is Levana.  

The Little Android - Set about a year or two before Cinder begins, this is a short story retelling Anderson's famous The Little Mermaid. It is brilliant but bittersweet, though an improvement, in my opinion, on the original story, which had just been painfully tragic. Marissa Meyer is a truly marvelous writer; the amount of character development, plot and heart she has managed to fit into such a short space ... amazing.

Until the next blog, next book and next review, take care and keep reading.

Nida

Young Adult Book Series

Dear Reader,

I'm back!

But I'll forego any lengthy explanations and jump right into the reason for this blog post: Young Adult (YA) book series. 

I've lately noticed that the majority of the books I've most enjoyed reading in the past few years fall into this category. So I thought I might define the genre for myself and for my readers. (This is my own definition for my own personal reference and by no means a definition that you, as a reader, have to agree with.)  

A Young Adult Book Series, in my opinion, is where the main protagonist(s) is/are in their mid-to-late teens and the plot discusses grandiose themes, as well as exploring what it means or what it takes to transition from child/teen to adult. For it to be classified as a series, the central story arc must also span more than two books.

While the thought of reading yet another book series is enough to give some, even me sometimes, a headache, (because waiting an entire year or more for the next book to be released is not the easiest thing for an impatient book lover like me) I rather like reading trilogies, quartets, quintets, sextets etc. It gives me more time to explore their world and get to know the characters. And if it's a particularly well written series, the characters can even become friends I want to keep going back to visit.        

So for you, dear Reader, I have compiled a list of my Top 10 Favourites YA book series.

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (I've included this series because the last 3 books definitely fit my definition of YA)
2. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare 
3. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer 
4. The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Roirdan (I haven't included the prequel series Percy Jackson & the Olympians since the main characters are little more than 15 by the end of it) 
5. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
6. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
8. Graceling Realm Trilogy by Kristin Cashore 
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
10. The Sally Lockhart Mysteries by Philip Pullman

I know I said Top 10 but here's 5 more that didn't make it onto the list but I still think deserve a mention. 

• The Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix
• The Wolves of Mercy Fall by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare 
• Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
• The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo   

(This list does not contain some very wonderful and popular stand alone books. I will dedicate an entire blog post to them in the up coming months, Inshallah.)  

I have compiled a list of the Top 10 YA book series I am most looking forward to reading.

1. Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi
2. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
3. Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver
4. Legend Trilogy by Maria Lu
5. Shades of London by Maureen Johnson
6. Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
7. The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan 
8. UnWind Series by Neal Shusterman
9. Angel Fall Trilogy by Susan Ee
10. Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis

Let me know if you've already read any of the books I've mentioned about and what you thought of them. Take care and keep reading.

Nida

my Space edition - in a different 4mat

Dear Reader,

As a treat for you, I've made a video version of my annual 'my space edition' bookshelf tour.

Don't forget to subscribe to my channel and follow me on twitter: @Bookaholic786.

Nida

Ramadan Reviews

Dear Reader,

In the continued spirit of Ramadan, I thought I'd write short reviews for the books I've been reading this month.

Review 1: 

Ameena's Ramadan Diary by Sara Kabil & Abu Bakr El-Banna

This is basically a self help guide disguised as a young woman's experience. It begins 6 weeks before Ramadan with helpful tips in preparing for Ramadan and then during Ramadan how to make the the most of it, productively and spiritually. Each entry is supported by Ayat from the Qur'an of authentic Hadith. The best bit however, I feel, is the Ramadan File at the back which can be revisited year after year.

This is a great book for new Muslims, with it's explanations, glossary and transliterations of Du'as. But it can also be really helpful for any Muslim who wishes to take advantage of all the opportunities that Ramadan presents.    

Review 2: 

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This is Marjane Satrapi's autobiography that begins in Iran in the 1980's and tells the story of her unforgettable childhood, coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland.

However, what sets this book apart from other autobiographies is that it is also a graphic novel. The black and white drawing style is rather cute and very easy to read, though sometimes the only way to distinguish between people was there hairstyle. This can become confusing at times if you put it down for long periods of time and don't read the book all at once. 

I really liked the first half of this book, "The Story of a Childhood". Being a graphic novel it was, in my reading experience, a unique way to tell one's own story of oppression and war, while still maintaining an imaginative, light and humorous tone.  Despite the fact that there were some things in this book that I didn't really agree with (e.g. the depiction of God), I do not dispute that this is the truth as Marjane Satrapi experienced it, which opened up a whole new perspective for me. However, it must be taken with a grain of salt, as I hope that anyone reading this book will recognise that this is a story about living under an extremist regime, just like Nazi Germany or Russia under Stalin; regimes that will use any excuse to oppress people, and that it is not reflection of what the Islamic Religion is all about.

Nevertheless, the second half of this book "The Story of a Return", was a thorough disappointment and so different to what the first half set it up to be. The tone of the story became so bleak and self-pitying that I could no longer bring myself to care much for Satrapi's depiction of herself and it felt like a chore just to finish the book off. I doubt I would recommend this book to anyone for any reason, other than the novelty of being an autobiography in the form of a comic book/graphic novel.   

