The Messenger Reviews

Obsidian. I have absolutely no idea why I liked this book as much as I did. I really can't put my finger on it. There are some things in particular that I know I liked, but that doesn't explain why I liked this book as much as I did. 
First off though, I will start with what I didn't like. This is just a bunch of books mixed together and rehashed with some nice writing, as many others have pointed out.Some of it is a bit of a stretch, but you can definitely see the similarities, right? It doesn't hinder the book too much, but it would have been nice to have some more originality.
One major difference between this book and Twilight is the fact that Katy has some major nerve, unlike Bella. Don't get me wrong, I like Bella for different reasons, but Katy is feisty. I loved Katy, surprisingly. I don't usual like girls like her. She reminded me a lot of Mara, from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, who is another love of mine. I loved Katy's wit and her love of books. I also love that even though she seems like a social recluse and a "geek", she still isn't socially inept. Her isolation seems to be based purely off of personal choice, not social necessity. I love how gutsy she is. She was one of the things I definitely loved about this books and that I thought worked. 
I was not blown away by her counterpart, Daemon, but from the preview I've read of the second book, Onyx, I think I will like him far more. I thought he was definitely well written and a complex character, but I didn't particularly like him as a person. It's not that I hated him, because I did like him well enough, I just didn't love him like I was told I would. He reminded me of Mara's counterpart Noah, but a little bit less likable, probably because he didn't let his jerky/arrogant guard down as much and was so off an on, instead of Noah who, after the initial guard was down, remained pretty much all awesome all the time. For me, Daemon was just a bit too jerky, a bit too arrogant, a bit of a player, and a bit too off and on. However, much like the plot, I didn't dislike him enough to think that he made the book worse.
I loved this book, though I honestly can't tell you why. I've obviously found enough problems with it. However, I still liked this book a whole lot, and can't wait to read the sequels. I would suggest it to only people roughly thirteen and up though. Really, just use your own personal discretion. If you don't think you can handle some semi-mature content, than don't read the book. If you can, definitely go and read it. 

Four Point Five out of Five Stars

John Green definitely hit it out of the park with this one, especially for a first book. I love looking for Alaska. It grabs you from the very first moment you start it, and doesn't let you go, even after it ends. This was my first John Green novel, and I was not disappointed. Originally, I was steering clear of his books. I had heard about The Fault in Our Stars, and found the idea of it kind of gimmicky. (Though now I've read it, I love that one too. Don't doubt it like me, just read it. There's a pretty good chance that you will like it.) However, I was introduced to him through his YouTube channel, the vlogbrothers, and enjoyed his personality so much that I decided I just had to read this book.
This book comes in two parts, and I've decided to review each part independently of the other.The two parts are so completely different that I feel it hard to lump them into one description.
Before
The first part of the book was my favorite. It was absolutely hilarious, and I loved the antics of Alaska, Pudge, The Fox, and The Colonial. I can't say they make great role models, but I wasn't reading this book to find people to model my life after. I thought they were the funniest group of people, and I loved reading about their pranks and various escapades. I laughed pretty much the entire way through, absolutely loving the book. I couldn't put it down, not because it was suspenseful or anything, but because I was so entertained that I didn't want to. It was enjoyable all the way to the last page.
After
This part of the book was not absolutely hilarious. I'm not going to spoil (or, at least, I hope I won't), but I am going to say that it is really sad. I was on the brink of tears pretty much the whole time. It was moving, heartwarming, and meaningful, and a great, but sad way to end the story. I never saw it coming, and was completely blindsided, just like Pudge. Despite the fact that most of it was somber, it still had its entertaining moments. This second part really pulled at your heartstrings, and while I usual don't go for that kind of stuff, I still loved it.
This book was fantastic. You should read it ASAP. Literally, as soon as possible. Trust me. 
Four Point Five out of Five Stars

