Scookie Reviews

THE MARTIAN by Andrew Weir 5 Stars Verdict: Original, witty, intelligent - what more could you want? This is a futuristic novel about a man stuck on Mars, yet the details and atmosphere make it feel like it could be based on real events. Sci-fi isn't a genre I roam into often, but I'm glad I did for this one! Mark Watney is a fantastic main character. He’s resourceful and intelligent. He maintains a sense of humour throughout his plight, which turns what could have been a depressing situation into a problem solving adventure. I found it inspiring to read about someone who face countless challenges and failures, especially as they picked themselves up each time. He’s a hero to root for. Watney does a great job of explaining what’s going, using humour as a tool. The technical stuff gladly sailed over my head but I could still understand the point and I enjoyed how real and logical it felt. That said, I wouldn’t read another book like this. It works because it’s utterl...

THE MASTER MAGICIAN by Charlie M. Holmberg (The Paper Magician #3) 2 Stars Verdict : Disappointing. #1 - The Paper Magician #2 - The Glass Magician In book one, Ceony journeyed through a stolen heart and learned to love an intelligent but reserved man. In book two, we learn more about Gaffers and other magics in an action packed sequel. What happened in book three? All I know is, as much as I wanted to, I just didn’t care about any of it. Ceony crosses the line from a strong willed woman, to a rude, reckless, and unreasonably stubborn woman. She talks down to others with a self-righteous attitude, and then ignores perfectly sound advice. Her intentions are good, and she clearly cares about her family and wants to help, but that doesn’t really justify the way she treated people. What bugged me about this book was the general lack of motives. Ceony has very little reason to risk her life the way she did, and is pretty lucky that most of the book glided along without an...