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saadamansayyed's reviews
34 reviews
Cheat by Kristin Butcher
5.0
The writing was amazing, the plot bought me to tears, but, the climax was just overtwisted and supposedly gave the wrong message.
I'll especially recommend it to younger fans of popular books such as, '' Nancy Drew " "Scooby Doo" and other teenage mystery novels. However, it's a journalism mystery novel, and that is a perspective I liked.
Awesome work done by Butcher.
I'll especially recommend it to younger fans of popular books such as, '' Nancy Drew " "Scooby Doo" and other teenage mystery novels. However, it's a journalism mystery novel, and that is a perspective I liked.
Awesome work done by Butcher.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
5.0
As, I marked earlier, I've marked this one for spoilers.
So, I absolutely adore this book. Known to smooch with books, I can tell this one goes into the Maia-area for me (LoL my jokes).
Anyways, this was my first fantasy book I've read, so I'm new to this genre, please forgive this poor soul for the sake of it.
So, I think dissecting every part of the book will be a knowledgeable move for me. Get me my dissection tools, dude!
----
CHARACTERS-
=The Trio=
Perseus Jackson:
Percy is the kid who you want to just sympathize with, but you say - "Eh, he can handle this one, I'mma get out." Making him the child of Poseidon rather than a stereotypical Zeus was a good thing on Rick's part. His friendship with Annabeth and Grover seems real. Plus, he has his flaws.
Annabeth Chase:
Annabeth is the girl you wanna be friends with (Not what you smirking assume) but then you're scared by her domineering nature. She shows Athena in all her blood. Honestly, I think she is a very good character. Also, her friendship with Grover and Percy seems more like a frenemy one. Applaud for this one.
Grover Underwood:
Grover is the goofy best friend/sidekick you secretly root for. His character seems very gloomy in the start, but then he begins to become a very cheery character. He is an excellent satyr in my opinion. Wonderful goat-boy, in my opinion.
=Antagonists=
Luke:
Luke is an awesome character, to be fair. He seems like a hero wrongly guided, but not the same thing as hero, anti-hero or villian. Unique character, I think so.
=Ares=
Ah, Ares! The bike-reading doofenplatz.
-----
SETTING:
Greek mythology was awesome. So awesome I can't say anything.
-----
Plot:
Lucid and good.
---
Adaptation into crappy movie? No, it does not exist.
+===+
In one line:
"An epic story of a middle-grader who is a demigod and most fulfill a quest, is a wonderful story of quests"
So, I absolutely adore this book. Known to smooch with books, I can tell this one goes into the Maia-area for me (LoL my jokes).
Anyways, this was my first fantasy book I've read, so I'm new to this genre, please forgive this poor soul for the sake of it.
So, I think dissecting every part of the book will be a knowledgeable move for me. Get me my dissection tools, dude!
----
CHARACTERS-
=The Trio=
Perseus Jackson:
Percy is the kid who you want to just sympathize with, but you say - "Eh, he can handle this one, I'mma get out." Making him the child of Poseidon rather than a stereotypical Zeus was a good thing on Rick's part. His friendship with Annabeth and Grover seems real. Plus, he has his flaws.
Annabeth Chase:
Annabeth is the girl you wanna be friends with (Not what you smirking assume) but then you're scared by her domineering nature. She shows Athena in all her blood. Honestly, I think she is a very good character. Also, her friendship with Grover and Percy seems more like a frenemy one. Applaud for this one.
Grover Underwood:
Grover is the goofy best friend/sidekick you secretly root for. His character seems very gloomy in the start, but then he begins to become a very cheery character. He is an excellent satyr in my opinion. Wonderful goat-boy, in my opinion.
=Antagonists=
Luke:
Luke is an awesome character, to be fair. He seems like a hero wrongly guided, but not the same thing as hero, anti-hero or villian. Unique character, I think so.
=Ares=
Ah, Ares! The bike-reading doofenplatz.
