Love, Literature, Art, and Reason

From Book to Movie: Review–Cloud Atlas

2013-05-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

cover links to imDB

Cloud Atlas

Summary (from imDB): An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

My review of the book: Review - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Movie Review:

Despite giving the book a mediocre review, I went into the movie fully expecting to love it. I said in my book review that I thought I’d like the movie because I felt the writing in the book sort of hindered my enjoyment of the story/stories since I found it flashy and pretentious. Stripped of the writing, I thought I could relax and enjoy the story and the overall message. In my book review, I said that I liked some of the individual stories a lot. While I also understand the connection between all of them, I didn’t think it was necessary for all of them to be together in one book and the connection sort of tries too hard to be profound. I mainly felt they existed together to form a message about mankind but also to show off the author’s talent for writing various different ways. But even in film, I find that I dislike the short stories linked as one. I like some of the individual stories, but don’t like the overall picture as a whole.

It seems that Cloud Atlas doesn’t work for me in any form. I don’t like the story altogether. I think it tries too hard to be profound and life changing. It says a lot about mankind and I get the message and I even agree with it. But the execution (both book and film) makes me cringe. It doesn’t work for me. For whatever reason, I cannot love Cloud Atlas the way that I’d hoped I would.

I do think the movie is more bearable than the book because the viewer isn’t exposed to the writing in the novel. The overall theme is much more apparent in the movie, too, especially given that the same actors are used in each of the separate stories. The layout of the stories in the movie was different from the book. The book told each story in chronological order, all of them breaking off at the middle. Then, the final story was told in full and the last half of each story followed in reverse chronological order. The movie jumped around a lot more from story and story, cutting to scenes in each that bore a connection or similar theme. This technique helped bring home the major point of the movie in a more obvious way and I preferred it to the book, despite liking the book format as well. The movie lacks the same organizational structure, but the overall result was much easier to follow.

I could tell that the movie was done by people who loved the story and wanted to tell it well. I felt as if each detail was precise and well done and portrayed the book quite well. I liked the acting and makeup and I found the movie to be visually stunning and beautiful.

As with the book, I find I love the story of Sonmi the most. I wish I could have seen that part by itself. I feel that way about all of the stories, actually. To say that I didn’t enjoy parts of the movie would be a lie. As separate stories, they are great! It’s just that putting them all together in one movie just doesn’t work for me. I don’t like how all the stories exist as examples and means to an end and how it forces the viewer (and the reader of the book) to make these profound connections. Even though the connections are there and the stories lead us to the conclusion, it is too over the top for me. It just rubs me the wrong way.

Most reviews are positive and some even go as far as to assume that the negative reviewers just don’t “get” the movie, but I don’t think that’s true for everyone. I think many of us do get it, we just don’t like it and that’s okay. Cloud Atlas didn’t change my life. It says quite a bit about mankind on a profound level, but it still feels forced and pretentious to me and I dislike it for that reason. I’m left thinking Cloud Atlas tries too hard to be more important than it is.

I do recommend the movie to fans of good stories (adventure, comedy, love, music, dystopias, etc) with major overall messages about humanity and redemption. Like the book, I feel that there is an audience for the story and most people who will get the message will appreciate it. It doesn’t work for me, but that doesn’t make it a terrible story and I recommend figuring out if it’s right for you.

Top Ten Tuesday–Favorite Book Covers

2013-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I've Read

1. Awakened Gods (Lunangelique #3) by Kristin R. Campbell.

One of the coolest looking covers I’ve seen.

2. Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi.

This cover is gorgeous. And totally unique.

3. A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories by Ray Bradbury.

Even though Fahrenheit 451 is more iconic, the blues and purples of this cover appeal to me more.

4. Entangled (Spellbound #1) by Nikki Jefford.

Best close up of a face of girl on a cover.

5. The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma.

I am so glad I own a hardcover copy of this book for the cover alone. It reflects light in certain places and it’s more gorgeous in person than it is in a picture. The inside of the book in front and back is also extremely cool.

6. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

Because creepy people on the cover of books is always a good way to appeal to me.

7. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

I have always liked this cover.

8. The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen.

Best couple on a cover, I think.

9. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

10. Night by Elie Wiesel

Musing Mondays–Childhood Favorites

2013-05-20T10:36:00.001-04:00

hosted by Should Be Reading

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I had to get a second bookshelf the other day because I was running out of space and I wanted a place to put my Blu-ray disks, too, instead of buying an ugly DVD rack.

I recently moved to a new state because my husband is in the military. My stepdad is also in the military, so I currently live close to my mom and stepdad. My mom has kept a ton of books over the years that were mine from childhood. I decided since I acquired extra space that I was going to sift through some of the boxes and grab books that I’ve been missing, like my classics from AP English senior year.

Now, I’ve had A Wrinkle In Time on my shelf for ages because I knew it was a childhood favorite. What I didn’t realize was just how much I loved Madeleine L’Engle. I have about 10 books from her!

