Quote, Unquote

All rightey, here we go. More Quote, Unquotes from Amber Shipp! First one in a few months, and I'm actually kind of excited.
So, as Annabelle knows, I have been gushing about Les Miserables by Victor Hugo lately (ahem, Annabelle, I still want you to read it/watch it/whatever it. In fact, I have the huge novel right at my elbow), and so I shall now present to you one of my favourite quotes.

"So be it," added Enjolras, "A word more. In executing that man, I obeyed necessity; but necessity is a monster of the old world, the name of necessity is Fatality. Now the law of progress is, that monsters disappear before angels, and that Fatality vanish before Fraternity. This is not a moment to pronounce the word love. No matter, I pronounce it, and I glorify it. Love, thine is the future. Death, I use thee, but I hate thee. Citizens, there shall be in the future neither darkness nor thunderbolts; neither ferocious ignorance nor blood for blood. As Satan shall be no more, so Michael shall be no more. In the future, no man shall slay his fellow, the earth shall be radiant, the human race shall love. It will come, citizens, that day when all shall be concord, harmony, light, joy and life; it will come, and it is so that it may come that we are going to die."

~   Victor Hugo, Several Interrogation Points Concerning One Le Cabuc, Who Perhaps Was Not Le Cabuc, Les Miserables

Vive L' France, sweeties.

Amber Shipp

Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

Dystopian Fiction

9.5/10

In the very far future, firemen no longer put out fires ~ they start them. The owning and reading of books are considered crimes against the state, punishable by burning to death. And Guy Montag, ten years fireman, owns twenty of them, and his increasingly rasher actions result in consequences he could never have imagined.

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what I thought about this book. The prose was wonderful. The ideas were, quite possibly, world-shaking, but an air of darkness and depression resides over the entire novel. It's just... I don't know. The story is... well-plotted. It's little more than a short story, though, so not much plotting was ultimately needed.
So 9.5 for the quality of writing. I don't know if I like it or not. It would be optimal for twelve and up for the deep and disturbing concepts. There is incredibly minor language, most likely because it was written in the fifties. Swears include d---n and h--l, and no inappropriate content.

There. I did it.

Allons-y!
Amber Shipp

 

Theodore Boone by John Grisham

The Boone. Son of Marcella and Woods Boone, both busy lawyers. Nephew to Ike Boone, a disbarred layer with a questionable past. Judge Henry Gantry, Theo's judge friend at the court house. Peter Duffy, Judge Gantry's latest case. Will Duffy be convicted for the murder of his wife? Will Theo be able to get out of school to see the trial?

That's a rough synopsis of the first book. I think that this is best-seller John Grisham's first series for kids. They're courtroom dramas/mysteries, a thrilling combination that makes for a great read that will keep you turning the pages.

As far as I know, the series is not finished, and the next book (The Fugitive) comes out in mid-May. Now, I'm sure that Amber will have plenty to say in the comments below (no spoilers Amber!!), but I'm just going to say that I won't recommend this series for under thirteen. There is no swearing or inappropriate behavior, but the writer assumes a certain amount of basic knowledge in our judicial system, which not many under-13-year-olds have. Also, a few difficult topics are discussed, such as underage usage of drugs (not by Theo, but by his friend's brother), divorce, illegal immigration, environmental activity and the near-death of Theo's animal friend, Judge (okay, confession, I cried.).

Other than that, this is a great series for adults and teens alike. 4 stars.

Annabelle

The Chasing Vermeer Trilogy by Blue Balliett

Okay, by now, you've probably figured out that I'm a mystery girl. This here, is my favorite mystery series ever, and Blue Balliet my favorite writer. She's written two other books, but that's not what I'm reviewing today.

Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3 and The Calder Game. Art, Friendship, and mystery-solving combine to create a great mystery series. In Chasing Vermeer, Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee work together to find a missing piece of art by Jan Vermeer. In The Wright 3, Calder and Petra join forces with Calder's longtime best friend Tommy Segovia to save the Robie House, an old house next door to Tommy which was built by Frank Lloyd Wright. In The Calder Game, Calder disappears while on a trip to England. Tommy and Petra travel to England to find him.

All three books are populated with an AMAZING cast of main and supporting characters. There is no inappropriate behavior or bad language in any of the books. I do not suggest this series for undedicated readers. They can be a little hard to follow unless you really want to know what happens.

SHOUT OUT TO AMBER: I STILL WANT YOU TO READ THIS. I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN.

5 big stars for the Chasing Vermeer trilogy and Blue Balliett for a great series!! If you like this series, I highly recommend Ms. Balliett's other books, Hold Fast and The Danger Box.

Signing off!!

Annabelle