Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior - Book 1, by Chris Bradford

Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior - Book 1, by Chris Bradford

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I started this series at a time when I was despairing over what I would read next. My ever-knowledgeable librarian, Pratap uncle, knew just what to give me. He handed me the first book in this series saying I should definitely read it. The author of these books is Chris Bradford. This was the first series which I have come across, where they talk in detail about the fighting arts of Japan. The first three books talk about the fighting arts of the samurai and the other five books are about the fighting arts of the ninja. The plot of the first three books, as I have only read those many, talks about a boy named Jack Fletcher, who is shipwrecked when he is on his way from England to Nagasaki with his father. He lands in Osaka with all the crew on the ship dead, killed by ninjas, including his father. He has to adapt to the way of the Japanese and also protect the navigational logbook called the rutter, his father’s most prized possession. It was the key which would guide him back to England. Unfortunately, the knowledge of the rutter has spread far and wide and has attracted unwanted attention. He is then adopted by a samurai warlord, Masamoto Takeshi and sent to a school to learn the art of being a samurai. He has to fight for his life, as a dangerous assassin and an angry fellow student are out for him, and are ready to do whatever it takes to kill him.

I liked this series because it was very well researched. The author gave proper Japanese terms and also has given a glossary at the end of the book. The different fighting arts have been explained very well, helping the reader understand what exactly was happening in the book. Most of the series and books I have read, have portrayed the protagonists to be near perfect. This series was different, as it showed all the flaws in the character and taught us an important lesson. You cannot eliminate your flaws if you do not try to or don’t work hard enough. A ninth book is coming out in 2019.




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© 2018, Anvita Agarwal. All rights reserved.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

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I decided to read this series quite on accident. One of my mother’s friend had given us some books. One of the books included the fourth book in the Maze Rubber series. This gave me the perfect opportunity to start reading this series. There are five books in all, the first three being the main books, and the other two being prequels. My favourite books were the first one – The Maze Runner, and the last one – The Fever Code. The main books talk about a boy named Thomas who remembers nothing except his name. He wakes up to find himself with a bunch of boys, all who are like him, stranded in a maze with nothing except their name. The boys call the place the glade and themselves Gladers. Every month, a new person is introduced into the Glade, and this time it is Thomas. After Thomas arrives, the next day, another person is put in, and it is the first girl in the whole group. There are openings in the Glade and hey close every night. This keeps monsters called Grievers out of the living residence. The doors in the Glade stop closing and that the Grievers outside can get to them. Thomas and his friends figure out that a group called WICKED have trapped them in the maze and they manage to escape, but WICKED isn’t done with them yet. They put the Gladers into many other tasks in order to obtain a cure for a disease which has taken over the population of the world and is driving people to madness. They will not stop until they find a cure, even if that means that many lives will be taken. Will Thomas and his friends escape before WICKED’s experiments claim yet more lives, and this time, perhaps theirs?

I fell in love with this series after reading the blurb. It sounded gripping, much like a thriller, a genre of books I particularly enjoy. The author, James Dashner, managed to keep up the suspense, and when you read the fifth book, you are surprised to find the whole truth, as the main books leave a lot of unanswered questions which the fifth book answers. I would recommend the series for ages 13 above, because the books have a few gruesome deaths which can be disturbing to read.




© 2018, Anvita Agarwal. All rights reserved.

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments), by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments), by Cassandra Clare

Amazon IN

Mortal Instruments: In the seventh grade, I wanted to read this series, but my librarian said that I was too young for it. In the eighth grade, I started reading it (I do not know what one year of time can do to a kid which makes them suitable to do tasks which they were not allowed to do before). This series is written by Cassandra Clare. The whole series talks about a different world from the human one, where werewolves, vampires, wizards, etc. all exist, but are much different from what you imagine. They are commonly referred to as Downworlders. Topping them all are Shadowhunters, a race of warriors who have sworn to protect the humans and the Downworlders from demons. The main protagonist is a sixteen-year-old girl named Clary Fray, who is told she is a a Shadowhunter in the first book. The series has two main antagonists, one is Valentine and the other is Sebastian, both who I am not going to tell you about because they are spoilers. All I can tell you is that they are two power-hungry maniacs, one who wants to wipe out all the Downworlders and the other who wants to wipe out all shadowhunters. Clary along with her friends have to stop these two villains before they wipe out an entire species.

It was the first series which I have read, where there was some serious romance between the characters (I skipped those bits. Too soppy for my tastes). This made it different, because before reading a page, I had to skim over it, fearfully, hoping there weren’t any nasty surprises.




© 2018, Anvita Agarwal. All rights reserved.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon

Amazon IN, Kindle IN, Audible IN,

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time: My father really wanted me to read it, saying that it was very well-written. He was right as usual. The book is one of my favorites and is so different, unique. The narrator of the book is a fifteen-year-old boy named Christopher Boone who has some behavioral issues and is an introvert. One of Christopher’s talents is his ability to excel at Math and Physics. However, due to his behavorial issues, he can’t read others’ emotions at all and that makes it hard for him to communicate with people. One day, he sees his neighbor’s dog being murdered and is determined to solve the mystery. On the way, he finds out the truth about a lot of things which had been left unexplained or lied about to him.

Mark Haddon has truly made this book stand out. One thing that catches your eye is the fact that the chapter numbers are not consecutive numbers but are prime numbers. The style of writing is very simple and allows you to explore the mind of young Christopher Boone. Every step taken by Christopher is explained and sounds sensible from his perspective. More than the solving of a mystery, it is more of Christopher’s way of solving the problems in life. It gives you a different perspective from which you can look at a problem - a somewhat simpler one.



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© 2018, Anvita Agarwal. All rights reserved.