NOVEMBER_UNIKUM_WEB

World War Z by Max Brooks
This book is one of the many I have suffered through because of my 150-page rule. The book is 342 pages
long, and after reading 150, I figured why not read the rest? Please don’t do this. You will be bored for an
infinite amount of time. Brooks’ book is an oral retelling of a fictional zombie war, and we follow people
from all around the world. The concept of a zombie war is interesting, and the book had great potential
with its division of events in the war. Many books before and after it, has had success with the interview
story format, and that is also not what kills this book for me. It’s the fact that even though it’s a dystopian
tale of a fictional war, that doesn’t keep it from being the most boring book I have ever read. Firstly, we
do not follow one character throughout the book. In fact, the moment one of the chapters are interesting
enough that you would want to know more, they change the perspective to someone who is dull and
sleep inducing. Most of the characters have no connections between them, and those who do, are written
so far apart in the book, that you barely catch the reference. If I were you, I would save your money on
this one, or maybe try watching the film instead. Who knows, maybe it’s less boring? Brad Pitt is in it.
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
I do believe in love, I promise. However, I also think that romance is a genre that could easily go wrong,
since we all have different perceptions of how love should be given and received. Ugly love is about
Tate who moves in with her older brother. After finding a guy absolutely wasted on her doorstep, she
learns that this is Miles, her brother’s best friend. The attraction is immediate, and they quickly embark
on a friends with benefits situation, where Miles gives her two rules: to not ask questions about the
past, and never expect a future. There are two main problems with this book. Firstly, half of the book
is spent on telling Miles’ love story with another woman, never showing us why we should care about
his “relationship” with Tate. Second, Tate’s attraction and refusal to stay away from Miles, stems from
a clear lack of self-respect. Our protagonist admits several times during the book that it is stupid to
stay with him, when she knows he cannot give her what she wants. Someone is clearly suffering from
Einstein’s definition of insanity. Colleen Hoover is among the world’s most famous and controversial
authors, and this one is not worth your money. Unless you like wanting to throw your books at the wall
when you’re reading, then it’s a sure page-turner.
A monster calls by Patrick Ness
Burning rage fills me when I look back on my stupid self, who decided to bring this book to my grandfather’s
house, devour it in two hours, and not have anything else to read, for the rest of the weekend. There is a
special place in hell, for books that keep you up late at night, ends brutally, and leaves you with tears in
your eyes. A monster calls is a book based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd, who sadly was never able to see
it come to life. Together with illustrator Jim Kay, Ness tells the story of a boy who is visited by a monster
in his dreams. The monster tells the boy stories, and forces him to face his true feelings. A monster calls
is a short book, with many excellent illustrations, and my problem with this book isn’t like the other
ones on this list. Most of the previous books have been one-star reads. Five stars isn’t enough to explain
how gut wrenching, heart twisting and brilliant this book is. While expressing emotions is a good thing,
I would rather not sob my heart out at 1 am, whilst trying to not wake up sleeping family members, who
would fear for my sanity. If complete emotional heart break is your thing, go for it, but I will never pick
up this book again. I don’t think my heart could take it.
NOVEMBER 2023 UNIKUM NR 9 29