Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Revolution
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Published: October 2010
Source: Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

Oh man this book was good. Really, really, really good. Top five of the whole year good. I was reading it every spare second I had, and it takes a lot to make me read that much these days. I don't know how she did it, but from the very beginning I was hooked. I had an instant connection with Andi's voice and wanted to know more about her. I haven't finished a book in so little time in months.


Writing a review about really great books is hard. There's a lot I could say, but none of it really seems to sum up the greatness of this book. At least with mediocre books, or bad books there's something that could say I didn't like, but with this book all that I can say is that I loved everything! The plot, the pacing, the characters, the phenomenal writing, everything. 

Sorry for the review being so, well, not review-like, but I can't think of anything to say other than AMAZING GO READ IT NOOOOOW!


Characters: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 50/50 A+

Waiting on Wednesday (42)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share the books that we're eagerly awaiting the release of. This week:

Possession by Elana Johnson

Release Date: June 7th, 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

 

My Thoughts: It sounds like Matched and Uglies had a baby. A beautiful baby. Seriously, I'm really, really loving the cover. The blue? Gorgeous.

 

What are you waiting on?

Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Title: Finnikin of the Rock
Author: Melina Marchetta
Published: February 2010
Source: The Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An imposter seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock—to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously close to home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all her knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

I love a good fantasy. Something that completely takes you away from your reality and immerses you in the culture of a completely made up place. This was definitely a good fantasy. I was completely immersed in the world of Finnikin, Evanjalin, and all of the other characters. It definitely wasn't predictable either, which I think is common in a lot of fantasy novels.


The writing is definitely the strong suit of this book. It's beautiful, but subtle. Blink and you might miss something poetic, or funny in a totally unexpected way. My only complaint is that a lot of the book is slow. The best way for me to describe it is heavy. It's not light reading at all. In fact, if you're not prepared to really get into it, you'll probably end up closing it in frustration.


It takes a while to get a feel for the characters, to really understand them and see where they might be going. It happened so gradually that once I looked up and just realized that I cared what happened to them. It was beautiful. Marchetta took some characters in a different direction than I'd originally presumed, and I loved it. I loved that I couldn't predict every little or big thing that happened.


As with most fantasy novels, I had a hard time understanding the politics. In fact, it got to a point where I just decided to ignore all but the basic facts. Maybe if there was a sequel I would invest more of my time and my thoughts into it, but for a stand alone I got along fine. The character relationships and developments are what I'm there for anyway.


Basically I really, really liked this book, but didn't quite love it. The writing is spectacular, but at times it was too slow for my liking. The characters were marvelous though, and I wish that I could read more about them.


Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 44/50 B+
Cover Comments: This cover screams fantasy, and the bright colors are great.

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share the books that we absolutely cannot wait to be released.

This week:

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: April 5th, 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.
 

Love, blood, betrayal and revenge — the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels. Simon Lewis is having some trouble adjusting to his new life as a vampire, especially now that he hardly sees his best friend Clary, who is caught up in training to be a Shadowhunter—and spending time with her new boyfriend Jace. Not to mention that Simon doesn’t quite know how to handle the pressure of not-quite-dating two girls at once. What’s a daylight-loving vampire to do? Simon decides he needs a break and heads out of the city—only to discover that sinister events are following him. Realizing that the war they thought they’d won might not yet be over, Simon has to call on his Shadowhunter friends to save the day — if they can put their own splintering relationships on hold long enough to rise to the challenge.

Do I really have to say anything? 

What are you waiting on this week? 

Review: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brian

Title: Birthmarked
Author: Caragh M. O'Brian
Published: March, 2010
Source: The Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents are arrested.
Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned. 

Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich with intricate layers of codes, BIRTHMARKED explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where one girl can make all the difference, and a real hero makes her own moral code.

I consider myself a lover of dystopian novels. Give me a story set sometime in the future that prominently features a corrupt government that originally just wanted to do good, and I'm hooked, I don't even care about the rest of the plot. So basically, I expected to like this book. I did not, however, expect to love it as much as I did. Yes, it was what I expected as a dystopian, but it was also so much more.

