Princess Ben

Princess Ben Summary [Courtesy of powells.com]: Benevolence is not your typical princess and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to unknown assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia, who is intent on marrying her off to the first available “specimen of imbecilic manhood.” Starved and miserable, locked in the castles highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire . . . But Bens private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat facing the castle and indeed the entire country. Can Princess Ben save her kingdom from annihilation and herself from permanent enslavement?

Review: all right Princess Ben...what to say...this book was completely up and down for me. There were parts where I was thoroughly enjoying myself and others where I was bored. The beginning (as mentioned before) was intriguing and captivating but the second chapter throws you into something different and into a boring explanation of her country. It starts exciting then gets boring. Much of the first part of the book (the book is divided into four parts that Ben taglines wittily) was boring to me. All she did was whine and eat and behave like a childish little brat whose pride got the best of their rationality. The second part, where she finally finds magic, was fun and interesting. She could actually do something besides whine! Then the third part was decent, nothing amazing, but certainly not too boring. The final part was…all right, again a mix of good and bad. It was good up until the ending, which was rushed and had a distinct air (I believe) of duex de machina.(A term used in Greek theatre that meant that a solution to the problem came just miraclously [or about that definiton])

The characters in Princess Ben were fairly fleshed out. Ben was a typical teenage girl, who just happened to be the crown princess. She won’t tolerate being told what to do (especially when she doesn’t want to do it in the first place), she eats away her problems and grief, and she has spouts of irrationality that stubbornness blocks everything else out. Queen Sophia is a powerful ruler and strict care-taker but ultimately, knows what she’s doing. Florian...was very Prince Charming like, a bit too much for my taste. He and Ben hated each other for the whole third and fourth part of the book and then at the end of the fourth part, he suddenly loves her.

The ending really did it for me. It all seems to happily ever after. Suddenly out of nowhere the problem is resolved in a moment’s notice. The conflict that has been happening the entire book. Out of nowhere life was practically perfect for Princess Ben and her kingdom. It didn’t seem real and seemed completely rushed to me.

The concept is amazing, by the way, just I don’t think Catherine Murdock did a good job executing it. It could’ve been great, instead it sort of just looks like a big mess.

Rating: 2.5/5 it wasn’t terrible for sure...but the book was too much of a rollercoaster and the ending was too rushed. Concept gets five stars though, and Ben is a solid 4 (her narrative voice could use a little work). Overall the book was slightly enjoyable.

Reviews from the pros:

“Murdock's first venture into fantasy offers a fairy tale with several twists and surprises, and readers will be drawn into the world and moods that she creates.” –school Library Journal

“The wild adventure, intricately imagined setting, memorable characters, and romance will charm readers, especially fans of Gail Carson Levine’s Fairest (2006).”-Booklist, starred review


~She Who Reads A Lot

The Hunger Games

Summary: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keep the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she become a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review: Okay so by my own little policy, I try not to read two books at once because it gets confusing. However, this time I made an exception... I started Princess Ben but the Hunger Games was taunting me. I’d bought it months ago simply on the basis that I’d heard it was amazing. It’d been sitting up on my bookshelf for what seemed like months—and Princess Ben was confusing me---so I caved and took it down. I started it Thursday and was done by Sunday night. I took it out to my cottage and literally it came down to my father pulling it out of my hands as the boat got going telling me if I didn't put the damn book away it would be waterlogged. Every time I put it down my fingers itched to get back into the story, constantly wondering what was going to happen. Basically all I’d heard about the book was beyond true.

Panem reminded me of a twisted Rome—after Caesar takes over. The Hunger Games are much like gladiator fights, only much more cruel. Let me tell you Panem is not a pleasant place to be. The Capitol literally takes young children from their parents and for 23 of those children (ranging from 12 to 18) it’s a death sentence for out of the 24 tributes taken only one will return alive. The Hunger Games are a way of reminding the districts that the Capitol could kill them all at a minutes notice. It’s a terrible frightening world to even think about.

Unless you live in the Capitol life in Panem basically, to put it bluntly, sucks. People of the districts scavenge for food to even live. Katniss Everdeen, from district 12, only survives by breaking the law and hunting in the woods. She lives for her sister, so when Prim's (her sister) name is pulled out of the bowl to compete in the Hunger Games Katniss doesn’t even think when she volunteers herself in her place.

It's hard for me to say what makes this book so amazing, because its so many things! It could be the characters. Katniss is a well-written heroine with a temper and awesome aim who you will be rooting for the entire time. Peeta is a lovable sweet boy who you can’t help but love. It could be the writing. It's funny and witty, but at the same time has this sense of urgency to it. It makes the world seem so real. (By the way this book just screams movie! So I hope that’s in the works...)
Basically it was fantastic. You need to go read it, like, now.

Rating: 5/5 Simply a fantastic addictive book.

Reviews from the Pros:

"What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. "They're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet," she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch."
--Publishers Weekly, Megan Whalen Turner, STARRED REVIEW


"...brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced...a futuristic novel every bit as good and as allegorically rich as Scott Westerfeld's 'Uglies' books."
--The New York Times, John Green


“...enthralling, imaginative and creepy...”
--Los Angeles Times


"Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator."
--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW


"[A] plot-driven blend of suspense, science fiction, and romance."
--USA Today,

"The plot is front and center here—the twists and turns are addictive, particularly when the romantic subplot ups the ante—yet the Capitol’s oppression and exploitation of the districts always simmers just below the surface, waiting to be more fully explored in future volumes. Collins has written a compulsively readable blend of science fiction, survival story, unlikely romance, and social commentary."
--Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW


"Populated by three dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance."
--Booklist, STARRED REVIEW


"Themes of government control, "big brother," and personal independence are explored amidst a thrilling adventure that will appeal to science fiction, survival, and adventure readers. The suspense of this powerful novel will keep the reader glued to the page long after bedtime."
--VOYA, Deborah L. Dubois


"Impressive world-building, breathtaking action and clear philosophical concerns make this volume, the beginning of a planned trilogy, as good as The Giver and more exciting."
--Kirkus