The Giver by Lois Lowry: Review

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Published Houghton Mifflin Books 1993

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Format: Hardback from the library

Other books in this series: Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son

Buy This Book: Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

To be totally honest, I really don't know what to think of this book. For many people, it is the ultimate classic and example of what a dystopian novel should really be. And I truly understand that. I just don't think it lived up to the hype for me. 

My main problem was that the book was short at only 225 or so pages. There are very little books nowadays that are published saying too little. However, it felt like the story was shoved into such a small space. This didn't really allow for the character development of Jonas or The Giver. The secondary characters were also just thrown aside for the most part. It really could have been improved if I related to Jonas, but I really did not care. The writing style was also very detached from the characters. The book was written in third person, but it felt so different because the way it was written. 

The story idea was also good, but it was not expanded upon enough. I had no idea a year had passed until the end of the book when they mentioned Jonas' ceremony of the thirteen, which really threw me. I thought, until that point, the book was within a month. There are not many descriptions of time passing. I also wanted to know more about the memories that were being given to Jonas. The ending felt strange too, like it didn't totally belong in the book. It just appeared at the end randomly and I could not figure out why they were doing this. That scene came in a rush as did most of the book.

Overall, I understand that this book is influential and defintely very good, but I just wasn't sure about the execution and description given to the topic. 

Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix Review

Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Published: Simon & Schuster 2010

Genre: Children's Science Fiction

Format: Paperback as a gift

Other Books In the Series: Found (book 1) and Sabotaged (book 3) and many more

Buy It From - Barnes & Noble - Amazon

*If you have not read the first book in this series, even the summary will be spoilery! I do highly suggest this series, so go start it!

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen: Review

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Published: Viking 2006

Genre: YA Romance

Format: Hardback from the library

Other Books by this Author: The Truth About Forever, This Lullaby, Along for the Ride

Buy it from: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Twitter

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.

This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Just Listen was a fun, light, quick read. As with all of Sarah Dessen's books, she delivered with a cute romance and a few life lessons thrown in there. The main theme of this book was, of course, music. There are many different types of music strewn throughout this book, most of which is shown through radios and CDs. Ahhh...the days when CD players were used instead of iPhones! Also known as 2006...

The main character, Annabel, isn't really particularly likable or even considerably warm. She is a bit hard to connect to, due from the uniqueness of her position. Annabel is a model whose world has just crashed after her best friend dumps her after she reportedly hooked up with her best friend's boyfriend. After a summer filled with modeling, she returns to school. Where she meets Owen. Owen is a bit better in the character department. Both go through lots of character development throughout the book, but their romance was also a little bit lacking. I loved his sister and she was just so adorable throughout the entire book. The main part of this book, for me, was focused on Annabel's family situation. 

Annabel's sister, Whitney, is recovering from an eating disorder after her retired modeling career and Kristen is trying to start her life again after she too drops out from modeling. Even Annabel herself no longer likes it. This was my favorite part of the book - the relationship between these sisters throughout their struggles. I loved Annabel and Whitney's relationship and my favorite scene was the weekend they spent together while their parents were away for the weekend. It was so interesting to see as their relationship developed. 

The book was well paced and the perfect length. The relationship between Annabel and Owen was a little bit lacking for me, but Annabel's home relationship kept the book going. I really liked the way she developed her relationship with her friend Clarke and all her sisters, including the topics that were dealt with along the way such as eating disorders. There is also a little part of this book about rape, which felt a little strange to me since it occurred at the very end of the novel, so there wasn't a lot of time to fully develop this plotline. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book!

Virals by Kathy Reichs Review

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Published: Penguin 2010

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Format: Paperback as a gift

Other books in the series: Seizure, Code, Exposure

Buy it from - Barnes & Noble - Amazon - Twitter

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.

This book was probably the most fun reading experience I have had thus far this year. Virals was a crazy, fun mystery with many cool sci-fi elements involved. It was also a very smart book. All of the clues had something to do with biology or anthropology. As I was reading this book, I also got to learn about those fields. It made the book a fun read that pushed the mystery to keep reaching farther. 

Our main character, Tory, was a strong character. Tory stood up to all the people around her for what she believed in and led her team of boys. She was a good leader for the group and really helped them all without getting overly commander. I really liked her friends on the island. They were all very different and great compliments to Tory's character. The romance in the book was well developed and interesting, especially in where it ended up at the end of the book. Even the villains were unique and well preserved in their motives.