Let's start with Gaia, the main character. She was so relateable and realistic, despite living in a world completely different than ours. She was both strong and weak, confident and unsure, brave and scared; all the things a good main character is. There were a lot of other characters. None of them were constant except Gaia, and yet I had a sense of who each of them was as a person. Gaia's parent's themselves were seldom in the novel, but I really got to know them through flashbacks.

The world building in this book was exceptional. I was given a clear picture of how things were, and how they became that way. I got to understand both life inside and outside the wall and see it from the eyes of a few different people without ever leaving Gaia's point of view. By the end I was just as outraged by what was happening as Gaia. Something that's never really explained fully is how the world went from our world to Gaia's world, but that's not really important in the grand scheme of things.

The book moved really quickly at some parts, and really slowely at others. I enjoyed it when it was fast, not as much when it was slow. I thought that a few parts were dragged out. I appreciated that O'Brian didn't overdescribe things when she was trying to create a sense of urgency, because I tend to skip over the "boring" parts when there's a lot of action.

If you're looking for an exceptional dystopian novel I would definitely recommend this one. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait for the sequel (there is a sequel, right???)!

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 47/50 A
Cover Comments: Fits the story perfectly. The bleakness fits the tone, the tower plays a big role, the girl could easily be Gaia, and the DNA is a nice touch.

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share the books that we are eagerly anticipating the release of.

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Release Date: April 5th, 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Taninli, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

Well, first off it's by the author of Ash, which I loved. It's also set in the same world, which is awesome! And it has a POC cover! It basically sounds amazing, and I wish that April was a lot closer...

What are you waiting on?

Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Title: Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Published: August 2010
Source: Recieved for review from publisher
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings.

But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

When I first heard of Halo I really wanted to read it. But then I saw a bunch of not so hot reviews of it popping up, and it didn't sound as much like something I would like. But when I was offered a copy for review I said okay anyway. I'm pretty happy with that decision, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I wouldn't say that I loved it, because a lot of my concerns were justified, but I did like it.

Let's start with something that I liked: Bethany. I loved how yeah, she's really an angel, but that doesn't mean that she's not a teenage girl too. She was rebellious and infatuated and reacted to things in ways that most teenage girls would. Her being an angel also made it really interesting to see how she viewed our world. Everything was new to her and I liked reading about her getting acclimated to Earth life.

One of my main concerns was the pacing. It was really, really slow. It's not just a slow starter, either. The entire thing is slow. At first I was really put off, but once I stopped expecting it to pick up speed and accepted that it was going to be slow it was a lot easier to get through. That's when I started to realize that it was interesting in it's own way. I paid a lot more attention to detail, to the way Bethany felt about things and how she reacted to them. It was more subtle than what I was used to.

I thought that the relationship between Bethany and Xavier was a bit too...intense for the time that they'd really known each other. I understand that she's literally an angel and all, but did they have to go from practically strangers to in love like that? I also felt like Bethany was too dependent on Xavier once they got together. There was a point where they had a fight and she completely shuts down and locks herself in her room for days. Um, New Moon, much? Not a healthy way to portray a relationship in my opinion.

Despite my concerns, I really did enjoy this book. If you want a paranormal romance then this book is right up your alley.

Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 7/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 8/10
Overall: 40/50 B-
Cover Comments: Absolutely gorgeous. Made me want to read it immediately!

Blog Tour: Song Playlist for Five Flavors of Dumb and a chance to win!

Hey everyone! Today I have the author of Five Flavors of Dumb, Antony John, on the blog to talk about songs that inspired or suit his novel. This is all thanks to the great blog tour site The Teen {Book} Scene. Here's a link to my review of the book if you're interested! Make sure to read to the end of the post if you want to know how you could win a copy of the book or even a signed copy of Will Grayson, Will Grayson!

Make up a playlist of a few songs you think suit/inspired Five Flavors of Dumb 

Hi Taylor! Thanks for having me on your blog today. 
Okay, so I’m going to limit my playlist to 20 songs, ‘cause otherwise this will become the longest blog post in history! 

I’ll start with the easy ones (i.e. music that actually features in DUMB): 
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
“Seasons in the Sun” – Nirvana
“Star Spangled Banner and Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix (live at Woodstock)
“Ionisation” – Edgard Varese (bonus points to anyone who has heard of this one!) 