-----
SETTING:
Greek mythology was awesome. So awesome I can't say anything.
-----
Plot:
Lucid and good.
---
Adaptation into crappy movie? No, it does not exist.
+===+
In one line:
"An epic story of a middle-grader who is a demigod and most fulfill a quest, is a wonderful story of quests"
Sim 299 by Johan Twiss
4.0
Quick disclaimer: This book was offered to me by www.booksirens.com in exchange for an honest review.
I read the book in like, four hours. Really engaging, in my opinion. Got one video on Booktube on the same as well.
I loved the world-building. A LOT. I mean, the world-building is amazing. Cool planets, yet cooler landscapes and YET COOLER Schools.
I mean, many disagree and yes, to some extent, this book gets a bit too lazy on that thing but honestly, I'll give it for it.
The character dev is amazing. The way Aidan transforms from the #chosenone to actually being the big protagonist. Yes, Fig and Palomas are simply developed, but if Legacy and Masay can do that at the very last moment, then the point is clear that it can happen.
Also, the adults are not dumb/abusive/dead guys but General Estrago is known to be a hero of this book and do not forget, Dir. Tuskin is not the GOOD ruler but the ruthless dictator
The plot? I love it, or to say it to some extent. (insert shoulder shrug).
And yeah, there is some stuff which has caused me to take away one star.
Number one- the book is SOOOO bland at the ending. it's not like I love 'HEA' endings but YEAH, it is not the resolution of the conflict either.
Number two- How do you know it, but there is a very large chunk of shameless crudeness in this one. jokes, events and more jokes about Capt. Solsti
In all, I loved this one, and recommend it to someone looking for a good sci-fi read on a rainy day....
I read the book in like, four hours. Really engaging, in my opinion. Got one video on Booktube on the same as well.
I loved the world-building. A LOT. I mean, the world-building is amazing. Cool planets, yet cooler landscapes and YET COOLER Schools.
I mean, many disagree and yes, to some extent, this book gets a bit too lazy on that thing but honestly, I'll give it for it.
The character dev is amazing. The way Aidan transforms from the #chosenone to actually being the big protagonist. Yes, Fig and Palomas are simply developed, but if Legacy and Masay can do that at the very last moment, then the point is clear that it can happen.
Also, the adults are not dumb/abusive/dead guys but
The plot? I love it, or to say it to some extent. (insert shoulder shrug).
And yeah, there is some stuff which has caused me to take away one star.
Number one- the book is SOOOO bland at the ending. it's not like I love 'HEA' endings but YEAH, it is not the resolution of the conflict either.
Number two- How do you know it, but there is a very large chunk of shameless crudeness in this one.
In all, I loved this one, and recommend it to someone looking for a good sci-fi read on a rainy day....
Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone
5.0
Disclaimer: This review is by a boy of color of the same age as the protagonist. That means my opinion can vary.
So.... where should I start my praise for this work?
First of all- the story is like a good story for me. Explores sexuality, coming-of-age and other stuff that happens to most girls well. Carrie did a job of a honest portrayal of what middle school is, rather than making it an utopia kingdom of happiness for juveniles.
Danny's subplot is decent, although not the best secondary plot of vaping,and totally, it describes social issues as is.
We Gen Z have this tendency to get outta the bunch; excellently explanations for that loll.
The characters of Will can be improved upon and I think I need one reasonable reason for Nick being straight-up mean. Ashley- she can be too. But that is not much of a deal-breaker, more of my perspective as a male on this book.
The chapters are ridiculously small and work around a script, closely-knit. It's not just narrative, but a healthy combination of transcripts, narratives, writing, and others.
The book closely ties high-school, middle grade and elementary together- explaining stuff better. Many a times, sensitive issues are discussed and I hope that I can just shut my eyes up because I'm not supposed to read it- LOLL.
Good story, bold story, enjoyable story. Also, I liked the continuation which tells us there's a sequel in the works- "All's Well in Bearville".
