Book Review - The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II)

Hello readers,

I just finished The Drawing of the Three (1987, Fantasy/Western fiction) by Stephen King (The second installment of the Dark Tower series). I must say, I'm drawn to this series as much as King himself says he is.

I started reading this series about six months ago, and just recently began to show interest in it again. It took me three days to get through the first two, if that tells you how addicting these are. Stephen King has always drawn me in but this series takes the cake.

** Warning: This is a review series for The Dark Tower and contains spoilers about the series. Please do not continue if you do not want the plot/surprises undone for you. Can't say I didn't warn you, thanks! ** 

Pros:

• This is something that I find I very much enjoy whenever I'm reading a series of books: The Drawing of the Three picks up almost exactly where The Gunslinger left off, saying in the introduction that this second book takes place only seven hours after the first. I enjoy this simply because it shows that the stories are connected, and that the reader hasn't missed much since they last saw the character. 
• Unlike some of King's other books, like It or Under The Dome, The Drawing of the Three isn't longer than it needs to be (this is subjective of course). From beginning to end, those 400 pages really hold together. There aren't any parts that really confused me, and didn't clear things up later. 
• King is full of surprises. He keeps readers on the edge of their seats with this book. I had trouble putting it down and, without adult responsibilities coming into play, I would have read the whole thing in one sitting. I liked this aspect of the book because there was never a part where I contemplated skipping over. Every page has some kind of interesting blurb on it. That's hard to find.

Cons:

•  My first con is one that can be said for many of King's books: the language can be a bit difficult in some places. Of the three main characters in this book, two of them are from different time periods (Eddie from the 1980's and Odetta from the 1960's) so it can be hard to keep up when they switch between the two. Obviously, speech was different back then and different words meant different things, so it can be hard to tell the difference unless you keep track. 
• As with most of King's series, one book alone doesn't really shed a lot of light on the whole picture. The same can be said for The Drawing of the Three, as it is obviously a journey book: all about the travel, less about the destination. While this isn't always a con, to my "I must know the answer now" brain it can be torture. 
• The Drawing of the Three does have one more flaw in my eyes. The end and the beginning aren't all that different. Well, they are drastically different, but from another angle not so much. Roland ended The Gunslinger on the beach, and so The Drawing of the Three ends the same. To some this may be symbolic: You can go through hell and still end up right where you started. To others it may be frustrating: He did all of this and still ended up right where he started! I suppose it depends on your worldview. 

Overall, I'm going to continue reading this series until my eyes fall out. I feel kind of like Eddie... seriously aching for my next fix of The Dark Tower. 

Always keep reading! 

Katie 

Book Review - The Kite Runner

So about a week ago I finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003, Historical Drama) and I'm very much entranced by his work. (I highly recommend you read A Thousand Splendid Suns if you haven't already)

This book is set in the Middle East from ~1980-2000's. It follows the life of a young boy living in Kabul, Afghanistan. This story is heartbreakingly sad, but beautifully written. It really tugs at your heart strings and gives a cold insight into the lives of people living in the rebellion.




Pros:

• Like I said above, this book is extremely beautiful. Hosseini's style touches something inside the human soul, I think. The way the characters are portrayed connects you with them intensely. I felt automatically sympathetic towards the main character Amir, like I knew him in some other life or perhaps I saw bits of myself in him. There is a lot of raw emotion in this book, and it's very relatable. 
• This may be considered a con by some. This book is the perfect example of a story not needing a completely happy ending to work. The Kite Runner has more of a bittersweet end than what you'd expect half way through the book. It doesn't end in tragedy and there is a sign of hope in the end, but it doesn't have a fairytale vibe to it. (I'm fairly certain that this novel was loosely based on Hosseini's personal experiences) 
• I usually always include something about the length of the book. The Kite Runner is not a long book, but it is striking. The language isn't complicated and is actually quite simple at parts, but there are several instances of Farsi/Pashto being used in the book so sometimes it can be difficult. 

Cons:

• The particular time period that this book is set in was notorious violent. There are a few times where the book takes dark turns. Even though it doesn't really hurt the plot, I wouldn't recommend it for YA readers (although in some places it is classified as such). 
• If you are unfamiliar with the language or just simply not the best at context clues, the blending of cultures/languages can be a struggle. There is a lot of Pashto/Farsi being used so if you don't stick to the clues, it can be a bit confusing. 