Then there are the old-timey songs that may have influenced the fictional songs in DUMB: 
“Paint it Black” – The Rolling Stones. (Pure, undiluted angst.)
“Twist and Shout” – Beatles. (Peppy, infectious, and it only uses three chords!)
“Unchained Melody” – The Righteous Brothers. (Piper and Ed’s love song.)
“Layla” – Derek and the Dominos (This is how the guitarists wished they sounded.) 
These songs seem appropriate given some of the events that happen in DUMB: 
“Word Up” – Cameo (check out the cover version by Willis – it rocks!)
“Hot N Cold” – Katy Perry
“Paparazzi” – Lady Gaga
“It’s the End of the World as We Know It” – R.E.M.
“Idioteque” - Radiohead
“We Will Rock You” – Queen 

And finally, some songs whose titles are almost like portraits of Dumb’s band members: 
Piper (manager): “Out of My Mind” – James Blunt
Josh (lead vocals): “You’re so Vain” – Carly Simon
Ed (drums): “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” – The Police
Tash (lead guitar): “Not Ready to Make Nice” - The Dixie Chicks
Kallie (guitar): “You Know I’m No Good” – Amy Winehouse
Will (bass guitar): “Zombie” - The Cranberries 

Oh, and I’ve just noticed that the actual playlist I was listening to as I wrote DUMB has about a hundred songs on it, each of which I’ve listened to at least twenty times. This tells me two things: 
1. Without music, I’d probably never have written DUMB at all.
2. It takes a really long time to write a book!

-- 
Thanks so much Antony! Now, if you want a chance to win a signed copy of The Five Flavors of Dumb, or a signed copy of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, all you have to do is like Antony's Facebook Page and you're entered! How easy is that?

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Title: Five Flavors of Dumb
Author: Antony John
Release Date: November 11th
Source: ARC Tour through Blog Tour
Synopsis from Goodreads:
THE CHALLENGE: Piper has one month to get a paying gig for Dumb—the hottest new rock band in school.

THE DEAL: If she does it, she'll become manager of the band and get her share of the profits, which she desperately needs since her parents raided her college fund.

THE CATCH: Managing one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl who is ready to beat her up. And doing it all when she's deaf. With growing self-confidence, an unexpected romance, and a new understanding of her family's decision to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, Piper just may discover her own inner rock star.

Five Flavors of Dumb is the first book that I've read featuring a deaf main character. It was a completely new experience and I think that I both learned a lot and enjoyed myself. Obviously the main character being deaf is a large part of the story, but it's not the whole story. The story itself wasn't quite what I expected, but it was good.

The concept of this book is very original. A deaf girl managing a rock band? Really? Well, yes. I was curious as to how it would work, but work it does. Piper doesn't see being deaf as a disability. Her lip reading is so good that she can get by without much trouble at all, and who needs to hear music when you can feel it? I loved that she was so strong and didn't let herself get her down.

Something that I had a problem with was the inconsistency of the characters. I had a hard time figuring out exactly who they were supposed to be. She was introduced shy, but then she would be outspoken. I understand the natural evolution of a character throughout the course of a book, but sometimes it seemed a little abrupt. Another thing is that there are a lot of characters who are in a scene at once, which I think made it hard to connect to each individual character.

I loved how big a role music played in the book. It made me want to get on YouTube and listen to songs by Jimi Henrix and Nirvana. I also loved Piper's family and how they played such a large role in the book and her life. It doesn't make sense to me when a characters family plays next to no role in the book because they are obviously a large part of their life, so I appreciated that they played a large role in this book.

Basically I really enjoyed this book, there were just a few things that made it difficult for me to connect to the characters. I would definitely recommend it.

Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 44/50 B+
Cover Comments: Love this cover! It's so loud and bright. The girl on the front looks really cool and I love that there's a band performing in the backround!  

Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Published: October 2010
Source: The Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

I went into this book with super, super high expectations. As in, I don't think that I've ever expected a book to be as good as I expected this book to be. I mean, why shouldn't I have had high expectations? It's written by two fantastic authors, it's a romance, it's set in New York City, it has alternating narratives, and the cover is cute as can be. So did it live up to my expectations? Not only did it live up to them, it exceeded them. That's because of one thing that I couldn't tell before I read it: the characters are fan-freaking-tastic.


