BOOK REVIEW : Wintersong By S. Jae Jones BY SULPHIA IQBAL

BOOK REVIEW : Wintersong

By S. Jae Jones

BY SULPHIA IQBAL

MY THOUGHTS

To be honest, I got this ARC with some high expectations. I followed up on Wintersong’s release information and reviews on Goodreads constantly and was very excited when I got my hands on it. Wintersong, however, proves to be extremely slow and very little happens. Also, while it is officially classified as YA, the novel is rather mature.  But ALAS, I got through.

Wintersong is a retelling of “Labyrinth”. For those of you who don’t know what “Labyrinth” is, it is a film that came out in 1986 about a girl who travels a maze in order to save her brother from the evil and sinister Goblin King.

( SIDENOTE:  I would watch this movie, but I feel like they would make the Goblin King look like Werewolf Michael Jackson from his “Thriller” music video and I shudder at the thought ).

( UPDATE : this is the real Goblin King :

Whattup David Bowie. Seriously, though, it is not any better. I implore you to, however, erase that image from your head because OUR Goblin King is waaay different. In a good way : )

Wintersong does an amazing job with its characters. Liesl, our MC, is overlooked by her family when compared with her beautiful sister and incredible musician of a brother. And yet it is Liesl who proves to be most important in her family; Liesl is the one to encourage her brother in his art and keep her foolish sister in line. While there are times where Liesel did something stupid and I would just shake my head, I do not hate her whole character for it. She is NOT perfect because no one is perfect. If she had been beautiful and as musically talented as her siblings, she would not have been real, and I find characters like that to be frustrating and simply unreachable ( *COUGH COUGH NOAH IN THE MARA DYER TRILOGY* ).

I adore hate to love relationships because they almost always bring out the best in the characters and creates character growth that makes a book all the more interesting. Liesl becomes so much more confident and strong towards the end of the novel and most of that is thanks to her experiences in the Underworld with the Goblin King. The same can said about the Goblin King.

I simply love the Goblin King’s character. A “Goblin King” immediately gives readers a dark vibe, and that is certainly applicable to the whole tone of his character in this book. But the dark atmosphere the Goblin King and his Underworld bring to this book actually makes it charming in its own way. The Goblin King is sarcastic and haughty and mischievous and tries to be cruel, but it is clear even halfway through the book that he is just as beautiful and mysterious and thoughtful as he is wicked.

I mention before that this book probably should not be classified as YA. Towards the middle and end, the content becomes significantly more mature than most YA books I have read in the past. If you are anything like me, you like to read all types of YA, even if you are just in middle school. However, after reading this as an eighth grader ( Hey there eight-month procrastination ) I would say it was a little too mature for my innocence : ). I am just going to throw warning out there.

SO IF you’re a high schooler who loves themselves a dark, poetic story about a girl who will do anything to save her family, and a mysterious Goblin King who is not as wicked as he seems, FIND Wintersong. Unfortunately, this book is so captivating ( if we ignore its slow pace ) that you will read it in one sitting and waste a lot of precious time that could have been spent on your Notes Assignment for English,  like me : ).

QUOTES

“There is music in your soul. A wild and untamed sort

of music that speaks to me. It defies all the rules and laws you humans set upon it. It grows from inside you, and I have a wish to set that music free.”

― S. Jae-Jones, Wintersong

“What would you do, if you were a free man?”

“I would take my violin and play. I would walk the world and play, until someone called me by name and called me home.”

― S. Jae-Jones, Wintersong

“She was the sun and he was the earth waking from a thaw.”

― S. Jae-Jones, Wintersong

“I am not a saint; I am a sinner. I want to sin again and

again and again.”

― S. Jae-Jones, Wintersong

A dark, poetic story about a talented yet overlooked girl and a wicked Goblin King who is that and so much more.

