Book Review: The Stand by Stephen King

About the Book:

Image by Aphrodites Books 

Rating: Good (3.5/5 stars)

Pages: 1325

Released: 1979

Published by: New English Library

-information from Goodreads 

Synopsis:

A terrible plague named "Captain Trips" spreads through America like wildfire, killing all but a select number of people. These survivors start having dark and strange dreams warning them of the arrival of a dark man. This man is the Prince of Evil. As he gains more supporters in the west, can the other survivors prevent the Apocalypse that looms on the horizon? 

First Line:

"Sally."

Review:

I am in two minds about this book. On one hand I thought the pace of this book dragged overall but on the other hand the slow pace seemed to suit the story. As it portrayed the spreading of the plague and the time it took the characters to travel from one state to the other. The idea of a highly contagious and deadly disease that wipes out 99% of the human population on earth is a terrifying, thought in its own right. But Stephen King made that thought a horrible reality in The Stand. It was this emotional connection to the characters and the story that really made me enjoy The Stand. The different characters POV's allowed me to get to know a larger number of the characters, some of my favorites being Stu, Frannie and Tom Cullen. M-O-O-N that spells Tom Cullen. The only part of the book I had issues with was the climax of the novel, the final showdown between the protagonists and antagonist was so small you almost missed it. It was a bit anti-climatic as a good 1200+ pages were spent building up the inevitable showdown between good and evil and for it to come to a head in a blink of an eye, it was slightly disappointing. But even so, it was still an enjoyable read.      

Recommended Audience:

Anyone who's a fan of horror or Stephen King.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K Rowling

About the Book:

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

Book Six in the Harry Potter Series

Rating: Amazing (5/5 stars)

Pages: 607

Released: 2005

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

"It is the middle of summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the window panes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursley's house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine..." -blurb from the back of book  

First Line:

"It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind." 

Review:

My favorite of the Harry Potter books. This book is where the story between Harry and Lord Voldemort really kicks off. You learn the answers to some of the burning questions you've had since the start of the series. You learn a lot more about lots of the characters in this book, some of the things shocking and makes you question your thoughts/feelings towards them. This book is filled with the feels to its dramatic, frustrating, shocking, confusing, hilarious, and upsetting all rolled into one. The ending of this book leaves you in complete shock and disbelieve and leaves you wondering how the story will continue...  

Recommended Audience:

Everyone!

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

About the Book:

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

Book Seven in the Harry Potter series

Rating: Amazing (5/5 stars)

Pages: 607

Released: 2007

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads 

Synopsis:

"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of Pheonix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfill the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him?" 

 - blurb from back of book

First Line:

"The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow moonlit line."

Review:

A perfect end to a fantastic series. Finally, you learn the whole truth about Harry and Lord Voldemort but there are plenty of dramatic twists along the way. All lose ends where tied up and you finished the book being satisfied and all your questions where answered. The only annoying thing is you still want to continue with the characters and know what their lives were like after the book finished. J.K Rowling does address several characters futures in the Nineteen Years Later chapter at the end but you still want to know more. All in all, I've never finished a series feeling quite as content with the way it ended as I did with this series.

Recommended Audience:

Everyone.