After seeing the cover, I knew I had to read this book, and boy, am I glad I did. I absolutely loved this book.It was not necessarily what I thought it would be, but I think it was even better than what I thought it would be. I definitely intend on purchasing this one (I got it from the library) as soon as I get money.
One thing I loved this book was the way that the love story panned out. I thought it was super adorable and enjoyable to read. The writing was one-of-a-kind, full of wit and very down-to-earth and realistic.I loved both Caymen and Xander. I thought they were both great characters, and people that I could see myself being friends with. Caymen's sarcasm is totally up my alley, though I couldn't see myself saying half the things that she says. Xander is sweet and funny, but not to the point where he is unrealistic.
This book was also surprisingly a huge page-turner for me. I really couldn't put it down, which is generally unusual when I read these kind of books. I think I was just so invested in the characters that I really wanted to see how things worked out for them. I couldn't wait for the two characters to finally get together.I really cared about what happened to the two of them, and I found that I couldn't put the book down because of it.
Another thing I liked about this book was that it was surprisingly deep, without being in-your-face inspiring. It dealed with looking past the surface, not only with not taking too much stock in first impressions, but also looking past how somebody looks. It was very focused in having money vs. not having money, and looking at what that means today and what people's futures look like on both sides. 
The one thing I didn't like was the fact that Xander and Caymen basically spent the whole book either fighting with each other (though that wasn't too common), misunderstanding each other, or trying not to get into a relationship with the other. I felt similarly about Anna and The French Kiss, which I also loved. I would have liked the book even more if they had actually had some more time together. The book was about 97% them not together, and about 3% of them being together. Basically, I thought this book was so good that it really should have been longer.
Even besides that tiny thing, I thought this book was fantastic. It worked for me in so many different ways. It was surprisingly a huge page-turner, well written, and thoughtful.
Four Point Five out of Five Stars

Oh, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer! I love you so! This is most definitely one of my all time favorite books. Not only is it a great romance, it is also a chilling mystery/thriller. 
First of all, ALL HAIL NOAH SHAW. For somebody I started out absolutely hating, man do I love him. I mean, I'm not sure I would want a boyfriend like him, but man is he a great character. While he gives off arrogant vibes, which normally automatically make me hate anyone, I am absolutely in love with him. The reason for this is that he isn't really arrogant. On the inside, I don't think he feels more deserving than others. It's all just an image that he projects, maybe a kind of comedy act. Now, I can't even begin to guess why he chooses to be shown that way, even after reading the second book, but I frankly don't care. At this point, Noah can do pretty much whatever he wants without me getting mad at him. Michelle Hodkin was really good at making you absolutely fall in love with Noah in about the same way Mara would fall in love with him herself. It wasn't until later in the book when I figured out that I actually liked him, and it wasn't some sudden, all-embracing feeling, it was gradual, just like how I imagine it was for Mara.
The plot couldn't be more solid. The main plot doesn't give way to the near-perfect romance, but instead balances it out perfectly. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Most of the twist and turns were unexpected, but I do have to say that the main "mystery" I solved right away. Not because I am great at figuring out mysteries or anything, but because it was so blatantly obvious. Whether Mrs. Hodkin meant for you to know long before Mara does, or if it was just poorly hidden doesn't really matter, because it doesn't impair the plot. Even if you are only in for the mystery, there are plenty more things for you to figure out throughout the book. 
Another part of this book that I loved was the psychological aspect of things. I was just as convinced as Mara that her hallucinations were real at the beginning, before I slowly came to realize that they weren't. Michelle Hodkin was absolutely fantastic at making you see things through Mara's eyes without making you feel forced to agree with her. 
Overall, this fast paced book has likable characters and is one of my definite favorites. However, I would not suggest it for anybody under thirteen, due to language, the chilling nature of this book, and constant conversations that are inappropriate for people this young. 
Five out of Five stars

Let me start by saying that I did not want to read this book. A friend made me read it. I had heard about its success, which kept me from absolutely refusing to read it. Still, the idea of this book did not entice me. I thought I should put it out there that I did not go into this book with an open mind. 
First of all, understand that I thought the concept of this book was cool. The idea of having a set of pictures accompany the book was not something I had heard before. It was a new, fresh idea, and I give Mr. Riggs props for that. 
I did not, however, think that this clever idea was executed well. My main problem was that the pictures interrupted whatever action was going on. The book would literally just stop in the middle of a page so that a picture could be shown. I feel like, even though there would have been a completely different set of problems, it would have been a better idea to put the pictures in the back of the book for you to reference. The pictures did not even add that much to the story. I could have very well just imagined what the pictures looked like with the descriptions already given to you. 
I also was not a fan of the story line. I found it a little bit confusing, and a little bit strange. Don't get me wrong, strange can be good, but this was just a little bit too strange for me. Not to mention complected. I don't know if Ransom Riggs wrote it so that it would seem confusing or mystifying or whatever, but I definitely found it hard to follow. I also had a good deal of questions that I felt were never explained. Who knows, maybe the author will explain these questions in the sequel. I felt like, while once again very creative, the plot's explanation could have also been executed a little better.
One good thing about this book is that it did grip me. Despite all the things that the book could have done better, I was interested throughout the whole thing. Mr.Riggs has a good writing style. Even though I thought there were major problems with the book as a whole, I did not especially dislike it. I would consider reading the sequel, providing I did not already find enough books at the library.
Overall, I thought this book was okay. While there were flaws, it was very creative. However, I feel like the concept of having photos as an addition to the book was taken just a bit too far. The plot was a bit confusing and hard to follow, but I found it interesting throughout the whole book.
Two out of Five stars