I have to say that this book is exactly what it looks like: a fun, light read with heart. But it's so, so much more than that. It's hilarious, heart-warming, heart-stopping, has some really kick-ass quotes, and manages to make you think. I liked it even more than I liked Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and I loved that book.


The characters are really what makes this book. Dash, who's so intelligent it's almost hard to think of him as an actual teenage boy, and Lily, who's probably one of the most kindhearted people ever, are just the beginning. There's Lily's gay older brother and huge extended family, and Dash's quirky best friend and ex-girlfriend from Spain. They're all dynamic and so real it's ridiculous.


Something else that I loved about this book is that it's set at Christmas time. I love love love Christmas, and Dash and Lily's feelings about it play a large role in establishing them as characters. Being set at Christmas gives the book a very holiday feeling to it, which just makes it seem even more magical. You don't have to love Christmas to love this book though, nor do you have to read it at Christmas (but if you don't you might find yourself longing to hear some carols or eat gingerbread men). 


Basically I loved, loved, loved this book. If you have even a vague interest in it you should read it, it's definitely worth it!


Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Originality:10/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 50/50 A+
Cover Comments: I love this cover! I think that it captures how big a role New York City at winter plays in it while also being playful. I love the heart snowflakes!

Help get me out of my reading funk!

Hey everyone! So, I've been in kind of a reading/blogging funk lately. I'm working to get out of it, and I'm making some progress with the blogging, but the reading is just killing me. I can't find a book that I stay interested in. I forced myself through Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison, which is so a book that I shouldn't have had to force myself to read, and I'm struggling through Stolen by Lucy Christopher. This is where you come in: choose a book from the following list that you think will get me out of my reading funk and make me actually want to read again! So, here are the choices:




Thanks so much!

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week:

 Title: Bumped

Author: Megan McCafferty

Release Date: April 26th, 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

 

This book sounds so fantastic! So original, and it's by the author of one of my favorite series ever AKA The Jessica Darling books, beginning with Sloppy Firsts. I love this cover too, it's very fitting.

 

What are you waiting on? 

 

Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Title: I Am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore
Published: August 2010
Source: Book It Forward ARC Tours
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.
I am Number Four. 

I had some pretty high expectations for this book, but sadly it didn't meet them. Not that it was a bad book, just that it wasn't as good as I would have liked it to be. I loved the story line, but I think that the writing could have used a little more work. I didn't think that John's voice was very convincing either.

 Let's start with what I did like: The story line. I haven't read a YA book about aliens before so it was definitely different for me from the very beginning. I really liked learning about the other planets, why they were fighting, why John was on Earth to begin with. I thought that the pacing was pretty good in general, though a bit slow in parts.

I liked most of the characters, Henri was my favorite. I think that John was a bit too formal for a teenage boy, alien or not. That was one of the big things. I couldn't seem to connect with John as someone that could really be out there somewhere. He wasn't real enough, he seemed too much like a narrator and not enough like the person living the events.

I think that this book will translate really well into a movie. It's pretty detailed and heavy on the descriptions, especially when there's a lot of action. It read a lot more like a movie script than a book in some parts, actually.

Basically, I liked it but didn't love it. I'm really looking forward to the movie though!


Characters: 7/10
Writing: 7/10
Originality: 9/10
Plot: 7/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 39/50 C+
Cover Comments: Cool cover, grabs my attention.

In My Mailbox (39)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we share the books that we've somehow acquired the previous week.

The Library:

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

That's all I got, but I'm in no way upset by that! This book looks like it rocks! 

What's in your mailbox?

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Sweetly

Author: Jackson Pearce

Release Date: August 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

SWEETLY is a modernization of Hansel and Gretel and a companion book to SISTERS RED and FATHOMLESS.

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

My Thoughts: I LOVED Sisters Red, and I love modernized fairy-tales in general, so I think that I'll LOVE this one too. Plus that cover is just so awesome! I didn't see the face the first time I looked, it's really creepy! 

What are you waiting on?

Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Title: The Duff
Author: Kody Keplinger
Published: September 2010
Source: The Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Let me just start by saying that I LOVED this book. Loved it, loved it, loved it. It was sassy, sweet, funny, and heart-felt. Everything I love in a book and more. Plus it had a great message about self-esteem and loving yourself.

Bianca was...something else. I've never read a character quite like her before. She was really, really cynical, which I enjoyed, but you could also tell that a lot of it was an act. Her feelings got hurt easily and she questioned herself all the time. Plus all of the not-worthy vibes about herself that I got from her. On the surface she was sassy, but if you look a little deeper and you could see that she was hurting.

Bianca's two best friends were so well developed.That both had separate personalities and stayed pretty true to how they were first portrayed. Wesley was...something else. I don't think that I've read a book where the main love interest was such a player before. It was definitely interesting. It was cool that as Bianca started liking him more, I started liking him more.

I really liked how this book had family issues too. In fact, Bianca's family is the root of all of her issues. Seeing her family work through the issues really gave the book another dimension. The self-esteem issues did as well. I think that every girl who's ever felt like the Duff should read this. Which means that every girl should read this, because at one point or another we all have, which is the whole point of the book.

As I stated at the beginning of this review I loved this book, and I would recommend to any girl, anywhere!

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 47/50 A
Cover Comments: LOVE the cover! It's so bright! And I love how the words that make up the acronym are in the letters. 

In My Mailbox (38)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

From Book It Forward ARC Tours:

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I've been pretty intrigued by this for a while, so I'm excited to read it!

What did you get this week?

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Vixen

Author: Jillian Larken

Release Date: December 14th, 2010

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination. 

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?
 
Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .
 
Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .
 
From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

Flappers! 1920s! Drama! Romance! Debut author! Series! A Gorgeous cover! What's not to love?

What are you waiting on?

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Title: Virals
Author: Kathy Reichs
Release Date: November 2nd 2010
Source: Traveling ARC Tours
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.


As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They are Virals.

In some ways Virals was what I expected, in others it wasn't. For instance, I expected there to be mystery, I didn't expect it to take place on two practically deserted islands. I was expecting Tory to have friends, just not the friends that she has (who I absolutely love!). I also expected the Virals part of the book to be bigger than it was. They didn't even have a clue about it until about halfway through the book, and only started to understand it by the end. I'm sure that it will be focused on more in the coming books.

Tory was a really, really awesome MC. She's smart, headstrong, and compassionate. She recently moved in with her dad, who didn't even know of her existance, after her mothers death. They live on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, and she quickly became friends with the three boys who live in her area. Ben, the strong silent type, Hi, the pudgy, awkward, enigma, and Shelton, the tech genius. I love them all! They're so quirky and intelligent. They all care about each other and are true friends. There was only romance in this book if you look for it, and then I would hardly call it romance. More like what could be romance.

I thought that the pacing of this book was a bit slow at parts. Reichs likes to explain things in detail, and though it helps when trying to picture the setting, it tends to slow things down. Towards the end the pacing really picks up, as the entire mystery unfolds. It's quite a mystery indeed. There are so many factors that I had no idea how they all fit together until the end. And I was really shocked at a few parts of the puzzle!

I wish that there had been more of Kit, Tory's dad. He was barely in the book, and I feel like I don't know him at all. For most of the book Tory and her friends run free, and easily escape there parents watchful eyes. I got the sense that they could really do whatever they wanted. It was kind of strange, actually. They had school, but after school they were completely free, and could be out until after dark. I guess that I think it's a bit unrealistic.

Basically, I really enjoyed this book, but I wish that it had been paced a bit faster and that Tory's dad was in it more.

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 43/50 B
Title/Cover Comments: The title fits well for the series, but not this particular book. The cover is good, I like that the girl is running, and the dogs in the letters.

Blog Tour: Interview with Catherine Ryan Hyde and Giveaway!

Today on the blog I have an amazing author who I really admire, Catherine Ryan Hyde, here to promote her newest book Jumpstart the World (My review here). Other works include Pay It Forward, which was turned into a movie, and Diary of a Witness, Becoming Chloe, and quite a few more! Thanks to Teen {Book} Scene Blog Tours for this oppurtunity! Oh, there's a giveaway at the end, so be sure to stick around!

