The Time Will Come #8

The Time Will Come is weekly meme hosted by Jodie at Books For Company where we highlight books that we've maybe had for a while now- we really want to read them but never seem to get around to them. This feature is perfect for me 'cause I've got lots!

I was eagerly anticipating the release of Girl in the Arena when it was published in paperback back in September and had pre-ordered it after hearing lots of good things about it. Since then it has been sitting unread on my shelf, but I still think it looks really good, and hopefully I'll get around to reading it fairly soon. This book isn't published in the UK yet so I have the US copy- this book probably isn't very well known outside the US. Has anyone read it yet? Some parts of it sound similar to The Hunger Games, and I love the tough girl character. Plus I really love the cover!

Synopsis from Goodreads:
It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena





Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

From the back of the book:
The Fans all went wild. So did the Paparazzi. But her father wound up dead, killed in the arena on one of the biggest fight nights of the year. And by gladiator rules, Lyn is forced to marry her father's killer. Unless she fights him herself...

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


4.5 stars


Delirium is set in a futuristic world where love is considered a disease, and everyone over 18 is sent for a brain procedure to be cured of the ability to love. The people in society are therefore logical and cold and they go to their work and raise their children in soulless family units. Romeo and Juliet is taught in schools as a cautionary tale.


Lena is an orphan, raised by her aunt since her mother killed herself for refusing to stop loving her children. In this horrifying new world mothers don't hug their children, or play with them and Lena's memories of her mother are of them playing games or dancing in secret. Lena was told her mother killed herself after the cure didn't work, and Lena is desperate to turn 18 and be cured to save herself from future pain, and to rid herself of the stigma that has haunted her family for having a family member who was "infected". The whole world-building was fantastic, and such a scary concept. I loved the idea that both factions thought the other was in the wrong. Crazy people don't know they're crazy they think they're normal. Neither side could understand who was wrong- the rebels living outside the city refusing to be turned, or the cold citizens who have been "cured"- who think the others have a brain sickness.


Just months before her procedure Lena meets Alex, who has never been cured and has spent time living in the wilds with the rebels. Lena and Alex's relationship develops steadily and believably, and I loved seeing the development of Lena's character- from a steady girl who cannot wait to get the cure and be safe- into a defiant, strong person who will do anything to avoid living the lie. Delirium is set in a time of oppression and tyranny, where people live cold, logical lives, are forbidden to travel and have to read books or listen to music that is on the approved list, and it was great to see Lena become a stronger and braver person and start to fight against everything. Lena and Alex have great chemistry and you find yourself reading and hoping for a positive ending that just seems impossible. Their secret meetings were such a refreshing relief from the harsh society they were rebelling against- rules and raids, and all the connections in this were so positive. Lena also has her best friend and running partner Hanna, which is also a great relationship and her sweet little cousin Grace, showing us that the different types of love are what makes Lena's life so special.


What I absolutely love about the writing in this book (and in Oliver's debut novel Before I Fall) is the constant insertion of little anecdotes or memories, that really help to describe the feeling of the moment, and also fleshes out the characters giving them a whole history and making them feel more real. All the description is full of little similies and makes the writing really lyrical. This is why I think I would automatically want to read this author writes in the future regardless of what it is about.


Delirium is an emotional read that will stick with you long after you've finished. I loved this, and am eagerly anticipating the sequel.




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Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3.5 stars


Finnikin of the Rock is a sweeping fantasy story set in another world of kingdoms, princesses, warriors, magic and curses.


The story is set in the prosperous kingdom of Lumatere, where Finnikin as a child plays with his friend Prince Balthazar and they plan their futures- Balthazar as King and Finnikin as head of the guard. But during what they call "the 5 days of the unspeakable" the kingdom is attacked, the royal family is murdered and replaced with an imposter king, and a curse is put on the kingdom which traps half the citizens inside Lumatere under a tyrannical reign, and half the citizens outside, left to wander the other kingdoms as exiles. Years later, Finnikin now a young man is travelling the kingdoms as an ambassador for Lumatere with his guardian and mentor Sir Topher and trying to negotiate a patch of land so that the scattered exiles of Lumatere can live together united and try to rebuild. This is when he meets Evanjalin- a determined young woman who believes that the curse can be fought and they can return to Lumatere to fight the imposter king, reunite their people and reclaim their homeland. This book is full of twists and turns, unexpected revelations and a developing romance.


My favourite aspect of the story is the author's ability to really "get" human emotions and focus on the important aspects of the feelings and interactions between others. She is describing a people suffering tragedy after tragedy and still finding hope and love - people who still love each other after years and kingdoms apart. I really liked the description in the book- and how a glance or a touch of the hand could say more about the character's feelings than stating it explicitly. The main characters speak to each other with just the right amount of humour and snarkiness. This wasn't a story about war and politics, but humanity, sorrow and the power of belief. Desiny versus choice, and finding your identity and belonging.


My mistake was probably in getting the audiobook version. Although I enjoyed the story, I sometimes found myself a little lost among all the unfamiliar names and words and the description of the politics of the kingdoms, which I had forgotten everything about by the time I next came to listen to it again- and it is impossible to refer back in a story that you are listening to.


I agonised over what rating to give this book because it is not a bad book- it is excellent actually, and the kind of thing that I would have loved reading about 4/5 years ago, but I think my reading preferences have changed over time, and I just couldn't enthuse over this book as I thought it deserved. Recommended though for anyone who loves a good fantasy story about war, love, hope, magic, tragedy, revenge and loyalty.




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Finnikin of the Rock book trailer - US

Book trailer for Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.  Read my review here

Books into movies- your thoughts

A lot of what has been showing in the cinema recently is not a new idea but an adaptation of a book. What do you think about books being made into films? Are the books always better? Books are able to go into so much more detail, and you get an insight into what the character is thinking and feeling. Do you prefer to be able to picture the setting and the character's faces yourself, or is it easier to be shown the director's vision on screen?

But would such books as Harry Potter or the Twilight series have taken off quite like they did without the films? Do films sometimes promote the book better than anything else could have? Encourage even more people to pick up your favourite books and give them a read- do films create more exposure for the books that might otherwise be ignored?

Film production is rumoured for some of my favourite books- The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments series, the Vampire Academy series, L. A Weatherley's Angel- and I'm scared that the film will ruin the book for me- as obviously the film version has to cut so much out, and it is never quite as you pictured it. I'll still have to go and watch it- but I know it won't be the same. Look at what happened to some books when it's not done right- Inkheart, The Northern Lights, Eragon, How to Train Your Dragon- All fantastic books, but all really bad films!

I'm half-excited and half-tense about the upcoming releases of Beastly and the final Harry Potter (will the film version do them justice?!).

What do you think? Do you love it or hate it when books are adapted for cinema? Are there any films that you thought were better than the book? Are there any books that you would love to see made into a film? Let me know! Comments below!

Also, there is a poll on the sidebar, don't forget to vote  Poll Closed