Virals was action packed from beginning to end. There were many great action scenes as they ran around on the islands. Some of the surrounding area could have been explained a little bit more to really build the action. There are multiple islands around South Carolina that they travel too and more description could have helped separate them. Throughout the book, there were lots of high intensity moments that really contributed to the story and made the mystery even more hyped. 

Overall, I loved where this book went and how it got there. I will be continuing on with this series to see more of this type of smart mystery. 

Bunheads by Sophie Flack: Review

Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Published: Poppy 2011

Genre: Contemporary YA

Format: Hardback from the library

Other books: this was her first book! 

Buy it from - Barnes & Noble - Amazon - Twitter

As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.

But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?

First of all - this book may appear from the summary to be a romance book. That is not at all what this book is about. Okay, there is a little romance and a bit of a love triangle (it ends within the chapter, don't worry), but it does not rule the plot. The main part of this book is about the world of ballet. Focus on this when you chose to read the book or not. 

For me, I used to be a ballet dancer and was almost as dedicated as Hannah - practiced every day with multiple shows. Did I live by myself in Manhattan? Nope. Hannah does though and that is super cool. 

Saying that, I had a deep connection going into the book because it related to me. Bunheads focuses on the problems that dancers have, including myself, focusing on their dedication to their career more than anything else. They struggle to have lives outside of dance which is mostly where Jacob - the love interest - comes into the story. Jacob's character brings in the story of the world and brings Hannah to the conclusion that she is missing something. 

In the end, I really liked the way it turned out. This book did not make the world of ballet fluffy or light - it was dark and gritty like the real dance world is, partially in thanks to the author being herself a dancer. It felt almost autobiographical. However, I did have some problems with the book. 

The first problem was that the dancers never eat in the book and are praised for this. The main problem is that dancers have to eat and in fact eat more than any people I know. They burn off so many calories a day that it would be impossible to only eat white rice or whatever they came up with in the book. I do trust Sophie Flack as an author and retired dancer not to glorify this, but it does bother me that people outside of the dance world will see this as the norm. 

The book is also short and takes place over one year. This timing pushes the characters along rather quickly so Jacob and Hannah's romance may seem like insta-love. However, the chapters cover long periods of time. The spacing of the book could have been more broken up to better tell the story. Hannah goes through deep involvement during this story and I really liked that aspect of the book. 

Blood Red Road by Moira Young Review

Summary: Saba lives in Silverlake, a wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms where her family scavenge from landfills left by the long-gone Wrecker civilization. After four cloaked horsemen kidnap her beloved twin brother Lugh, she teams up with daredevil Jack and the Free Hawks, a girl gang of Revolutionaries. 

Saba learns that she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Saba and her new friends stage a showdown that change the course of her civilization.

Review: I actually read this book a while ago, but I wasn't sure how to approach this review. This book was a large book, somewhere around 400 pages. A lot happened in those four hundred pages - every page was packed with action and character development. It was almost overwhelming with everything happening in the book. 

Saba is a strong female character, literally strong. She is the most Katniss-like character I have seen in a female character. If it was Saba vs. Katniss in a fight, Saba might even pull of the win. She is not only physically strong, but mentally as well. She is smart and cunning, a good decision maker, strong willed. Everything about her is likable, but she also has such a strong front that it may seem a little hard to connect with her for the first few pages. Saba really is a character to desire to be like. Even to the way she deals with her love interest is admirable. Loved, loved this character!! 

The action is so well paced and plotted out. Everything is exciting and fun. There is no scene that feels boring or used as a filler scene. The book is long, but never boring. Everything is very well written, from all the fight scenes to the beautiful descriptions of the barren desert they fight their way through. It's really fun to read about. I would compare it to The Darkest Minds or Hunger Games in action. 

The writing style is a little awkward to read. It is written like The Knife of Never Letting Go, in Southern speak with misspelled words and bad grammar. It does add to the story, but sometimes can get a little hard to read. Eventually, it just seems natural, but I suggest reading certain scenes aloud if you can't understand them. It really does fit Saba's character, especially seeing their lifestyle and conditions. 

Overall, this book was a super fun read! I highly suggest it to any fans of action packed dystopias. 

5/5 Stars

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell Review

Summary: Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. 

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined.

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

Review: The last book in Carrie's prequel duology was not as good as the first. The Carrie Diaries was a fun book about Carrie's high school struggles. This one fell short from the first one in a lot of ways. The actual writing was not changed at all. Most of the problems came from Carrie's decisions in the book that really do not make sense with her character. 

