Name of the Wind – Review

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5/5

I sincerely wish I would have found this book right about now instead of 4 or 5 years ago.
Any Rothfuss fan knows the pain of waiting for book 3.
However, onto the review:
Without trying to sound like a total and complete fanboy, this is the best book I have ever laid eyes on. I have never read a book with richer characters as well as solid and definable character development.
Many readers main complain of the book is that the lead man Kvothe is the stereotypical flawless character that’s ridden over all of the fantasy genre. This is a very misplaced complaint given the fact that Kvothe is one of the most flawed characters in literature. Through the 2 current books out now, he continuously makes mistakes that put him compromising positions. He’s smart, cunning and has a temper as red as his hair.
The side characters Wil and Sim provide a decent support to Kvothe while I do wish there was a little more detail, history and involvement from them. However these stories are ultimately about Kvothe. The love interest… Is a frustrating one, but what book that has a love interest isn’t frustrating?
Part of me wants to love Denna as much as Kvothe loves her but the other half wants to dislike her quite strongly. Over the span of this novel (and the next) so little is known about her as well as Kvothe’s progress as far as becoming a lover. It’s harder to become attached to a character that you continuously know so little about. However I can sympathize with Kvothe’s undying love for a lovely and mysterious girl.
Rothfuss is an artist and a magician in the words he weaves to create such a beautiful story with a character you want so badly to win – but anyone who’s made it further than 50 pages will know this trilogy is that of a tragedy.
If you are a fan of fantasy or even if you aren’t because I am certainly not a fan of fantasy, check this book out.
Find out who Kvothe, Kote, Reshi, the Bloodless is.

Thank you for reading
Zac Zinn

June 1, 2015June 1, 2015 by Zac Zinn Categories: Books, Review, WritingTags: book review, epic fantasy, fantasy, game of thrones, literature, novel, Patrick Rothfuss, review Leave a comment

Park & Eleanor – Review

4/5
Yesterday I finished this fine story. It took me a few days to read it and I’m hear now to tell you all fine folk about it.
The book is about a Korean teen named Park and an American girl living in a house of abuse named Eleanor.
They begin seeing each other on the bus to and from school although they don’t say a word to each other. As you can guess from the back cover of the book, a romance begins between them that is genuine, unique and believable rather than stories by… John Green.
The story thrived on convincing dialogue and a wide range of diverse characters from parents to other schoolmates.
It is more than easy to sympathize with Eleanor’s terrible home life, but not too much that you feel the writer saying “do you feel sorry for her yet?”
Both characters show obvious flaws which help the story’s realism.
The only weak point was about 3/4 the way through when the story started repeating itself and slowed the plotline. Luckily, Rainbow Rowell moves it on from there and the story continues on pace for a fitting ending.
For teenage romance stories go, consider this. And if you mind foul language, avoid it because it’s a book that shows how real people talk.

Also, Dreamworks is in the process of making a movie!

Thank you for reading
Zac Zinn

March 11, 2015March 11, 2015 by Zac Zinn Categories: Books, family, literature, novels, ReviewTags: book reviews, books, creative writing, Eleanor and park, rainbow rowell, reviews, Writing Leave a comment

Show & Tell

It’s show and tell time boys and girls!
What’s your favorite book and why?
Let us know in the comments why you love this one book more than the rest.

Mine is The Name of the Wind. I’m in love with this book because I don’t like fantasy books yet, this story captivates me each time I read it. Patrick Rothfuss is a master of words who weaves them together into something beautiful.

Now it’s your turn!

Thank you for reading
Zac Zinn

February 17, 2015February 17, 2015 by Zac Zinn Categories: Books, Horror, inspirational, life, literature, Love, novels, Review, WritingTags: books, community, fantasy, favorite, literature, novels, Patrick Rothfuss, romance, science fiction, show and tell 2 Comments

The Fault In Our Literature (Stars)

Let’s talk about a book. Let’s talk about a book that is unfortunately very popular. In fact, it is so popular, it’s been made into a movie.
No, it’s not Twilight.
It’s The Fault In Our Stars – by John Green.
This book is the fault in our literature.
I picked this book up hearing pretty good things about it. After reading the inside cover and thinking it was pretty ideal for me since I am a sucker for generally sadder books, I bought it.
Let me tell you that I tore through this book in a very short period of time. When I was finished, to be quite honest I was confused. Throughout the entire book I didn’t understand what I was reading. It should have been called How to write the most depressing piece of “literature.”
But it’s not. It’s been read by millions and hailed by readers and critics that this is an amazing piece of writing. I’m here to tell you that it’s not.
Spoilers are abounding…
The characters are not likable at all.
Hazel Grace, the most likable trait about her is the fact that she has cancer. The sympathy card only lasts for so long. She meets a boy named Augustus Waters at a support meeting for cancer patients. It’s love at first sight. Augustus who is in remission, has lost a leg to cancer. He keeps a cigarette with him at all times in an act of defiance of cancer/death. It’s garbage like this that makes the book so hard to like. Who keeps a cigarette between their ear and head in a cheesy, pointless attempt to defy death? The pure character of Augustus is one of a self-righteous douchebag. I’m sorry but there’s no other way to put it. He’s arrogant, but at the same time literally perfect – just as Hazel is. Everyone is just faultless (pun). They’re just so perfect for each other.
Isaac is a side character who unfortunately, is also not likeable simply due to the fact that he is the most depressing part of the book. He has one eye. Let me restate this. He has one eye. He has cancer in his eyes.
So the theme in this book is – everything bad that can happen will, in the saddest way possible. That’s why this book is an embarrassment to literature. It’s not a book. It’s a lovely dovey snuff film made into a fictional words.
Hazel has the opportunity to go across the world with Augustus to meet her favorite writer. This writer had been the center of her dreams to meet. When they meet him, he is an absurd drunk who is as offensive to them as possible. He makes fun of them for having cancer and pretty much ruins their trip. Then there is the part with Augustus and Hazel making out on the steps of Anne Frank’s house – because that’s totally cool and not offensive at all. The most outrageous part about it was that bystanders clapped and applauded them. This is why the characters are so awful. They do whatever they want because they have cancer and think it’s justified. So I guess in that light – they are perfect for each other.
So during this horrible and depressive trip, it’s announced that Augustus’ cancer came back. But it more than just came back. It’s literally everywhere. So what happens? Hazel who had cancer the entire time lives, Augustus dies in a terribly slow way. Isaac had his other eye removed and his girlfriend broke up with him.
The end.

People think that because this book made them sad makes it a good book. Literature is not defined by how sad it makes you. That’s all this book does. It created the worse set of characters in the most depressing scenario and John Green yelled at every reader – “ARE YOU SAD YET?”

The worst part about all of this is I wrote a book about a teenager with cancer years ago. When I explain the story to any interested reader, I have to hear the question “Oh so it’s like Fault In Our Stars.”
No. It’s not.
I don’t write this from a high place thinking I’m such a great writer because I’m not. But when I see garbage being called gold, I get upset.
Rant – over.
Thanks for reading and do yourself a favor and don’t read this book.

January 5, 2015 by Zac Zinn Categories: literature, novels, ReviewTags: bad writing, Fault in our stars, novel, novels, review, Writing Leave a comment