The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials #3) by Philip Pullman.

"An acceptable and bittersweet conclusion to the series but overall the book itself plodded along, any action that did take place fell flat and all emotions felt forced and out of character. I just wasn't thrilled with the book itself but the series overall was entertaining."

2 Stars

Pros: It was an acceptable conclusion, bittersweet but understandable.

Cons: I struggled through this novel. I think I wanted more things to happen and it was just a lot of getting from point A to point B/Asriel marshaling all his forces and such just all seemed to kind of peter out/Mary Malone acting "the Serpent" didn't seem to come to anything either.

Full Review:

With the cliff hanger ending of The Subtle Knife the reader is left desperate to know what happened to Lyra etc. Pullman takes care of it all but a lot of it feels forced. Mrs. Coulter's sudden desperate love for Lyra didn't make any sense, since she'd always been so cold and calculating before. Asriel is as indifferent as ever. And the people who actually care about Lyra are no longer players in the game.

A lot of the novel just seemed like it was going from one point to the other, getting Lyra and Will from Point A to Point B. Not much seemed to really happen and what did happen, all seemed kind of glazed over. It all just fell kind of flat and felt disjointed and rushed.

Overall, this was a good conclusion to the series. It was bittersweet, what had to happen, but in the end, you're left feeling a little sad but also hopeful. I think, in the end, this series was about innocence, how as children, we take what we have for granted and then as we grow older and realize we don't have it anymore, we're left reeling. It was a coming of age story and a story about growing up, which is never an easy thing. I enjoyed the series for what it was but I really struggled to get through the last book.

Comments

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

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