The first major problem that I had was with her love interest. He was not a very likable character and the entire book I hated him. Carrie spends most of her time obsessing over him though, making him a major character. It was really hard to read those scenes. It also seemed kind of strange that she would be with someone like that after just having been through everything with Sebastian - who is maybe mentioned a whole of two times in the entire book. 

The second problem that I had was just with Carrie's character in general. Her decisions all seem very risky and wild. I understand the thrill that comes with New York City life, but she really doesn't have her career in mind at all when she comes. She misses so many opportunities in the city to make her dream come true for her friends and boyfriend. There are other ways that the story could have been taken to actually make Carrie a successful writer, someone who really shows talent. Then again, I have never read the original Sex and The City books, so maybe this was done for a reason. I don't really know. 

That being said, I loved the minor characters. Miranda was such a good compliment to Carrie. L'il's story was unique and interesting. Samantha really helped Carrie to grow throughout the book. Capote and Ryan were both interesting characters, both together and separate. I like that we got to catch up with Maggie, Walt, and Dorrit, but they do all just fade away. The plot was also a good concept, but got distracted with all the minor characters and Carrie's bad decisions. 

Overall, this book was fun and a good light read. It was nothing too special, but I do suggest the first book in the series to fans of SATC or The Carrie Diaries television show. 

2.5/5 Stars 

Just One Day by Gayle Forman Review

Summary (via Goodreads): When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Review: THIS BOOK! Was so good. Like incredibly good. I'm not really sure how to describe it - a feel good book? Not really. There was nothing incredibly mushy or heartwarming about it, but it still had an overall feeling of hope. It wasn't incredibly sad or happy. It was just like life. And that was beautiful. 

Allyson can relate to many people. She's the classic girl - not one created by movies - a real girl with an extroverted best friend, conflicting dreams, parental troubles, and her own internal problems as she tries to fit into the world. Her double persona of Lulu lets her become the person she has been wanted to be, a person that most people respect for their crazy daringness, like the personification of YOLO. However, Allyson doesn't always fit into this life. When she comes back to the States for college, she is faced with the dual personalities fighting for the way that she lives her life. As much as she wants this crazy part of her back, it will not come. She's haunted by the day in Paris. This day changed her life. First, I never thought one day could change your life before I read this book. One day seemed only a span of twenty four hours. After reading, I could probably make a list of over-looked days that did change my life. And while none of them are as crazy as Allyson's day in Paris, they still are important to the people we have all become. And then I figured - why can't every day be that one day that changes your life? That may seem impossible, but everyday we should do something new and exciting. That was what I took the most from this story.

It's been a while since I could really pull some type of deeper meaning from a book. Most of them, as according to the popular dystopian trend in young adult right now, focus on the same meanings of girl power and strength and heroism and self sacrifice. But after that message being pounded into my head for the past two years since The Hunger Games hit it's peak  and the onslaught of dystopian worlds being changed by one girl, I get the message. And I know what it means - it just seems hard to truly understand that when these people are in some terribly messed up government situations fighting for their life. That's not how I live though (and hopefully it never is). But in Just One Day, the girl and her relationships and her situations are real. They are relatable, even through the stretches of life in fiction. 

Overall, Gayle Forman nailed it with the writing. It was beautiful and flowing, with metaphors filling up every page, but not ever being thrown at the reader to understand them. The book took its reader in the direction it wanted, while letting them openly interpret, which is really how a book becomes meaningful. 

All of the locations were so well written. I could clearly see the various European locations, although I have never stepped foot on that continent. It was such a good idea of every place that they went. The characters were the same way - I felt like I knew all of them. It showed how there are good and willing people to help you wherever you go, just as they all help Allyson on her adventure to get back to Paris and Willem. 

This book is absolutely stunning. I highly suggest it! 

5/5 Stars

Trapped by Michael Northrop Review

Summary (via Goodreads): The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. . . .

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. . . .

Review: This book was okay, but it was the plot and description that really did it. If this book had a little bit more character development, it would probably be stellar. The descriptions of the building snow were all amazing and beautiful. The school was very well described. Every way that they stayed alive was very well written and accurate to what they would do. There were just a few problems in their priorities - like having acne problems and trying to pop pimples, lots of descriptions of the hot girls. Literally, there was nothing else to Julie or Krista except that they were hot and so beautiful, even though they were only freshman. 