Props to the amazing Carrie Firestone for writing this amazing book-
SA
So.... where should I start my praise for this work?
First of all- the story is like a good story for me. Explores sexuality, coming-of-age and other stuff that happens to most girls well. Carrie did a job of a honest portrayal of what middle school is, rather than making it an utopia kingdom of happiness for juveniles.
Danny's subplot is decent, although not the best secondary plot of vaping,and totally, it describes social issues as is.
We Gen Z have this tendency to get outta the bunch; excellently explanations for that loll.
The characters of Will can be improved upon and I think I need one reasonable reason for Nick being straight-up mean. Ashley- she can be too. But that is not much of a deal-breaker, more of my perspective as a male on this book.
The chapters are ridiculously small and work around a script, closely-knit. It's not just narrative, but a healthy combination of transcripts, narratives, writing, and others.
The book closely ties high-school, middle grade and elementary together- explaining stuff better. Many a times, sensitive issues are discussed and I hope that I can just shut my eyes up because I'm not supposed to read it- LOLL.
Good story, bold story, enjoyable story. Also, I liked the continuation which tells us there's a sequel in the works- "All's Well in Bearville".
Props to the amazing Carrie Firestone for writing this amazing book-
SA
Back Online by Laura Dower
3.0
Instant DNF when I changed my genre tastes. It happened that I used to like this series, but now I've moved on to fantasy and sci-fi.
Not that I hated it; But I wouldn't recommend it either.
Not that I hated it; But I wouldn't recommend it either.
The 3 Mistakes of My Life by Chetan Bhagat
3.0
Chetan is one of the few authors from India whose literature has been popular internationally. He writes books including Indian themes which still resonate pretty well with an international audience. He writes in not a purple prose like Tolkien does, but he writes in a simple way that is catchy enough to grasp me. His writing is based off the youth and serves a contemporary audience.
I’m really surprised by this book. I was “warned” about reading Chetan and his book, so I was really critical when I started reading this one. First of all, I appreciate this book because unlike Five Point Someone or night @ the call center, this book is based off of real events and that Govind is a real legit man, TEAM INDIA CRICKET SHOP is a real legit shop and that Bittoo is a legit politician. None of these seem artificial, forced or otherwise, and so I like the characters slightly more than if it were not real.
I have read a lot of contemporary stories with political themes and other themes of this book. I wouldn’t say this one is better than other books such as Come Rain by Jai Nimbalkar or Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone, but this book especially stands out, and that is because this book is based off of real events and I feel that this book needs a different skill set than just writing contemporary, while still retaining the distinct catchy style. On the other hand, the book can be written better, tremendously better, but this is quite good, to be honest. I would say, that unlike some of the other good books I’ve read, there’s scope for improvement, but still being a wonderful read in its original form.
Govind is a young character full of maturity, and he’s the Spock of this book. Ish is really good and Omkar is decent. I had a little bit of complaint about Omkar and I did not find a complexity I expect in characters in him. Bittoo was pretty good too, Vidya was quiet well-written, but my favorite character and I think the main character of this book, Ali was amazing. The writing style is not the most beautiful or clean style, often has bad words, but it is simplistic enough to be read by anyone who knows Basic English. Although I think [this is a real book, but this is classified as fiction, so please cut me some slack] that the Ish-Govind split was a little forced and it seemed abrupt, I think it is okay, but that part could’ve been pulled off better. I liked the Govind-Vidya chemistry but then, I think the “break-up due to family” trope was a little mediocre, so maybe it should’ve been done better.
Overall, I think Chetan has done a good job of writing the story but adapting it to fiction seemed a bit off and I think that the style needs a wee little bit of change. It’s a good book, but I wouldn’t certainly recommend it over other books.
I’m really surprised by this book. I was “warned” about reading Chetan and his book, so I was really critical when I started reading this one. First of all, I appreciate this book because unlike Five Point Someone or night @ the call center, this book is based off of real events and that Govind is a real legit man, TEAM INDIA CRICKET SHOP is a real legit shop and that Bittoo is a legit politician. None of these seem artificial, forced or otherwise, and so I like the characters slightly more than if it were not real.