1. Hi Catherine, thanks for being here! Could you tell us a bit about your forthcoming novel Jumpstart the World?

Absolutely. Thanks. Jumpstart the World is a Young Adult novel (though I think it’ll very easily cross over to adult readers) on the subject of transgender. My protagonist, Elle, is barely 16. Her mother is in the process of dumping her into her own apartment. In Manhattan. Because Mom has a new boyfriend and New Boyfriend doesn’t want Elle around. Elle cuts off almost all her hair as an act of rage against her mother, which only makes people in her new school think she’s gay. So she ends up hanging out with gay friends, because nobody else invites her in. And she falls in love with her next door neighbor, Frank, even though he’s much older and in a live-in relationship. Her friends think Frank is transgender. She’s sure he’s not. But they turn out to be right. It’s a tough adjustment for Elle. Not because she’s closed-minded, but because she has a shred of doubt about her sexuality and she’s (needlessly) worried about what this might be trying to tell her. The hardest part is that she doesn’t fall back out of love with Frank when she finds out. But, as is so often the case in life, the hardest part turns out to be the best part. In the long run.

2. Did you have to do a lot of research for Jumpstart the World?

Fortunately, no. For many books I do. But I grew up with a transgender sibling. And one of my best friends is a trans man (I dedicated the book to him). Plus I lived in New York City when I was younger. So I had enough of this in my own experience.

3. You currently have fourteen published or soon to be published novels. How long does it take you to write your books?

Actually, 16. But who’s counting? Jumpstart is number 14. Then I have another UK title, Don’t Let Me Go, coming out in the Fall of ’11. And I’m currently writing another book for that market that’s already under contract. So that’s 16 published or sold for publication. I have another YA novel on my editor’s desk as well, but I won’t count it until it’s under contract.

I tend to write very fast. On average I can write even one of my longer novels in 5 or 6 months of very intensive work.

4.  Wow, that is fast! You write books for both Adult and Young Adult audiences, do you read more of one or the other?

I definitely read more YA. The last half a dozen books I’ve read are Rage: A Love Story, What They Always Tell Us, By the Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Tricks, and I Thought You Were Dead. Only that last one is an adult title.

5. What is your favorite part of being a published author?
Hearing from my readers. When someone writes to me and tells me one of my books helped them through a hard time, or made them see the world or their own life in a different way. That’s as good as it gets.

6. Your books deal with a lot of sensitive topics, such as the transgender issue in Jumpstart the World and alcoholism and down syndrome in The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance, what do you hope that readers will get out of your books?

I’d like to see them come out just a little more tolerant, more accepting, more understanding. We’re afraid of things we don’t know. So I hope I can help people break down some of that fear through my characters.

7. You started the Pay It Forward Foundation (http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/), are there any other charities that you ardently support?

Yes. I’m the president of LandWatch San Luis Obispo County (http://landwatchsloco.org/), whose mission is protecting the natural world and its resources through grassroots activism, education, enforcement of existing laws, and promotion of sound environmental and land use legislation. I feel very passionate about protecting the environment. I disagree with those who seem to feel it’s ours to destroy.

8. I agree with you Catherine! Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what?

I don’t. I only listen to music while I’m driving. I’m too easily distracted. I can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time. I’m not a multi-tasker.

9. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Just that I have a lot of respect for book bloggers because they read. And because they’re filling the gaping hole left by the slow death of print reviews. I’m not sure what I’d do without you guys.

Thanks so much for answering my questions!

Now for the giveaway! I have one (1) finished copy of Jumpstart the World to giveaway!

About the Book:

Elle is a loner. She doesn’t need people. Which is a good thing, because she’s on her own: she had to move into her own apartment so her mother’s boyfriend won’t have to deal with her.

Then she meets Frank, the guy who lives next door. He’s older and has a girlfriend, but Elle can’t stop thinking about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s gentle. And Elle is falling for him, hard.

 
But Frank is different in a way that Elle was never prepared for: he’s transgender. And when Elle learns the truth, her world is turned upside down.  Now she’ll have to search inside herself to find not only the true meaning of friendship but her own role in jumpstarting the world.

