Review: The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

The Little Prince
Antoine De Saint-Exupery 
Series: N/A
Genre: Fantasy, Children's
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Simply Magical
On Goodreads

The Little Prince is one of those books every single person needs to read at one point in his or her life -- preferably at multiple points because this book is one of those books that you appreciate differently at different points in life. I don't even know where to begin with this magnificent work -- there are so many things that make it amazing that it's hard to put them all together in a cohesive review.

First of all, it's written exceptionally well. It's told simply and straightforwardly, and manages to feel magical and thoughtful all at the same time. Our narrator, although an adult, speaks as a child, remembering certain events that happened to him. He remembers these things not in hindsight but as if he was still a child and still living the adventure. I loved the little Prince as a character, too. He was somewhat self-absorbed but in a way that embodied the self-obsessed nature of all children. He asked a lot of questions and didn't understand adults. He got angry at what he didn't understand but little did he know, he was much wiser than meets the eye. My favorite part of this book is the message behind it. The Little Prince explores the mindset of children versus the mindset of adults and challenges things adults often consider sensible. Once, he commented:

 "Grown - ups like numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask: 'What does his voice sound like? 'What games does he like best?' 'Does he collect butterflies?' They ask: 'How old is he?' 'How many brothers does he have?' 'Hoe much does he weigh?' 'How much money does his father make?' Only then do they think they know him." 

This was personally one of my favorite parts because it highlighted one of the biggest flaws with people today: they are more concerned about how much something in worth than what it has to offer. The book also showed how some adults are not as sensible as they are made out to be. There was the monarch who was too commanding, the man too obsessed with his own self, the businessman obsessed with numbers, and the man who had no time to enjoy his days. There was also the alcoholic who provides us with a wonderful example of adults who are misdirected:

"Why are you drinking?...
To forget... That I'm ashamed... Of drinking."  

We get the overall impression that adults are very strange creatures who do not entirely understand how to be themselves. The Little Prince is definitely not any old children's book -- it's a phenomenal piece of artwork that should be preserved forever. It includes criticisms of people today and what they do and it brought to light the way children act how they do it. It also adds a childlike perspective on how strange adults are and how much they don't understand because of their close-mindedness. The ending of the book was also amazing. His last drawing was a black and white version of the drawing on the page before. His musings gained an air of sadness while still retaining the childlike quality. Overall, this book is so perfect and a short read. It probably takes less than an hour to read but it stays with you for so much longer. Like I said before, it's one of those books that everyone should read at least once because it's definitely life chnging and mind blowing.

- Noor

Do you think adults are strange creatures?

Let us know in the comments!

Book Blitz Excerpt and Giveaway: Aberrant - Ruth Silver

Hello, everyone! We Live and Breathe Books is proud to be a part of the Aberrant by Ruth Silver book blitz this week! Aberrant has been on my to-read shelf for a long time, and I'm definitely going to read it soon. I hope you find it as interesting as I do! - Kiersten