I have read a lot of contemporary stories with political themes and other themes of this book. I wouldn’t say this one is better than other books such as Come Rain by Jai Nimbalkar or Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone, but this book especially stands out, and that is because this book is based off of real events and I feel that this book needs a different skill set than just writing contemporary, while still retaining the distinct catchy style. On the other hand, the book can be written better, tremendously better, but this is quite good, to be honest. I would say, that unlike some of the other good books I’ve read, there’s scope for improvement, but still being a wonderful read in its original form.
Govind is a young character full of maturity, and he’s the Spock of this book. Ish is really good and Omkar is decent. I had a little bit of complaint about Omkar and I did not find a complexity I expect in characters in him. Bittoo was pretty good too, Vidya was quiet well-written, but my favorite character and I think the main character of this book, Ali was amazing. The writing style is not the most beautiful or clean style, often has bad words, but it is simplistic enough to be read by anyone who knows Basic English. Although I think [this is a real book, but this is classified as fiction, so please cut me some slack] that the Ish-Govind split was a little forced and it seemed abrupt, I think it is okay, but that part could’ve been pulled off better. I liked the Govind-Vidya chemistry but then, I think the “break-up due to family” trope was a little mediocre, so maybe it should’ve been done better.
Overall, I think Chetan has done a good job of writing the story but adapting it to fiction seemed a bit off and I think that the style needs a wee little bit of change. It’s a good book, but I wouldn’t certainly recommend it over other books.
Wings of Fire: An Autobiography by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari
5.0
APJ Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) was a space scientist and former President of India. He has penned eleven books on topics including spirituality, education, science, technology, etc.
Today, I review his biography Wings of Fire, which is indeed the best nonfiction I’ve read.
I’m really surprised because unlike his other books, this seemed better in a literary sense. He is an excellent author with amazing content, but this is a comparatively better piece of literature than his other works. Wings of Fire does it nicely.
I haven’t read that many biographies to be honest, but I’ll say that this is creative non-fiction. Again, drawing from earlier praise of the prose, this book stands out because it does not become fiction while still being literarily written. Here, I have to mention the “writer” Arun Tiwari for his work in transcribing Kalam and his recollections in Wings of Fire.
On a lighter note, I enjoyed the formatting for the reason that it made it easy to read and it looked wonderful.
“Kalam is an epitome of a social protagonist,” is indeed true. He has had his flaws, but indeed, he is a wonderful human being.
He, teaches you in this book, albeit a little discreetly in this one, that you must question, adapt, and love what you do. He explains beautifully passion, commitment, and dedication and tries to boldly assert his way of life. And that is a wonderful thing that it teaches you.
It is an amazing book, and I will blindly go to say that- YOU MUST READ THIS.
Today, I review his biography Wings of Fire, which is indeed the best nonfiction I’ve read.
I’m really surprised because unlike his other books, this seemed better in a literary sense. He is an excellent author with amazing content, but this is a comparatively better piece of literature than his other works. Wings of Fire does it nicely.
I haven’t read that many biographies to be honest, but I’ll say that this is creative non-fiction. Again, drawing from earlier praise of the prose, this book stands out because it does not become fiction while still being literarily written. Here, I have to mention the “writer” Arun Tiwari for his work in transcribing Kalam and his recollections in Wings of Fire.
On a lighter note, I enjoyed the formatting for the reason that it made it easy to read and it looked wonderful.
“Kalam is an epitome of a social protagonist,” is indeed true. He has had his flaws, but indeed, he is a wonderful human being.
He, teaches you in this book, albeit a little discreetly in this one, that you must question, adapt, and love what you do. He explains beautifully passion, commitment, and dedication and tries to boldly assert his way of life. And that is a wonderful thing that it teaches you.
It is an amazing book, and I will blindly go to say that- YOU MUST READ THIS.