As for Scotty, he was okay. Same with all the other characters. I did like Jason a little bit more than the rest for some reason, but everyone else was okay. All cookie cutter types of the high school crew - the bully, the hot girl, the best friend, the jock, the goth, the teenage boy controlled only by getting the girl, the smart leader who comes from nowhere. It was a typical high school - in description, in characters. Even the few encounters at the beginning of the book with teachers were nothing special, and most of them seemed to not care at all about any of the students. 

The plot was well described. While the level of snow was a bit unbelievable, the way that the school building shut down was brilliant. The heat shutting down, the electric, the roof falling down from all the snow. All of this was a very nice process and timed well so that just when they had everything figured out, they would start again with another problem. 

The ending really did the book justice. I will not spoil anything, but it was brilliantly done. It didn't wrap everything up at the end in a beautiful bow - but it left enough that the brain could fully imagine what would happen without directly stating anything. 

Overall, this book is worth the read. It is well written and descriptive, but the characters were a bit lacking and boring. 

4/5 Stars

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier Review

Summary (via Goodreads): Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Review: This book was so much fun to read. I loved Gwen. She was such an interesting point of view and was really fun and quirky. Having the world revealed to us through her was a really nice touch, especially seeing Gwen's funny reactions to somethings (like when she starts singing the national anthem around the mind readers!) Gideon was okay, but he seemed a little bit shifty. I don't know about his character or not, I guess he has to be a good guy... My other favorite character was Lesley, Gwen's best friend. They both had such a good relationship. I loved how protective Lesley was over Gwen and they always seemed to know what was going on with each other. The other adult characters in this book got a little confusing - there are multiple family lines and people in the Temple. Sometimes, it was hard to remember who a certain person was. However, there is a list of characters in the back of the book which would probably have been helpful if I knew it existed before I finished reading. *sigh*

The book was well paced, but the beginning did start slow. I really wished she would just tell her mother at the beginning and the explanation of the world took too long. It needed to happen for world building purposes, but it seemed too dragged out with all the multiple characters. They were all introduced at once and that was when it started to get confusing. Once the action picked up, it did start to get better - all the time travel was super fun and I loved the scenes where she got dressed before then. Halfway through, the action and the premise really picked up with all the collecting blood. I just wish that it had started a bit sooner. 

Ruby Red was translated from German, which I didn't have too many problems with. Sometimes, translation got a little bit fancy, but that normally happens. The translator took a very straight-from-the-German approach which led to fancier words and degrees than we would normally use in slang English. It wasn't exactly like reading a book originally written in English because of all the high language, but it was understandable. 

Overall, this book was an exciting and fun read with a slow beginning! I am going to read the next two books in this series sometime soon. 

4.5/5 stars 

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau: Review

Summary (via Goodreads): Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Review: This book was A LOT like the Hunger Games. Like so much so that I would find myself anticipating things that happened in THG to happen in The Testing. 

Now, the premise was good. The idea of having the smart kids go through a testing - that sounds pretty cool, very epic. However, the writing was just trying to be like The Hunger Games way too much. For the majority of the time, Cia was in the wilderness (how does that judge anything?) and she was going through some of the very same things that Katniss went through in the arena. 

Other than that - Cia was annoying. Well, not necessarily annoying, but she didn't really have any strong character. She was selfless and caring, she wanted everyone to live, got everything handed to her, passed on all the tests, and figured out all the strategies her fellow Testers were throwing her way. Nothing bad really happened to her. I have no idea what was happening with Tomas. I never trusted him and it irritated me so much when Cia did, even falling in love with him. At the end...ugh, the end. Thankfully, the last cliffhanger gives me some hope for the second book. Will was my favorite character and all of the crazy stuff that happened in this book mostly belonged to him. Other than that, I didn't really care about the other characters in the book. There were lots of little characters that floated in and out of the book. They were trying to be likable so we felt bad when they were eliminated/died but that didn't really work either. 

Overall - this plot seriously would have been better written without trying to be like the Hunger Games. It was entertaining and constantly moving, but the characters and the world could have been developed a whole lot more. 

3/5 stars 

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness: Book Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Summary (via Goodreads): Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

This book was insanely good and epic. I highly suggest it for fans of the action packed series like Divergent or Hunger Games. This was definitely an action book - you can tell that from the summary - but it wasn't just a book that had lots of fighting, nor did it glorify the fights that they certainly did encounter. 