Aberrant
Ruth Silver
Series: Aberrant, #1
Release Date: April 17, 2013

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Excerpt

     ...I sighed softly and did something I'd only read about in forbidden novels. I leant in, brushing my lips against his. The kiss was soft and chaste. It lasted no more than a mere second before I pulled back.
     "What was that, Olive?" He gave me a horrified look and all I could feel was my stomach somersault. I knew romance and love weren't ever spoken of in Genesis. There was no need when the government knew who was perfect for one another, and children were won by lottery and conceived in a lab. Intimate acts were considered unnecessary.
     "I read about it in a book," I whispered, afraid I'd done it all wrong. "It was a kiss," I breathed, chewing on my bottom lip nervously. I’d never kissed anyone before and worried he thought it was terrible. I’d never seen two people share a kiss, I didn’t quite know what it was supposed to look like, but I thought I’d done it right after reading about it. My hand reached out, grabbing his arm. "Please don't be mad at me." I breathed. "You have to swear you won't tell anyone!" Joshua hesitated for only an instant before he leaned in, taking another taste from my lips trying again. The second kiss was softer and satisfied both of our curiosities. My heart raced and my skin warmed to his touch. "I thought today was going to turn out so much worse," I confessed.
     Joshua laughed as he pulled back slightly, staring at me. His eyes had darkened a deeper richer shade of blue. I'd never seen his eyes change colors before. His fingers moved to tickle my stomach with a grin. "Worse? Really? You're not happy you married me? You're just relieved it wasn't someone worse?"
     "No!" I shrieked, "That's not what I meant!" I tried to catch my breath, but he hardly gave me a second more than necessary. I pulled from his ticklish grasp, jumped from the couch and ran across the room in a fit of laughter. He quickly followed, jumping over the sofa as he was just inches from me. He was close now, smiling and trailing behind me as I ran toward the bedroom. It was probably the worst place I could go, trapped between Joshua and a mattress. I felt him tackle me down onto the plush bed, his hands skimmed my stomach but he was no longer tickling me. The laughter still hadn't subsided.
     "Breathe," Joshua said, staring intently at me.
     "Trying," I gasped between fits of laughter. Lying down helped settle the feeling of my racing heart, and after a moment I shifted along the mattress, reaching out to him. "I want to tell you a story," I insisted as my fingers found his cheek. "One I read in a book." I wanted him to learn the things I had about love and romance. I couldn't help but feel my body stir with a strange fire and warmth as he loomed just above me. Staring up at him I froze on the mattress hearing the latch click on the front door. I knew it had been locked.

About the Author

Ruth Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She has written under three unique pseudo names and penned well over a hundred stories.

She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, "Deuces are Wild", which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.

Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She runs her own book blog and also enjoys photography and traveling.

Her favorite YA genre is a mix of Dystopian & Fantasy which is evident in the upcoming release of her latest book, Aberrant. Slated for release April 2013 by Lazy Day Publishing, it is the first in a trilogy.

Author Links

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway
1 signed paperback of Aberrant (US only)
3 Scrabble tile necklace charms and signed bookmark (INT)
3 bottle cap keychains and signed bookmark (INT)


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Book Blitz organized by YA Bound Book Tours

Waiting on Wednesday: The House of Hades - Rick Riordan

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm waiting on The House of Hades by Rick Riordan.

The House of Hades
Rick Riordan
Series:  Heroes of Olympus, #4
Release Date: October 8th, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Waited on by: Amrutha
On Goodreads

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

UGH.  I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK SINCE THE DAY THE MARK OF ATHENA CAME OUT. (The Mark of Athena is the 3rd book in this series.) I have bought and read every book in this series the day it came out, and it was so worth it. This series is a continuation of the Percy Jackson series, and it is just as fabulous. Rick Riordan aims to please with Percabeth and a love triangle between Reyna, Jason, and Piper. I'm so nervous for Percabeth (Percy and Annabeth, the main characters and my favorite ship of the series), I hope nothing but the best for them. I absolutely cannot wait until this book comes out, and I know I'll be first in line to get it.

- Amrutha

What are YOU waiting on?

Let us know in the comments!

Release Day Review: The Returned - Jason Mott

The Returned
Jason Mott 
Series: N/A
Genre: Adult Fiction, Dystopian
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Passable
On Goodreads

I’m one of those people who carry a book around in her purse – if you do this too, then this is the book for you. The Returned is interesting enough that you can pick up and read it whenever you want, but also flat enough that you can put it down when you need to do something. This book was better than average, but it wasn’t good enough to warrant a 4 star rating.

Brief summary: These two delightful parents, Lucille and Harold lost their son in 66. Years after his death, their son returns – alive and well, the same age he was when he died. However, this wasn’t just a special circumstance. This was happening around the globe, and everyone was receiving their lost loved ones back. The premise of this results in a wild dystopia, and the idea of this was unique and I was so intrigued by it. Unfortunately, every time I’m intrigued by the premise of a book, I end up being disappointed. However, this time around, Mott did better than expected, and I was pretty excited to read it.

