oh, the places i've been!
This post has both fanfic recs and a book review! I feel so accomplished. This is the first book review posted to thingsoncesaid, and I hope you like it!
These recs are kind of old (there are no new, brilliantly done Supernatural fics that I can find, so if you have any, tell me), but totally worth the read (or re-read!).
Enjoy! ♥
fandoms:
Supernatural (Wincest & Destiel)
Title: The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester
Author:
everysecondtuesday
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Rating: R
Summary: Angelic marriage rites were never intended to go quite like this.
Notes: There aren't words for what this fic made me feel. It's so completely them. It's one of those must-reads, so go, go!
Read it here!
Title: Smitten
Author: fleshflutter
Pairing: Sam/Michael (Sam/Dean if you squint hard enough)
Rating: PG
Summary: For all that Michael was the fearsome general of the angelic troops, Sam was finding it a little hard to take him seriously.
Notes: This. THIS. It's almost borderline crack, but I still adore it so. Michael, in love with Sam. It's perfect, and I love how fleshflutter characterized Michael. Plus, Michael's a pretty-pretty princess.
Read it here!
Title: Oh, it is love
Author: fleshflutter
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13(ish)
Summary: In the time it takes for Sam to roll over and burrow his head deeper under Dean's arm, lips brushing the soft skin of Dean's side in a butterfly kiss, Dean goes from mostly asleep to completely freaking out.
Notes: I love the INCEST siren Dean has installed. No, really, this fic is really funny and so heartbreakingly adorable that I almost can't stand it. Actually, nearly all of fleshflutter's fics are like that.
Read it here!
Title: Spoils
Author: astolat
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Sam, Sammy," Dean was saying, somewhere between sobbing and laughter, wild with it, and Sam was just clutching at him, shaking; they were on their knees together. Bobby looked away and rubbed the back of his hand across his face, pretending his eyes weren't smarting.
Notes: Gah. This is just so. Just go. Now.
Read it here!
Title: A Bit of a Pickle
Author: cherie_morte
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Dean Winchester is trying to woo his brother. Things are not going well.
Notes: This is just absolute perfection. I wish I could write a better rec than just these little bits of "GO NOW", but the emotions.
Read it here!
-----------------------------------
genre:
dystopian YA
Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Year Published: October 2010
ISBN: 978-0-385-73794-4
Brief Summary: Thomas wakes up to find himself in a box. When he reaches the top, he is pulled out by a group of boys who pull him out into their surroundings. The only thing he remembers is his name, nothing else.
Thomas learns that all these boys live in a place called the Glade. The Glade is surrounded by tall, stone walls with four massive openings (also referred to as doors) in the center of each wall. These doors close each night to protect them from the monsters that live beyond the Glade's walls. The monsters live in a place called the Maze which lies outside of the walls around the Glade. These monsters are called Grievers and attempt to sting the Gladers. If the Gladers get stung, they undergo the Changing, a painful process which people can survive if given the serum in time. The serum has some side effects such as regained memory. The walls to the maze move every night so there is a different maze outside each door every day. (wikipedia)
Review:
Where do I even begin to analyze the perfection that is James Dashner? I've yet to read his The 13th Reality series, but it's definitely next on my list after this.
Despite a rather slow, cumbersome start, I really enjoyed this book. The characters (the main ones, at least) are believable, from Newt's (who has been in the Glade for two years, and is second-in-command) loyalty (with limits!) towards Alby to Gally's cruelty and arrogance. These boys aren't perfect, not by a long shot. But not being a legion of flat characters to back up a Mary Sue (which is basically what YA fiction has fallen to) isn't all that I love about this book.
First off, this isn't the average run-of-the-mill dystopian book. There's no "boy stranded in wild, boy meets girl from a "perfect" civilization, girl and boy fall in love, betray civilization" (see Delirium, if that's the kind of book you're looking for). This is a group of feral teenage boys roughing it out in an environment that is out to kill them.