Tender, honest, and compassionate, Jumpstart the World is a stunning story to make you laugh, cry, and honor the power of love.

Sounds good, right? It is! Here are the rules for the contest:

• Ends November 7th
• US Only! Sorry!
• Must be at least 13 years old to enter.
• You DO NOT have to be a follower to enter.
• MUST fill out the form below, comments will not count as entries.

Good Luck!

Review: Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Title; Jumpstart the World
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Published: October 12th, 2010
Source: Received for review from publisher
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Elle is a loner. She doesn’t need people. Which is a good thing, because she’s on her own: she had to move into her own apartment so her mother’s boyfriend won’t have to deal with her.

Then she meets Frank, the guy who lives next door. He’s older and has a girlfriend, but Elle can’t stop thinking about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s gentle. And Elle is falling for him, hard.
But Frank is different in a way that Elle was never prepared for: he’s transgender. And when Elle learns the truth, her world is turned upside down.  Now she’ll have to search inside herself to find not only the true meaning of friendship but her own role in jumpstarting the world.

Tender, honest, and compassionate, Jumpstart the World is a stunning story to make you laugh, cry, and honor the power of love.

Though it's short, this is a powerful book. It raises some issues that I've not seen in YA literature before, and really made me think: about what makes a gender, about how intolerant the world is, about how we can all do something to jumpstart it just a little bit, to get people moving toward tolerance. 

Elle was a strong character. Very tell it like it is. And yet, she really doesn't know herself. She puts on a strong front, but inside she's hurt and confused about her entire situation. Enter Frank, who actually listens to her for a change. He's so kind and gentle, how could she not love him? Her world is rocked when she finds out that he's trans-gender. What does that say about her? She doesn't know and she has to find out.

Something that I wish there was more of in this book would be Elle's relationship with her mother. We start the book at the end of their traditional relationship, where her mother is leaving her on her own. There's some back-story given, and an explanation of her mother's character, but I think that I would have liked to know about their relationship before that point.

I loved how real this book was. Everything wasn't perfect. There were awkward moments, mistakes were made, people were hurt, but nothing completely catastrophic happened as a result. Nothing perfect happened to fix everything either. It was all about the decisions Elle made and how she chose to view and handle things. 

I do feel that in trying to make a statement the book got a little less personal than it could have been. I saw Elle's struggle with her feelings, but I really didn't see the feelings. I didn't feel her love for Frank. I think that it was expressed more through other emotions like jealousy and anger than the actual love, which I would have liked more of.
 
Basically I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to just about anyone, young adult or adult.

Characters: 9/10
Writing: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 43/50 B
Cover Comments: The cat plays a pretty big part in the book, and I like the title font and the red. It doesn't really jump out at me though.

In My Mailbox (37)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Won from My Pile of Books:

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

Blue Fire by Janice Hardy

Demon Princess: Reign Check by Michelle Rowen

Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

Hawksmaid by Kathryn Lasky

Anastasia's Secret by Suzanne Dunlap

Thank you SOOOO MUCH! All of these look so, so good!

That's it for me, be sure to leave a link to your mailbox in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Drought by Pam Bachorz

Release Date: January 11th, 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.
So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s
ever known?

This book sounds twisted in all the best ways. I really enjoyed her other book, Candor, and this one sounds like it's similar in a way. The cover is really awesome too!

Blog Tour/Charity Event and Review: Split by Swati Avasthi

Hi everyone! So, today my review is a little bit more than a review. And not just because it's part of a blog tour set up by The Teen{Book}Scene, but because for every comment left on this post Swati will donate $1 to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, a charity that is against domestic abuse. So please make sure you comment, it's for a good cause!

--

Title: Split
Author: Swati Avasthi
Published: March 2010
Source: Received for Review from publisher
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. First-time novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

I loved, loved, loved this book. From page one I connected with Jace, could hear his voice, and felt his pain. I tore through the book because I wanted to know more. More about his past, more about what was happening then, more about what was going to happen. It's been awhile since I've felt like that about about a book.

Like I stated before, Jace was a real character from the beginning. I was compelled to read more about him because his voice was so strong. I felt his struggle to not be like his father, despite how similar they are. I felt the pain in his memories. The rest of the characters were very real as well, just not to the extent that Jace was. I loved the family dynamic between Jace and his brother.