Overall this book is terribly entertaining. It's sickening but beautiful all at once. If you have a stomach for this type of novel, I'd highly recommend you pursue it. 

Until next time, keep reading lovelies! 

Katie 

Book Review - The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I)

Hello Readers,

Just finished The Gunslinger by Stephen King (1982, Fantasy/Western/Drama)! I will say that I have read this book before, but it's been so long that I was a little fuzzy on the details. This will always be one of my absolute favorite books.

Stephen King has been a favorite author of mine for many years now, and it seemed that I had read all of his books. But I was so wrong when I stumbled upon The Dark Tower for the first time in my mother's bookshelf. She always loved sci-fi, horror, fantasy type books. This one didn't disappoint.
Being a little less popular than my last review (Divergent by Veronica Roth - http://katiesreadingblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-divergent.html), I won't give away much about the plot. Then again... this series isn't always necessarily about the plot. You'll get what I mean.

Pros:

• If you enjoy fantasy/mystery genres, you'll very much enjoy this book. The time period is rather strange, but it's very interesting. The Gunslinger is set in a kind of modern western setting. It combines fantasy with the grit of the old west in a surprisingly addictive way. 
• The books itself is not long compared to the lengths of some of King's other books. The language is generally easy to read, unlike titles like It or 11/22/63 where the writing is dense in some places. 
• If you are a fan of very descriptive stories, you'll definitely like this book. I liken it to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time in the way King is highly detailed in his character portrayals. You become attached to the characters fairly quickly. 
• This may be subjective, but depending on the copy of The Gunslinger you have, there are wonderful illustrations in the extended version that honestly make it worth owning for that. They are beautiful watercolor/oil painting inserts that are just striking. 

Cons:

• If you've read any of King's works, you know that at times they can be hard to understand. The Gunslinger is no exception to that rule. Despite being somewhat easy to process, some of the language that King uses can be foreign and archaic. He combines a lot of western speech with High English, among other dialects. 
• This book most definitely has parts that are not suited for young adults. As with most of King's works, this one is not considered YA. While the length may be deceiving, The Dark Tower is by all accounts a mature series. There are a few sexual references in The Gunslinger, therefore I'd say it shouldn't be read to kids before bedtime. 
• The only other downside I could see with this book would be it's not a singular work. There are nine books in The Dark Tower series total (including the prequel Little Sisters of Eluria). So in order to get the full picture you'd have to read start to finish. 

Overall I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping, sinister, touching, mysterious story. Honestly I had to reach for Cons for this one simply because this book holds a special place in my heart. If you do choose to jump into this series, I hope you get as much out of it as I have. 

Until next time, keep reading lovelies! 

Katie 

Book Review - Divergent

Hello readers,

I just finished the next book on my reading list: Divergent by Veronica Roth (2011, YA/Science Fiction).

I was actually presently surprised at how I felt about the book from beginning to end.

Before I started this book, I knew absolutely nothing about the plot of Divergent or the rest of the series. I hadn't read any of the book or seen the movie so I got to have an objective look on the story. I have to say I was not disappointed.
This book combines a YA feel with a darker, more sinister undertone. I've arranged a pros and cons list below to help skeptical readers decide if Divergent should be next on your list!

Pros:

• Very interesting plot. Characters are well developed and the sequencing/flow of events really catches your attention. I think that the first person POV makes it even easier to get sucked into. 
• A beginner's level of literature. Very easy to read (especially if you're older, like me) but doesn't dumb anything down. 
• Doesn't give too much away in the end; lets the reader have an imagination. 
• Very relatable characters. 

Cons:

• If you're a fan of complex writing, this book probably wouldn't entertain you as much. It's not a complicated read, but very emotionally pulling. 
• The length of the book can be annoying, purely because of the simplicity of the writing it can appear to drone on for a while if read during a binge. 
• As you probably already know, Divergent is the first book in a series. So the ending to this book doesn't really wrap everything up (as expected) and it can be tedious if you're into short, sweet, to the point endings. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I'd recommend it as a leisurely read/ something to read for fun on the weekends. If you're a long time reader like me, a book like this doesn't take long to breeze through. 

Until next time, keep reading lovelies! 

Katie