Bek's Reads | Book Review #4 | My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

WOW.

I was introduced to this title a looooong time ago. I honestly don't remember whether it was in Primary or Secondary school when I was introduced to it. I don't know why I didn't pick it up then, but I wish I had read it sooner, because man. That was one of the best fiction stories I've read.

I'm not going to spoil it too much by going into too much detail. But the way Picoult writes from each characters' perspective is insane. She really draws the reader into the character's shoes. When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be not that great, considering other books that I've read which switch perspectives throughout the story have often been really confusing and detracts from the reader's experience of the story. But Picoult manages to draw you in to be part of the story. You really start to feel like how the character would feel. It was hard to just read a few chapters and then put down the book.

I also love it when the story ends with something that is not cliche. What I thought was going to happen certainly did not happen. Instead, an alternate of what I thought would happen ended up being the end of the story line.

There were a few things that I did not like though. I realised that although this story does take place within a short time frame with some throwbacks to some other time in the characters' lives, I didn't really like that it felt a bit rushed towards the end. There were some parts which would have been nice to have a little bit more details about as it really leaves you wondering, and I don't think in a good way, e.g. a cliffhanger. Some details would have made a bit more sense to the story line.

However, despite this flaw (if I may call it that), I really did enjoy the story throughout.
If you're looking for a story that evokes different types of emotions all in one go, My Sister's Keeper is definitely one which you should go for.

Bek's Reads | Book Review #3 | Blind Faith by Ben Elton

Elton presents a dystopia which might become a reality if we are not careful with how we live. It is a captivating story which engages the reader and can hook you every step of the way. The way he writes the descriptions in the narrative almost leaves no room for your own imagination. But rightly so as he tries to paint a specific kind of society in the reader's mind. The book not only serves as entertainment but also causes the reader to think about how we are running the world in this current day and age. It serves as a warning of what we might become.

It's hard to not give away any spoilers, so I'm writing just a short review. All I can say is that by the end of the book, I'm wishing there was a sequel to this book because I want to know what happens next! I had bought it during a time when I had lots of spare time and wanted to get into reading fiction again, but in the end had it sitting on my bookshelf for a few years before actually reading it this year. I wish I had read it earlier because it was such an enjoyable book.

Note: This book is not suitable for young readers.

Bek's Reads | Book Review #2 | INGREDIENT by Ali Bouzari

The tagline of the book is certainly an apt one!
(Photo of actual cover of my copy be me)

Where do I begin? I love everything about this book. I love it so much, I'm quite speechless! It caught my eye on the bookshelf in the bookstore. Opening up the sample, I knew that I would enjoy reading it. Being a bit of a foodie myself, and always inquisitive about how stuff works, I was thrilled to learn about the science behind the food that we eat, the methods of cooking that we use everyday and for special occasions. How I wish textbooks at uni were this fun!

The author is a brilliant food scientist who has a gift for translating technical language into everyday language. Even though I knew the scientific terms of what he was trying to explain, reading about those terms in simple, plain, everyday language was really helpful. It helped to reinforce what I had already learned before.

You don't have to be an expert in food at all to read this book. You just need a curiosity for how it all works. Ali explains how each essential ingredient in our food works, like how food gets its taste, its structure, its aroma, etc. I'd be giving too much away if I say much more!

To reinforce each concept, there are beautifully illustrated examples of the respective concepts, followed by really professionally captured photographs of food to reiterate the concepts. They're so prettttyyyyyy!!!! 😍😍😍 A lot of the examples are used in the home. You can even put some of the things you have learned into practice and experiment with the food you have in your fridge and/or pantry!

This book has certainly added to my knowledge of how food works. I say well done to the team behind Ali who worked really hard on the book. They have done an excellent job on presenting a topic that can be quite complex in a simple manner.

If you have the chance to pick the book up from a physical or online bookstore, I highly recommend it!

Bek's Reads | Book Review #1 | THE AMATEURS by Sara Shepard

I'm an avid fan of mysteries. I grew up reading Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Famous Five, Five Find Outers and a few less common titles. I hadn't picked up a mystery novel in a long time. However, this one caught my eye when I visited a bookshop recently. I picked it up and read the synopsis. It sounded intriguing which made me want to open it up and read it. Unfortunately, it was wrapped. So I took the chance and bought it.

Once I pick up a book, it's hard for me to put it down. But amidst the weekend shenanigans, I managed to finish it over a weekend. I'm sure if I read it straight through without stopping, I would have finished it in less than a day. Well, for one, I am quite a fast reader. But also, it was only three-hundred plus pages long. Not too long for a story book.

I didn't have too many expectations for this book as this was the first young adult mystery book I've ever read (yeah, I know... like WHAT!? I stopped reading fiction books for awhile, okay?). I'm very pleased to say that I have been pleasantly surprised by the level of my enjoyment of the story. I'll try not to spoil anything, in case you would like to read it yourself.

The story adopts a multiple point-of-view concept, where each chapter is from the perspective of a different character in the story. The chapters are rotated among the main characters of the story. Although it's not mentioned who is speaking in the chapter, the reader will quickly find out whose perspective they are reading from within the first few sentences. I had my doubts at first, because switching between so many characters can become very confusing for the reader if not written well. However, the author's adept writing skills showed through the readability throughout the novel and my doubts quickly dissipated.

The story is told in quite a realistic manner. I very much enjoyed the pace of the story. Where you would expect the events to roll by quickly, it did. And when it was supposed to be slow - meaning more detail expected - it was very much so. The story carries the reader along with it, and you get to play detective as well, trying to figure out whodunit. I appreciate that it was well thought out, unlike some other stories where the beginning starts out way too slow, and then everything seems to happen way too quickly after that, as if the author was running out of word quota or pages to write on. Information of the case is given out as if it were playing out in real time and it makes the reader feel very much as if they were part of that story as well. Feelings of characters seemed realistic as well, and I could personally feel connected to each of them as they were allowed to tell a bit of their stories during their respective chapters. In my opinion, this story was so realistically written that it could probably pass as a real-live event. Characters don't go through "happily ever afters" that we see in the movies. Events happen as in real life - some end happy, some end otherwise. Emotions are expertly expressed through the writing. I found myself often time throughout the time I was reading it wanting to comfort the distraught characters, celebrate with their wins and mourn their losses.

In a world full of unpredictability, it's always nice to have some predictability, especially in a fictional story. But I was pleasantly surprised that I did not get that at the end. I loved the fact that I did not really see the end coming (or is it my dwindling detective skills??), instead it left with a cliffhanger, leaving the reader longing for more. Thank God this is a series and there are two more books to this series, as I later found out. I would very much like to get the second and the third book to see how each character develops across time. Oh yes, that's another plus. The character development is excellently expressed. Each character has their own unique personality which develops in different directions across time. No one ends up in the same place. Everyone is still trying to find themselves, just like in real life - I love it.

Despite some explicit language and sensual descriptions of romantic encounters (as most young adult novels have anyway), I very much enjoyed myself reading this novel throughout. Great job to the author who has me hungry for more of the story and wanting to get to know the characters a lot better.

I give the book a rating of DEFINITELY RECOMMEND for those mystery novel enthusiasts out there. The book is available on Book Depository's website (accessed May 2019) and they deliver worldwide.