Review: The Fireman

The Fireman by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Note: Spoilers ahead in a 'general' sense, but nothing in detail. :)

Joe Hill always surprises me with how distinct his stories are. The plot, in forethought, sounds worn-out (I'm blaming it on the blurb). The Fireman, for example, introduces the readers to an apocalypse. A plethora of books have already been published introducing dystopian societies. But Hill managed to paint this world we're living into something so desolate and sinister. At the core of this book lies an outline of the rough edges of humanity: how our souls seek harmony, and how we thirst for religion. It shows that each human being has his own fire inside: whether it's compassion and empathy, or cruelty and violence. This book doesn't sugarcoat things. It's brutal, graphic, and good people die. At the end of the book, I was pretty much jaded as much as the characters. I was actually surprised I didn't die with the others.

Setting the Scene: Luna Lovegood

© Bobbie Rebultan

She stumbled and fell down on her knees, gasping as her stockinged legs came in contact with the snow. The warming spell she cast on her toes was starting to wear out. She remained seated on the crisp snow and looked up. The world was coated in frosting. The ground reflected the skies, she thought. It felt like she was sitting inside a hollow snowball. Luna Lovegood sighed again and laid down on the snow, her disheveled blonde hair fanning out under her. Her silver eyes on her pale face blended with her surroundings. She feels like snow herself. She reached up, her gloved hands outlined against the clouds. All around her fell a flurry of flakes--frozen stars, soft and sighing against her hair.

Setting the Scene: Her Companion

© Bobbie Rebultan

It was overcast, but for a moment the midmorning sun peeked through the clouds. Its rays fell through the large windows, bathing the tables and silverware in a muted glow, giving an illusion of open air. A figure sat with her shoulders hunched and brows furrowed in concentration, her eyes intently following the words on the book resting on the marbled table in front of her. Around her, glasses clinked and indistinct chatter rose and fell across the room. Outside the window she was leaning on, people in coats, ties, and heeled shoes walked briskly, gripping paper cups in one hand and black cases in the other. A sudden burst of high-pitched laughter shot from the table across hers, but she remained unfazed, completely absorbed in the story of a nurse with Dragonscale.

Setting the Scene: The Smell of Safety

© Bobbie Rebultan

The gargoyle looked down on me with distaste. In a huff, it stepped aside and admitted me to a room brimming with wonder. The walls were lined with huge, dusty tomes and moving portraits. Numerous tables--some seeming to hover, some seeming to gently rock back and forth--were strewn everywhere. Atop them are various devices puffing, whistling, and popping.

At the center, raised by a platform, stands a large wooden desk bathed in warm light. It was in disarray, but filled with curios--silver pendulums, more devices that whirred and twirled, a bowl with contents that glitter, and moving miniatures of each of Hogwart's founders arguing with each other. Perched over one end of the table is a beautiful bird--a phoenix, with dark eyes that watched me languidly. In the middle of the table rests a large open book. Intently poring over it was Albus Dumbledore, an elaborate quill poised in his hand.

When Fawkes blinked, the headmaster looked up and peered at me with twinkling eyes. "Ah! A visitor!" He exclaimed. He reached over the bowl and offered it to me, "Lemon drops?" I was greeted with a feeling of what I can only describe as 'safety'. ❤

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To practice my writing, I will start randomly creating scenes out of photographs. I may use the subjects of my photographs repeatedly, but the write-up will always be different. See label: "write".

Disclaimer: The words and pictures are mine (if you want to borrow, please read my Content Usage Policy here). :) The world is J.K. Rowling's. I'm simply borrowing from her.

Review: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Well…damn. I’ve finished this last Saturday evening, and I’m reeling until now. No wonder this is still considered one of Christie’s best, and remains to be controversial until now. This was truly superb and well-written. Each character was well developed. The flow of the story seems formal (as with Hercule Poirot), but in hindsight, it is a gripping narrative.

Review: We Are the Ants

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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The moment I read this line, I knew right of the bat that it's my favorite quote from this book: "Milk shakes make the world seem less shitty." - Zooey Denton nee Hawthorne :)

To be completely honest, three-quarters into this book, I'm considering giving this a 3-star rating. Only because I'm a snob and I felt duped into reading a YA novel, when I wanted it so badly to be a mature sci-fi. But who am I kidding, the last quarter of this book gave me all the right feels, and slowed the world down. My favorite character is Audrey. Sure, I like Henry because of his sarcasm, but Audrey is the smart girl with spunk. She's not as interesting and multi-faceted as Henry Denton, but this girl knows she has flaws, acknowledges it, and is an amazing friend.