The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

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When I got The Murder Complex, I had great expectations for it and it was sad to have been disappointed. 

BAMF (n.)

To say that Meadow was a strong and fearless protagonist would be an understatement. She's goal oriented and straightforward and I love that about her. And even though she's tough as nails, Meadow wasn't heartless and unreasonably cruel. Her family takes a huge place in her heart and I appreciated that. 

All of those qualities suddenly disappeared however when Zephyr - alive and kicking - came into the picture. 

Zephyr. Zephyr. Zephyr. 

In all honesty, it was Zephyr that hooked me in just from the second chapter. There's so much of the "surviving-in-a-corner-of-the-fucked-up-society-while-learning-badass-fighting" that was Meadow's life, I've read before. I instantly found Zephyr's life as a ward and you-know-what, way more interesting. His thoughts were honest and slightly mysterious. Complex, even. (Ha.) He was trying to figure out what's wrong with him at the same with the reader and it was pulling to read. 

Head Over Heels - On The FIRST Date

One of the things that totally ruined The Murder Complex for me was the insta-love that was faster than me even saying the word "insta-love". (If you read my Top Ten Bookish Turn offs, you'll know just how much that annoys me.) 

Meadow and Zephyr's "romance" has no basis whatsoever. It was greatly predictable, bordering on cliche. Because I mean really, "the moonlit girl in my dreams". Especially, as we move further with the book and find out why Zephyr dreams about Meadow in the first place, how is it even possible and logical to call that love, much less in a day? 

I can't even begin with Meadow. "I am in love with you. I know I saw you only twice ever and the second time you weren't even awake, and I am in love with you." Basically.

The "romance" was hands down forced and completely out of place. I felt like it was just used to make a connection between Meadow and Zephyr. A simple friendship (with the proper build into something more) would've worked better. 

Blood and Gore

I, however, cannot deny how fast-paced and action-packed The Murder Complex is. It's one of the few reasons, I pushed through until the very end. Both protagonists aren't the most innocent of people and the world they lived in was the epitome of death and destruction and Cummings did a fantastic job highlighting that. Even just thinking of the dead bodies openly rotting on the streets and the depthless poverty makes me cringe in pity. The world building was perfect and the action sequenced were dutifully shown across the pages. 

The Murder Complex

The concept of the actual Murder Complex, I found very interesting and appealing. It was an original idea and if you really think about it, you'll actually see the logic behind its creation despite it being morbid and immoral.

"We're all good until we're not strong enough to be anymore."

The predictability and comparison [to other dystopians] factors in this debut book are high and the last few chapters grew sloppy and hurried, suddenly breezing through major events that deserved more reaction. Meadow and Zephyr's points of view were actually quite similar as I go through the book  but it can still be easily distinguished who's who. Overall, even if it seems like I have a huge hatred towards this book, I don't. I merely only had some issues and nonetheless, I still managed to enjoy The Murder Complex. Quite.

Heartbreaking: Paper Towns

The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle.

The secretive hue to the novel reeled me to finally spend money on a John Green. I can't say every cent was wasted but about half of it was definitely so. This book is tedious and irritating.

I'd never thought a character, specifically the protagonist - more specifically, Quentin Jacobsen - could aggravate me so much. Hell, I'd never thought a John Green novel could be on the not so good side of weird.

After a night of spray painting and randomly breaking into buildings and parks, Margo Roth Spiegelman simply disappeared without a trace. Or so they - Q, Ben, and Radar - thought.

It was honestly pretty good at first but as the story goes on, the search became an obsession. Who is Margo? developed into: Where the fuck hell is Margo?

And there is Q to blame for all this. He claims that he is meant to find her and bring her back, that he loves her truly. He was so preoccupied by Margo and the reader is so overwhelmed by him. There were definitely moments in which all I want to do is skip, skip, and skip until they actually find Margo.

Special thanks to Radar for knocking some sense into Q at some point.

It isn't all stale and annoying, though. Even though Margo is missing most of the book, Green had created a 'shadow Margo'. It's as if she's just there and those details make her relatable - especially to me. She's adventurous, distressed with an aching for a new world without the paper people. Her wanderlust and the will that comes with it, is what I love most about her.

It's a paper town. I mean, look at it, Q: look at all those culs-de-sac, those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that were built to fall apart. All those paper people living in their paper houses, burning the future to stay warm. All the paper kids drinking beer some bum bought for them at the paper convenience store. Everyone demented with the mania of owning things. All the things paper-thin and paper-frail. And all the people, too. I've lived here for eighteen years and I have never once in my life come across anyone who cares about anything that matters.

For that, I would commend John Green and also his influential prose. It is undeniable that he really makes you think and reflect.

The middle is a downer but the ending is tragic. My perception of Quentin had been childish; however, the finale changed all that. I was - finally - able to see the maturity in him that's been hidden from the beginning and admittedly, I fell in love.

I fell for the Quentin who made and has sense, for the Quentin who is willing to let go.

My first John Green was unfortunately threaded with great disappointed but I sure am glad that I finished and still managed to enjoy it.

The legendary Margo Roth Spiegelman has disappeared - again. Leaving confusing breadcrumbs to the boy across the street, will she return back home this time?

Author: John Green
Series: stand alone
Published: 22nd of September, 2009 by Speak
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Format: 305 pages, physical copy (paperback)
Source: purchased

John Green | Vlog Brothers | Goodreads

Intriguing: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

My name is not Mara Dyer...

Michelle Hodkin's debut, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer both made my eyes roll and my heart palpitate.

From the intriguing opening letter from Mara herself to the chapter prior to the event that changed it all, I was expecting a paranormal addition to my bookshelf. I was given a romance novel instead.

I have no animosity against romantic affairs but to discover that Mara's delusions and hysteria is just the background to her relationship with Noah Shaw, it was dismaying, honestly.

I was able to hold on until the bewildering end despite the surrealism and incoherence of some moments, mostly because of Hodkin's well written dialogue. It is the motive that kept me up until 12 am.

Did it answer my questions? No, not really, but it is the reason, along with ending, why I've preparing my wallet for The Evolution of Mara Dyer. (You probably noticed by now the impact of the ending so I will shut up before I spoil everyone because it is ju--)

Nevertheless its ups and downs, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is an exceptional and engrossing must-read novel, especially for romance readers looking for a bit of change. Plus, there is the British bad boy Noah Shaw waiting to meet you.

17-year-old Mara Dyer moves to Miami, Florida with her family to start anew, to escape the tragic 'accident' that killed her best friend. Her past doesn't let go of her, it seems to be. With an addition of mysterious and gruesome events that ties itself to Mara, will she be able to decipher the puzzle of her memory and be open enough to fall in love?

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer
Published: 27th of September, 2011 by Simon & Schuster
Genre: Young Adult > Paranormal Romance
Format: 452 pages, physical copy (paperback)
Source: purchased

Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin | Book Trailer | Goodreads