The structure of the group - with different jobs for different skill sets, a council to decide major things, a whole group of kids set apart to explore the ever-changing maze that's their prison - is extraordinarily well-detailed and well-planned. The organization of the society isn't perfect, but they get shit done. There are boys who handle preparing food, defending their fortress (called the Glade; it's a separate thing from the Maze), and exploring the Maze outside for a way out. The Runners are the top dogs in this hodown; you have to be clever, fast, and fearless to become a Runner. Why? Because they're not alone in that maze.
The monsters - Grievers - are, quite frankly, terrifying. ( "It looked like an experiment gone terribly wrong--something from a nightmare. Part animal, part machine, the Griever rolled and clicked along the stone pathway. It's body resembled a gigantic slug, sparsely covered in hair and glistening with slime, grotesquely pulsating in and out as it breathed. It had no distinguishable head or tail, but front to end it was at least six feet long, four feet thick." ) And, not only are they disgusting, but if they sting you (yes, sting, like they're not awful enough), you die if you don't get a serum made to combat the poison. Oh, and if you get the serum? You get to go through a totally fun process called the Changing, in which you suffer awful pain and hallucinations.
Fun, no?
And all of this is revealed within the first few chapters of the book. And then we get into the (fairly juicy) plot. I can't really say much without spoiling the ending, but...
Think this: Why would they trap a bunch of boys in an ever-changing maze with no way out, provide them with shelter and food, and just leave them there? They don't. Everything's more than it seems, and sooner or later the boys are going to have to leave the Maze, one way or another.
So, do I recommend this book? Hell yeah, I do! There's not a lot of romance (seeing as there's only one female character), but there's plenty of bromance between the boys (especially Newt and Alby, hooboy). This book will interest you if you're into dystopians, adventure, quality YA, or you're just out to read something worth your time. You won't be disappointed, and the ending will have you clawing for the sequel The Scorch Trials.
What do you think? Have any book suggestions? Or perhaps tips for reviewing? .___. I know I'm rubbish at it, but it's fun. So.
Ta~
These recs are kind of old (there are no new, brilliantly done Supernatural fics that I can find, so if you have any, tell me), but totally worth the read (or re-read!).
Enjoy! ♥
fandoms:
Supernatural (Wincest & Destiel)
Title: The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester
Author:
everysecondtuesday
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Rating: R
Summary: Angelic marriage rites were never intended to go quite like this.
Notes: There aren't words for what this fic made me feel. It's so completely them. It's one of those must-reads, so go, go!
Read it here!
Title: Smitten
Author: fleshflutter
Pairing: Sam/Michael (Sam/Dean if you squint hard enough)
Rating: PG
Summary: For all that Michael was the fearsome general of the angelic troops, Sam was finding it a little hard to take him seriously.
Notes: This. THIS. It's almost borderline crack, but I still adore it so. Michael, in love with Sam. It's perfect, and I love how fleshflutter characterized Michael. Plus, Michael's a pretty-pretty princess.
Read it here!
Title: Oh, it is love
Author: fleshflutter
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13(ish)
Summary: In the time it takes for Sam to roll over and burrow his head deeper under Dean's arm, lips brushing the soft skin of Dean's side in a butterfly kiss, Dean goes from mostly asleep to completely freaking out.
Notes: I love the INCEST siren Dean has installed. No, really, this fic is really funny and so heartbreakingly adorable that I almost can't stand it. Actually, nearly all of fleshflutter's fics are like that.
Read it here!
Title: Spoils
Author: astolat
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Sam, Sammy," Dean was saying, somewhere between sobbing and laughter, wild with it, and Sam was just clutching at him, shaking; they were on their knees together. Bobby looked away and rubbed the back of his hand across his face, pretending his eyes weren't smarting.
Notes: Gah. This is just so. Just go. Now.
Read it here!
Title: A Bit of a Pickle
Author: cherie_morte
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Dean Winchester is trying to woo his brother. Things are not going well.