The main point of this book was against 1) the sharing of information, especially in a public way (*hint* facebook *hint*). The idea of the Noise is so that everyone can hear everything you do, say, think, see. It's pretty terrifying and kind of like a constant refreshing Twitter, except you can't control it. Yes, there are ways to block it out for a small amount of time, but it's always there. And that's a pretty scary concept to deal with. The next major point was against violence. Yes, a book with the word 'knife' in the title is super against violence. The main portion of the second half was spent dealing with Todd's internal conflict between killing and not. This is ramped up by the presense of Aaron, a 'preacher,' who pushes him toward thinking more critically about becoming a killer. The knife is such a metaphor and the title really pushes you to think that way. Brilliant title naming.

Todd is such a lovable character and maybe that's because you know what he's thinking all the time. He's not warm or fuzzy exactly, because of the larger focus on the world and action, but he makes good and bad decisions. He's a human and therefore is both loved and hated. Manchee, his dog, is super adorable. Unlike most talking animals, he actually makes sense (think the dog from the Disney movie Up). Viola is one of the strongest female characters in the book (wait ---the only female character) and she stands up for herself while keeping Todd rooted toward his goal. This is really an epic trio to follow around New World. 

Which let's talk about this world, shall we?

New World's colonies are all different and unique, like the differences between the states in the US. Prentisstown is definitely the worst and it may not seem that way until the end. The world is so built up and important to everything the character's do. It's a swampy disaster, a jungle, a waterfall. The descriptions are beautiful, yet creepy, as they travel along to experience the different ways the various settlements are dealing with the Noise. There is a lot of fear in every one of these places, but each tries to work its way around it. Some do very well at this, while others are little...um....freaky. 

So why the four stars? Because pages 300-400 were needless and just made the book a whole lot longer. These could easily have been taken out and the two plot points inserted in another, hopefully shorter, way. So that's why the four stars. I have to start getting harsher here! 

That's it! Do read this book, I highly suggest it. The writing style (very Mark Twain-esque) can take a while to get used to, but it just adds a new layer. 

Have fun with your next read! 

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick Review

This book is one of my favorite books of this year - wait - life. I adored this book because it was truthful and honest. 

The main character is Leonard Peacock, who decides on his birthday, to kill his 'friend' and then himself. The entire premise is scary and terrifying, but so intriguing. The side characters are very important, as before he kills himself, he gives four presents to the four people he cares about. His old neighbor, Walt, made me cry during their last scene together. The violin player he listened to every day after school. The girl that he liked, but didn't like him back. His Holocaust teacher. All of them reacted in very different ways to the gifts, which also made them seem different as people. Another important thing is that they represent other ways that people could be prejudiced against - dealing with addictions, race, religion, and sexual orientation. The characters really make this book. 

The premise is both heartbreaking and intriguing. Matthew Quick handles this amazingly and really gets into the head of a person who is really dealing with these types of situations. It is extremely eye opening. 

Please read this book. It is amazing. Just do it. It will probably change your life. 

5/5 stars

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano Review

 Summary (from Goodreads): On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Review:

And just when you thought the dystopian genre had been exhausted, Lauren DeStefano comes up with this gem. Perfect Ruin is the firs book in the Internment Chronicles, a new trilogy. Her first, the Chemical Garden books, were terrible. However, I decided to give her books another chance because the summary was so intriguing. 

Internment is a city in the sky, characterized by its love of trains, extreme monarchy, and careful population control. People can also jump off the city in the sky, called jumpers, who are trying to kill themselves. Morgan's brother, Lex, is one of these. The book kicks off when Daphne, a fellow classmate, is killed in a city supposedly without problems. This leads to a chain of crimes in the city. 

Morgan is one of the best female characters. She isn't strong like Tris or Katniss. She is honestly a normal girl reacting in the same way I would (like a better version of Clary). Her best friend, Pen, would be amazing to have as a best friend. She is extremely funny and witty, the perfect comparison to Morgan. Basil is adorable and my new fictional boyfriend. Thomas and Pen were also very cute together, in a different way.

The book is written beautifully and all the pictures of the world are so drawn out. It is perfect for those looking for a fast paced read, while not necessarily action. Love, love, loved this book. Highly suggest. 

5/5 stars

Allegiant by Veronica Roth Review

If you have not read Insurgent, do not read this post! I do suggest this series though.