The domestic abuse in this book is absolutely terrible to read about. There were quite a few times where I looked away from the page disgusted by what had happened. Not because it was too graphic, but because it was just too terrible to think about. The really sad thing about it is that the things described in the this book are probably reality for many kids and adults out there.

There's not really anything that I feel I can complain about. I loved it, and will definitely be keeping it for rereading sometime in the future.

Characters: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 49/50 A+
Cover Comments: Striking cover, I like the keys.
--

There is also an auction for a ton of really cool stuff to benefit the charity, like signed books and critiques from authors. Sound like something you'd be interested in? Then go here!

If you'd like to help raise money by commenting on the other stops on the tour, please go here.

And last but definitely not least, if you would like to buy the book (which I recommend, it's amazing) please go to:

Amazon
Indie Bound
Barnes and Noble
or
The Book Depository

I leave you with buttons:
Button for going to the blog tour schedule:

Button for going to the charity auction site for the event :

Mini Review: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Title: Monsters of Men
Author: Patrick Ness
Published: September 2010
Source: Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
"War," says the Mayor. "At last." Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge - the electrifying finale to the award-winning "Chaos Walking" trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about power, survival, and the devastating realities of war. 

Patrick Ness is a genius. This book is genius. I was a little weary at first, because it's been a year since I read the first two and I had forgotten a few things, but I was brought up to speed pretty fast. The first half of the book was a slow build. And I do mean slow. There was some action, yes, but it wasn't as fast paced and "Oh my god what just happened, did that really just happen?" as the second half. I'm telling you, there's a certain point that you get to when you're reading when you realize that you cannot put this book down. Then it's full speed ahead.


I liked the addition of the POV of 1017. It gave a lot of insight into how the Spackle work. The other characters were brilliant as always. The mind tricks in this are...wow. I didn't know what to believe for a lot of it. I think that The Mayor is one of the most brilliantly written characters of all time. He's so complex, and you love to hate him. But is he redeemable? You won't know until you read the book. 


Basically I loved this book, and I thought it was a perfect end to this trilogy. The only thing that I didn't like is that there wasn't more at the end. If you haven't read this trilogy I highly recommend it. It's unlike anything I've ever even heard of before. 5 stars!

In My Mailbox (36)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

From the library:

 Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Wired by Robin Wasserman

For Review:

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Some good books this week, huh? Be sure to let me know what you got!

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Release Date: October 19th 2010
Source: Won from contest/For review
Synopsis from Goodreads:
While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.

With all of the hype around this book I thought that I might be disappointed. I thought, how much different can another werewolf book be? I thought that I was burned out on paranormal. I was so wrong. I loved this book. It's the most original werewolf book that I have ever read, and it's compulsively readable. I started it at night, went to bed about halfway through, woke up thinking about it. I had to stop about 100 pages from the end to go to a birthday party and that just about killed me. Go read this book!


Calla is a strong character. She is the alpha of her pack, the Nightshades. Her destiny is to mate the alpha of the other pack and create a new pack. She knows this. But when she sees a human boy dying she can't help but save him. Then he shows up at her school the next day and things go way wrong from there. Calla's sense of duty was warring against the rest of her the entire book. She knows what she's supposed to do, what she has to do, but does she want to?


The love triangle in this book was fantastic! I really was never sure who she liked more, who she was going to pick. I still don't. It's actually very frustrating. Both boys are so different, but they both care for Calla. And she cares for both of them. I'm team Shay! But Ren does have his merits...


The supporting characters in the book were great too. The pack members were all so dynamic and individual. I got confused near the beginning because there were so many, but by the end there wasn't a problem. I loved the whole mystery of the Keepers true intentions, and how Calla never knew what to believe.


Basically: I ADORED this book. It's one of my favorites so far this year, and if you enjoy paranormal even a little bit, you'll love this book. Heck, even if you don't like paranormal you'll probably love this book!


Characters: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 49/50 A+
Cover/Title Comment: I want to marry this cover. It's so amazing. I love the lilies with the blood on them, and the purple color, and the girls makeup, and everything! The title is great too!