I first read this book in Middle School and strongly disliked it. After reading more of Bradbury works as an adult I wondered why I would have disliked this novel. Bradbury is a genius writer, and it is no wonder that he is one of the great Science Fiction authors that have made it a bit mainstreamed.

Yet, I still strongly dislike this book. My main issues is that it is written like a collection of short stories that coincide. Yet at time the stories completely contradict themselves. The first few stories descriptions of the Martians is vastly different than at the end. If there is an explanation for why there were cities modeled after Earth, or why some cities were destroyed thousands of years before humans traveled to Earth, yet we are responsible for their animation. Then Martians transform into some mystic aboriginal species who knows the mysteries of the universe. Yet in the beginning they were annoying, self centered, and bureaucratic.

Bradbury is a brilliant writer. Yet, the way this collection combines leaves me less than satisfied as a reader.

The Kindle version of the book is no longer available. However, I had purchased it prior to it being taken off Amazon. The link in the book is longer supported.

The pictures themselves look interesting. They are all Christian based heavily influenced with crosses, Jesus, and Virgin Mary - so what I would think of as very Catholic based. The pictures look like they would be fun to color.

Alice in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll
Rating ****(4 stars)
As Posted at The Book Recluse Review


The story of Alice in Wonderland is everywhere. It has been made into multiple movies, is consistently referenced, and even has play adaptations. Everyone seems to know the story by heart. Then I realized that I had actually never read to book. Of course I had to change that.

Alice in Wonderland is a coming of age story. It is about having to put away the fantasy of youth and grow up. The message is not at all subtle in the story. Alice even berates herself several times for not growing up. Yet while she is coming of age while in a fantasy adventure.

My favorite part of the story is at the very end. Alice rehearses her "dream" to her older sister. Alice's sister than gets to rejoin the fantasy of youth for a brief time before coming back to the responsibility of adulthood.

The tale is simple, it is a children's story. It is not a very long book, yet the very complexities in the plot make it entertaining for all ages. Even though the storyline has been rehashed and mutilated many times in our modern culture, everyone should go back to the original source and read this book.

The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Page Length - 204
Genres - Children's Chapter Book, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Have you ever had a book that was so wonderfully written that you were completely engrossed in the characters?

Yet . . . at the same time you see the story unfolding and you want to scream.

No that is not the way it is suppose to be!
Why would he ever make such a choice?
Why go through all the drama if the end result is the same?

The Giver is a dystopian novel about a society who has given up memories in exchange for sameness. They have even managed to eliminate color. Yet, one person has to hold the memories for the entire society. When he or she gets old, a new person is chosen to train in his or her place.

The idea is a classic dystopian plot. The word combinations are brilliant. The characters are so real they may have come to life. Yet the ending left me wondering why.

The great plan that is devised makes absolutely no sense. The second book in the series does not provide explanation, rather a whole different plot.

Yet any novel that can bring about this much turmoil must be one of the great. I love Lois Lowry as an author. The Giver is a must read – even though I do not know if I will ever be able to come to terms with the ending.

As Published at The Book Recluse Reviews