When I first ended the book, I thought this was the worst ending that anyone could come up with. I was angry, just about ready to throw the series to the wayside. I hated the book, but it was probably just being emotionally drained. After rereading the majority of it, I am now emotionally stable enough to write a coherent review. Not a good one, just a little bit less scathing. 

Plot: I highly disagreed with the way this one turned out. Honestly, I don't even think it was very realistic. I knew after reading Insurgent that Veronica Roth had written herself into a corner, but I still hoped that she would pull herself through. Not exactly. This book missed the crazy action we normally love and the plot moved slowly. It wasn't enjoyable or believable and that harmed the book as a whole. 

Characters: The dual povs also hurt this book. Four was whiny and had no self confidence. He made rash decisions and totally stepped outside of his character. Tris should have had the entire perspective, or maybe Caleb, as Veronica mentioned in an interview. Four's perspective just hurt the book because his chapters were boring. I really feel in love with Caleb and Cara, who turned out to be my favorite characters and Christina remained epic as usual. Our new characters were very off-putting and easy to see through, which is probably needed to develop them in one book. I also really liked the back story we received with Tris' mom. 

Writing: Veronica did not disappoint. It was beautifully written, with every sentence making a punch. Towards the end, it did get a little preachy as Four said lots of pointless things for twenty pages, but overall, it was still very good. 

Message: After initially reading this, I could find none. From this series, it lacked the one thing I though it needed to become a major hit that would withstand time. I could not find an essential meaning. At the end of this book, a major plot point does reveal something major that ties the book together well, while not necessarily the best. 

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars
If you have not read Clockwork Angel, the first book in this trilogy, this review still has spoilers! If you have not read Clockwork Prince, you will be safe.

Overall, I thought this book was slow. Until the last 100 pages or so kicked in. It seemed like we spent a whole lot of time doing just about nothing, including multiple failed attempts to find Mortmain. Charlotte has been set up to find Mortmain, or she will lose the Institute, so you would think that is the major priority in this book.

Except, no, not really.

During this book, we get the "conclusion" of the love triangle. Throughout the failed attempts, Tessa is accompanied on her missions by either Jem or Will and stuff happens. Mostly in carriages and under balconies and pretty much everywhere. This book is mainly Tessa's decision between the two as they are finally put under equal light. In the end, she does make a decision, even though it may not be right for her. This part is the only thing that really grabs readers, until the main chunk of action at the end.

There is some exciting stuff going on with London, as well as the expansion of Will's backstory which was very intriguing. We also got some more of Magnus Bane, whom I am always a fan of, but not so much Camille, who I am also a fan of. Jessamine's character is also expanded upon more, but you have to wait until the end to see that story line really unfold. Sophie also gets more book time with a new love interest :).

So, in essence, the book is like a Clockwork Angel - part 2, which I guess it should be considering it's a sequel. I wouldn't say it suffered sequel syndrome, but it definitely had some side effects.

I highly suggest this series (at least what I've read of it) and it is MUCH better than the Mortal Instruments. I will probably not get around to Clockwork Princess for a while, maybe January? Late December? Hopefully this book packs more of a punch. It certainly has room for it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Review

5/5 Stars

OMG THAT BOOK WAS SO CUTE! - first reaction

Fangirl is about Cath, sister to Wren (let's give a high five to Rainbow Rowell for best naming of a character ever) who is going to college. She lives with her mean roommate Reagan and Reagan's best friend, Levi, who is there enough that he practically lives there. We also get characters like Professor Piper, her fiction writer teacher, and Nick, who writes with her. 

Oh, wait, she's exactly like us!

Legit, Cath is the fangirl. She writes fanfiction, has a gay noncanon ship, buys merchandise, watches the movies, goes to the midnight release party. this character is us. 

I love Cath and Levi's relationship. It was so cute to see them develop together, from the beginning when they invited her to get out of her room with the protein bars. Just adorable. Wren was one of the most interesting characters with her alcoholism problem. I really liked how that topic was touched on. It was done beautifully and she really redeemed herself and their relationship. Great work!

The plot was much better than Eleanor & Park, in my opinion. The main character was much more human. While she had her faults, they didn't define her. She was strong without being an overdose. It was so hard watching her go through all of the dramas of her freshman year. 

Must read. Seriously, read this if you've ever loved a book. And because you are on Goodreads, then you probably have a favorite book. Just read it, okay?

Okay.