Review 3: 

The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson

This is also an autobiography and, as the sub-title so precisely summaries, it is the memoir of how a young American women's journey led to Islam and Love. Born into an atheist family, Willow Wilson actually begins telling the story of her life from an unusual point; while in her second year Boston University she was hospitalised for an acute reaction to medication and then suffered through adrenal distress for many months. It is during this time that she begins philosophising and contemplating the existence of God and what God means to her. And of all the major religions, her ideas about the Divine are confirmed in the Qur'an. After that, she began studying Arabic and Islam but resisted conversion to Islam until she was given the opportunity to word as a teacher in Cairo.

However, it is while she is in Cairo that her story becomes truly interesting, as she is torn between the secular West and the Muslim East. In The Butterfly Mosque, Wilson records her intensely personal struggle to forge a "third culture” that might accommodate her own values without compromising the friends and family on both sides of the divide. Though not always chronologically, Wilson tells her story in such an enchanting and contemplative manor that I could not help but cheer her on as she overcame one hardship after another.   

On a personal note, I could sympathise a lot with a the author when she wrote about moving to Egypt and navigating the great chasm between the American and Egyptian cultures; i.e. the East and the West. But while she was new to all of this, I feel like I've become an Old Pro. Being born a British-Asian Muslim I have spent me whole life in this "interworld". My entire existence lies in the "little fissures between East and West", as the author so eloquently put it, and thus I have become quite adept at finding the right balance, or the middle ground so to speak.    

But coming back to the book itself, I did not want The Butterfly Mosque to end. I wanted to continue on this journey with the Willow Wilson, I wanted to know what her life was like when she moved back to the USA, how did she and her husband adjust? I wanted to know her thoughts on/experience of the Arab Spring (2010-2011) and how she came up with the idea for her graphic novel Cairo? But more than any of that, turning the last page of this book felt like standing in Departures at an airport, saying goodbye to a beloved friend. 

I can say with complete confidence that The Butterfly Mosque is now among my favourite books, right beside Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Z. Janmohamed. At present, I'm greatly looking forward to reading Wilson's latest urban-fantasy novel: Alif the Unseen, which promises to be unlike anything I've read yet.  

Nida

What's the deal with Ramadan?

Dear Reader,

With Ramadan 2013 coming to a close, and since I haven't written a decent blog post in a shamefully long while now, I thought I'd answer a question I've been asked a few time and explain what Ramadan is all about. This can be helpful especially if you, dear reader, are not a Muslim.

Ramadan is the name of the 9th month in the Islamic Calendar and it was during this month, almost 1450 years ago, that the Qur'an was first revealed to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). That is why Ramadan is a sacred month and is also known as the month of the Qur'an. So, as a way of celebration, in this month Muslims try to read as much of the Qur'an as possible, as well as fasting from dawn to dusk for 29/30 days. This means we are not supposed to eat or drink anything, not even water, and abstain from sexual interactions, during the daylight hours (no drugs or smoking either). This is known as the physical fast. 

The second level of fasting is the mental fast where we should: 

1. restrain our tongues from gossiping, lying and using foul language, 
2. guard our eyes and ears from seeing/watching and hearing/listening to inappropriate and obscene things,
3. restrain our feet and hands from committing sin (e.g. hitting someone) 
4. and most importantly preventing yourself from getting angry. 

There is also the spiritual fast which is the highest level of fasting, in which we try and detach ourselves from the material world. This involves not just performing acts of charity, truly forgiving those who have previously wronged you, abstaining from unworthy and materialistic thoughts, desires and wishes, but also includes spending time in the remembrance of God, reading the Qur'an and contemplating the perfection of His Oneness (Tawhid). 

If performed correctly and with good intentions, the three levels of fasting should help us Muslims develop our God Conciousness (Taqwa), i.e. being aware that God is everywhere, watching us always, nothing is hidden from Him, everything that happens is by His Will and that one day we will all return to Him and be judged by Him.

The purpose of fasting during Ramadan is made clear in the second Chapter (Surah) of the Qur'an:

The month of Ramadan (is that) in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights (the new moon of) the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill  or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and (wants) for you to complete the period, and glorify Allah (Takbir) for that to which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. [2:185] 

There are many things that can be taken away from this verse (Ayat) but I want to focus on the last three:

1. Glorify Allah: thus the first purpose of fasting in this month is to spend time in the glorification and remembrance of Allah, which is called Dhikr or Tasbeeh and is an essential part of the spiritual fast.  
2. He has Guided you: the second purpose is to celebrate and recite the guidance that Allah has given us; the Noble Qur'an.  
3. be Grateful: and finally giving Allah His due gratitude for all that He has given us. Going without food and water provides us with a glimpse into what life must be like for the homeless and hungry poor. There are no words to describe the relief and appreciation I have felt for a sip of water after a long hot day of fasting. This sort of experience drives action to encourage self-less charity and help those less fortunate. But, as a reminder to me before anyone else, the words used in the ayat: "perhaps you will be grateful" suggest that despite all that I've said above, gratitude towards Allah for His innumerable blessings is often forgotten and because of this I believe that this final purpose is the most important. Alhumdulillah. 

May God forgive me for any omissions or mistakes in my explanation.

Nida