Turtles All The Way Down - John Green

So, I finished Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. It was such a good read, I couldn't put it down and managed to read it in just 4 hours! It was really captivating having the mystery of Davis' father alongside Aza finding herself and coming to terms with her mental illness (OCD). It was a great coming of age novel that showed an insight into a teenager dealing with a mental illness in their day to day life and the restrictions it causes.

The way the novel was written meant that I couldn't put the book down, and I wanted to know what had happened to Davis' dad, how Aza was going to push herself and if she was going to end up with Davis, and what was going to happen to her best friend. All in all, I think Green really captured me with this book because of the plot, and the fact it started with a few mysteries that I wanted to find the answer to. The way that the mystery of Davis' dad intertwined with Aza's storyline, and brought them together was so beautiful and interesting.

 The whole novel I was rooting for Davis and Aza to end up together, and I think that Green really managed to tug on my heart strings by letting them be together but having Aza struggle because of her OCD, and I wanted Davis' to be able to understand and help her, but at the same time I think they both managed to help each other in so many ways whether they ended up together or not.

If you want a good read that you will not be able to put down, and will have you smiling but also make your heart ache, then this is the book. Watching Aza almost grow up in such a short amount of time, and from her perspective too, gives the proper insight into what it is like to be her, and allows you to perceive the characters the same way she does, which means you as the reader get so invested.

I rate this book a solid 8/10, and would recommend to anyone who wants a short but heartfelt book that will make you feel so many things. The plot twists and major events really captivate you and you will not regret reading it!

Welcome & Review of The Bunker Diary - Kevin Brooks

Hi there! Welcome to my blog Amelia's Reading Corner. I created this blog not only because a close friend recommended it to me but also because I thought it would be a great way for me to review the many books I read, as so many people I try to talk to about books just don't seem to understand. I am an English literature student at sixth form, and have loved reading books for as long as I can remember and so this finally gives me a way to hone in on my essay skills as well as have a place to talk about the books I read. As I read books often it is likely I will be posting often all about the books I read and other recommendations I may have. 

I recently bought a hoard of books from Amazon, although I'm trying to swap books with friends and buy more from smaller bookstores and charity shops, and I have managed to read quite a few of them. One of the ones I recently finished was, as the title tells you, The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks. It is possibly one of my favourite books, purely because every time I read it I never fail to get wrapped up in the story. I read this book first when I was around 14, when I borrowed it from my school library, and I remember reading up on it and wanting my own copy as I was just so so fascinated by it. The book is essentially about Linus, who is kidnapped by this odd man who pretends to be blind to lure him in. This odd man then takes him to this underground bunker where Linus then figures out that there are 5 more people to come due to the other 5 rooms. His plan from the start is how to escape, and as more civilians are kidnapped and brought down, they all join in the fight, the question is, how successful are they?

From the start you are completely captivated as Brooks leaves out so much valuable information about each character, which makes you wonder what they're hiding and why the 'man upstairs' chose them. Your mind will whir with questions all the way through, like why did he choose them? What does he want with them? Are they ever going to get out? and the best part is some of these questions never get answered, which leaves you by the end of the book with your brain in overdrive trying to figure it out. I found it very interesting that Brooks chose not to disclose certain information from the reader, especially by using the characters personalities to do this. It leaves you wanting to know so much about them, but also creates such a distance and impersonal relationship with them. As the novel goes on, this impersonal relationship causes your reaction to somethings to be entirely different compared to if you as the reader knew more about the characters. The only character you really sympathise with is Linus as the novel is from his point of view in the diary, and we learn more about him than anyone else. We learn things about his personal life that he clearly has not told anyone else, and so we as the reader feel closer to him and are affected more when things happen to him.

I love this novel because it makes you question the cruelty and selfishness of other people even when in situations of pressure. I think the novel reveals how selfish some people can truly be, i think it also pushes the question to you as the reader that when you're in a situation of your life or someone else's, who's are you going to choose? And through quite a few characters in the novel you will find that they would choose themselves, and they do. I would definitely recommend this book to all Young Adult and teen readers. It's a mix of horror and crime, but puts the perfect balance of the two. It's such an easy read too, and I managed to read it in 4 hours. It is so captivating that you won't want to put it down, but is easy enough to read and follow, which is what makes it so good.

I would for sure rate this book 8/10, as I feel it is so captivating and fun to read, and will keep you on the edge of your seat, but the only thing that stops it from being a 10/10 is the fact that it's so quick to read, and doesn't necessarily give you the satisfaction you want at the end of the book. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and comment any recommendations you have, also look out for my next review, which will be Turtles all the way down by John Green!