Notes: This is just absolute perfection. I wish I could write a better rec than just these little bits of "GO NOW", but the emotions.
Read it here!
-----------------------------------
genre:
dystopian YA
Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Year Published: October 2010
ISBN: 978-0-385-73794-4
Brief Summary: Thomas wakes up to find himself in a box. When he reaches the top, he is pulled out by a group of boys who pull him out into their surroundings. The only thing he remembers is his name, nothing else.
Thomas learns that all these boys live in a place called the Glade. The Glade is surrounded by tall, stone walls with four massive openings (also referred to as doors) in the center of each wall. These doors close each night to protect them from the monsters that live beyond the Glade's walls. The monsters live in a place called the Maze which lies outside of the walls around the Glade. These monsters are called Grievers and attempt to sting the Gladers. If the Gladers get stung, they undergo the Changing, a painful process which people can survive if given the serum in time. The serum has some side effects such as regained memory. The walls to the maze move every night so there is a different maze outside each door every day. (wikipedia)
Review:
Where do I even begin to analyze the perfection that is James Dashner? I've yet to read his The 13th Reality series, but it's definitely next on my list after this.
Despite a rather slow, cumbersome start, I really enjoyed this book. The characters (the main ones, at least) are believable, from Newt's (who has been in the Glade for two years, and is second-in-command) loyalty (with limits!) towards Alby to Gally's cruelty and arrogance. These boys aren't perfect, not by a long shot. But not being a legion of flat characters to back up a Mary Sue (which is basically what YA fiction has fallen to) isn't all that I love about this book.
First off, this isn't the average run-of-the-mill dystopian book. There's no "boy stranded in wild, boy meets girl from a "perfect" civilization, girl and boy fall in love, betray civilization" (see Delirium, if that's the kind of book you're looking for). This is a group of feral teenage boys roughing it out in an environment that is out to kill them.
The structure of the group - with different jobs for different skill sets, a council to decide major things, a whole group of kids set apart to explore the ever-changing maze that's their prison - is extraordinarily well-detailed and well-planned. The organization of the society isn't perfect, but they get shit done. There are boys who handle preparing food, defending their fortress (called the Glade; it's a separate thing from the Maze), and exploring the Maze outside for a way out. The Runners are the top dogs in this hodown; you have to be clever, fast, and fearless to become a Runner. Why? Because they're not alone in that maze.
The monsters - Grievers - are, quite frankly, terrifying. ( "It looked like an experiment gone terribly wrong--something from a nightmare. Part animal, part machine, the Griever rolled and clicked along the stone pathway. It's body resembled a gigantic slug, sparsely covered in hair and glistening with slime, grotesquely pulsating in and out as it breathed. It had no distinguishable head or tail, but front to end it was at least six feet long, four feet thick." ) And, not only are they disgusting, but if they sting you (yes, sting, like they're not awful enough), you die if you don't get a serum made to combat the poison. Oh, and if you get the serum? You get to go through a totally fun process called the Changing, in which you suffer awful pain and hallucinations.
Fun, no?
And all of this is revealed within the first few chapters of the book. And then we get into the (fairly juicy) plot. I can't really say much without spoiling the ending, but...
Think this: Why would they trap a bunch of boys in an ever-changing maze with no way out, provide them with shelter and food, and just leave them there? They don't. Everything's more than it seems, and sooner or later the boys are going to have to leave the Maze, one way or another.
So, do I recommend this book? Hell yeah, I do! There's not a lot of romance (seeing as there's only one female character), but there's plenty of bromance between the boys (especially Newt and Alby, hooboy). This book will interest you if you're into dystopians, adventure, quality YA, or you're just out to read something worth your time. You won't be disappointed, and the ending will have you clawing for the sequel The Scorch Trials.
What do you think? Have any book suggestions? Or perhaps tips for reviewing? .___. I know I'm rubbish at it, but it's fun. So.
Ta~