So these people who’ve returned from the dead are not only un-aged, but they are confused as well. They don’t know what happened and are being treated as third rate citizens. One of the cool parts of the book was that Mott tried to tell us of the dystopian society from many different people, including the undead. However, this is where the book lost points with me – although it was a fascinating idea to write in different POVs, it made the book kind of flat – I was interested in some of the secondary characters, but I never got close enough to them to truly care about them.

The characters we mainly follow however, Lucille, Harold, and Jacob, their son, are warm and loving. Although there isn’t much growth in the characters (huge pet peeve of mine), Mott made them fairly average characters. By this I mean, I never really felt their pain as I did the other Returned. The others that had come back from the dead had rather interesting stories and I actually teared up at one or two of them. Sadly though, Mott didn’t tell me more about them so instead I got stuck with Lucille, Harold and Jacob.

The other unfortunate thing (I’ll stop being so negative soon I swear) is that the main reason I read the book, the interesting plot, seems to be hidden behind backstories of the Returned. The intellectual stuff that really intrigued me was blended into the background, which makes me sad :’( Come on Jason, you could’ve done better.

Otherwise, this book was fairly good. The concept of the Returned along with the Bureau’s actions to deal with the problem was very interesting. It wasn’t action packed, but it did have many touches of sadness and emotion that is hard to find. By the end of the book I was reminded of how much I truly love my friends and family, and to remind them of such. If you’re ever looking for a book to read on the way to work or during the ten minutes after a test, this would definitely be it.

On a side note, if you enjoy The Returned, you may want to check out the short stories: The First, The Sparrow, and The Choice.

- Amrutha

How would you react if your dead loved ones were returned to you?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: The Boy who Swam With Piranhas - David Almond

The Boy who Swam with Piranhas
David Almond
Series: N/A
Genre: Children's, Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Endearing
On Goodreads

I received this book as an ARC (BEA 2013) and thus had very little idea the extend to which I would be amazed. The ability of an author to capture the mind of a child is what makes children's books so bloody incredible, and David Almond eats this quality alive like a starved piranha.

Stanley Potts is an "ordinary kid living an ordinary life" until his Uncle Ernie turns the world upside down when he loses his job and ventures into the fish-canning business and very quirky, wonderful things happen. (Almond, 1) Also, some pretty not-wonderful things happen. The book is quite intricately woven with concepts and lessons that make one wonder how the author laced it into a children's book. This is definitely something I would have loved to read as a kid, but I believe I appreciate the intelligence and creative capacity behind making it so engaging for all ages.

The book reads rather scattered and colorful, just like a child's head usually is:

"A what?" said Ernie.

"A evistigator," said the investigator. "A evistigator what investigates things. Strange things. Peculiar things. Things that shouldn't even be things." He stepped a little closer. "Fishy things!" (29)

In the beginning, the world is rather black and white. Stanley's ordinary life is suddenly interrupted by the fact that more efficient ships could now be built in other countries. Very straightforward explanation. "It all started when Simpson's Shipyard shut." (2)

However, as the story progresses and we are all faced with harder-to-deal-with situations with splendid adventures to counter them, it becomes very apparent that life is not black and white, but as colorful as the fair he eventually escapes to. The explanation for his goldfishes death is not black and white, as he finds it, it's rather an intense shade of red that he has to face.

More so, Stanley faces forgiving those you love who have hurt you, what courage really is, and of course who to swim with piranhas. It's hard not to grow with Stanley, he's a charmer, and he feels the feels pretty darn hard. If you doubt me consult chapter twenty-two in its one page of glory and anger and suffering and you will understand what it means to feel homesick for a home that only exists in the past.

- Marlon

Do you think you would be able to run away like Stanley?
Let us know in the comments!