Check it out at the library and Goodreads :

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24763621-wintersong

RATINGS: 4/5

Review of It by Stephen King ---Tanay Somisetty

Review of It by Stephen King

Tanay Somisetty

The movie, It, was an amazing film and a must watch for all lovers of horror. This movie prompted me to read the novel by Stephen King that it’s based on. Upon picking up this massive book, I was initially intimidated. My edition (pictured above) was over a thousand pages, but I was committed to delving into the adventure waiting for me. As a first time reader of Stephen King, I was amazed. I finally understood all the praise surrounding this author. In this novel, King created not only a story, but an entire world. He left no stone unturned by explaining every motive and exquisitely detailing every scene. Every character, even the most minor ones, were well extremely well thought out. This resulted in every character to feel real and feel like an essential part of the world King had created. I had a remarkable time reading It and I feel it deserves as spot among other great classics.

The premise of this novel is similar to the movie. Bill Denbrough’s younger brother is murdered by a mysterious, other-worldly entity and he seeks revenge with the help of his close friends all while running from bullies and experiencing the many exploits of childhood. Before starting this book I was hesitant to read it because I already watched the movie. I wondered how long it would be before I got bored since I already knew the story. However, upon reading I found that the movie excluded many parts of the book. It almost felt like the novel was an entirely new experience because of the many parts of the story left out from the film. I was captivated throughout the entire book. If you enjoyed the movie or simply enjoy reading rich and well thought out stories, I recommend this book, assuming you’re up for an adventure.

My Rating: 9/10

DC Talk Martyrs- Book Review! Sophia Milla

DC Talk Martyrs- Book Review!

Sophia Milla

In multiple movies you’ve probably seen where a character dies for another person. Not only movies, but in books also. And why is that usually? Usually that sacrifice occurs due to the love that the person has for the other.

What is this book?

The book of Martyrs by DC Talk describes stories of different people or characters that have showed assertion and boldness in what they believe.

It truly inspired me when reading different testimonies of the bold sacrifices people have gone through because of what they love. In this book, they are giving themselves to God, the main person in each story.

The original book, which was written for adults has similar stories. The book of Martyrs written by DC Talk describes people our age making these sacrifices! Story to story describes the choices of people our age willingly bold for what they believe in.

Overall, it revolves around young people who give their lives for God, and the setting usually meets countries that are against the practice of Christianity.

My Opinion on the Book + Would I Recommend It?

I was really hit by the book, since the book allowed me to reflect on my own convictions!

I was really inspired also on how brave the characters and people were in the story. I think each character really set an example of courage, and many people love to read about people of courage as they go through tests.

If I were to recommend this book, I probably would not tell a random person to jump right into it. I feel like the book definitely has some intense stories that can freak some people out. When coming into the book you definitely need an open heart of understanding and at the same willing to reflect on yourself as a character and also reflect on how much you value things

Great book though! Definitely for somebody willing to be courageous. All the characters throughout the book show boldness and courage, but at the same time how they push themselves to not worry.

I haven’t finished the book, but through each page that I’ve flipped by is a different story of a bold person standing up for what they believe. And again, the stories really hit me and ask me about my own character! But definitely I would recommend it for a person looking to be bold, and for stories to inspire them.

Some Cool Moments!

            There are some incredibly interesting moments that occur while people refuse to give up who they believe in during the story.

           
            *”Lifted by the Fire”- One guy, instead of crying in fear of death, was very bold and fought through all the pain and torture methods thrown at him. At the end, after waking up from unconsciousness, he felt fire around him. However, he felt himself being lifted up from the fire miraculously. Though he was then stoned immediately after, the guy in the story refused to die. He is still alive and is living with friends.

            *A Song for the Lord”- Instead of crying in fear of death, the main character here was singing excitedly because he was able to die for something that he loved. With that, he kept singing until he died.

            *”Her Last Prayer” a 17-year old girl here was put to the gun with other members of her congregation. What was incredible though was that out of the members that were forced to either deny Jesus and live or to die, the girl was the only one that refused to deny Him. As a result she did die. However, it really shows how much she loves what she believes and she is so willing to give up for it.

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These are just a few of the stories that have shook me! There are tons throughout the book, and definitely are just some examples of how amazing it is to be bold for the things you love and willing.