It’s one of those things where I knew I loved to read as a kid and I knew A Wrinkle In Time was a childhood favorite, I just didn’t realize how much I loved the author. I also didn’t realize just how much I read as a kid until I started sifting through books. I think it’s awesome. The best part about having all of these books back is being able to see how well loved and read they look.

What were some of your favorite books as a kid?

Review–School Spirits (School Spirits #1) by Rachel Hawkins

2013-05-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

School Spirits (School Spirits #1)

by Rachel Hawkins

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.
Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.
Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?
Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

Source: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I really enjoyed School Spirits. This was the first book I’ve read by Rachel Hawkins, as I have yet to read the Hex Hall series. I was sucked right into School Spirits and thought the author did a wonderful job of character building. For a sort of “teeny bopper” synopsis and overall impression, Hawkin’s ability to create incredibly complex and entertaining characters kept me completely interested at a time when YA was starting to wear thin for me. I cannot gush enough about how much I loved this book.

Being part of a magical crime fighting family had more drawbacks than perks for Izzy, but she was able to get her own chance to shine by investigating a possible haunting at a school. Under the guise of being a new student, Izzy was able to go to school everyday, which was something she never got to do in her entire childhood. By inserting herself into the paranormal club at school, Izzy got the chance to make friends while also unraveling the mysterious haunting.

I liked Izzy and understood the strange dynamic between her and her mother. Izzy’s sister went missing on a mission and Izzy always felt like she wasn’t being given a chance to show her skills, so their relationship with strained, even though it was obvious they loved each other. As always, I appreciated the existence of a mom in the story since so many YA novels are strangely parentless.

The rest of the characters were wonderful and each of them had a distinct personality. None of them were particularly dull, being that they made up the weird and oddly freakish paranormal club in their school. Dex was probably my favorite character because he was so quirky and yet distinguished at the same time. He was one of those characters you can’t help but love. I wish I had more words to describe him, but just imagine a distinguished, old-timey persona in a gangly and awkward teenage boy with asthma. I mean, isn’t that the recipe for entertaining?!

I also enjoyed Torin, the imprisoned man in the mirror in the Brannick household. I loved how he was quirky (in a different way than Dex) and also took an interest in Izzy’s life. Izzy had never gone to school, so she tried to learn about social dynamics by watching a teen soap opera and Torin watched it with her. Their exchanges were hilarious. Seriously, I can’t decide who I loved more: Torin or Dex!

The plot of school spirits was interesting, what with Izzy attempting to fit in and also not get too close to temporary friends and it’s easy to see how that strategy might come with complications. Lots of different dynamics were going on and the haunting added the element of danger. The paranormal aspects of the story were there, despite the fact that I don’t seem to be talking much about the plot. But above all else, I loved School Spirits for the characters. They sucked me in and I was completely engrossed in the writing, hoping to figure out what would happen next. Also, I think this is a great book for actual teens to read because it has great lessons about friendship, family, duty, and identity, which are all wonderful themes for that age group.

There was a bit of romance and crushes and all that, which I loved. But it wasn’t a romantically focused book like many of the YA series out there and I found it refreshing. I don’t always want dramatic, in my face angst, drama, steam, and focus, but I also want the possibility of a relationship to exist. I loved the way the romance was done in School Spirits. I find it wonderfully refreshing and entertaining without being all.. you know… too much.

I will definitely continue the series and I highly recommend it. Hex Hall has been on my to-read list for awhile, but this book has made me more excited to read the Hex Hall series.

Bookish Sights in Ireland - Ode to Books!

2013-05-16T09:25:00.004-04:00

While on vacation in Ireland, I went into a lot of bookstores.

I loved seeing various books with UK covers and I was always curious what kinds of books they had on display. I took pictures of displays I liked, cute shops, interesting books, books I know with weird covers, etc. What better place to share them all?

Collage of bookish pictures I took

I saw this display in the YA section of an Eason in Galway. I think it’s my favorite display. What I couldn’t fit into the picture were a few more circles with familiar YA book covers to the right hand side. I remember seeing Fallen. This was SUCH an awesome YA tribute!

Beautiful and different covers of THG and Perks!

Walking Disaster on display (above)
The Picture of Dorian Gray with an awesome cover and a beautiful hardcover of The Night Circus hiding within grocery store paperbacks! (below)

Awesome displays and The Book of Lost Things (above)

Below:
UK cover of The Scorpio Races (which I bought immediately)
Cullens Bistro (had to find the Twilight related stuff to send to my friend!)
Gift shop fairy coming out of the pages of the book (had I had more room in my suitcase, I would have bought her).
The Wind in the Willows was on display in the bookcase at one of the B&Bs!

Fifty Shades and Don'ts for Wives and Husbands were humorous displays.

I took a ton of pictures while in Ireland of non-book related things, too, of course. =)

All pictures were taken by me.

Booking Through Thursday–Returns

2013-05-16T09:17:00.002-04:00

hosted by Booking Through Thursday

This week’s question:

What book(s) do you find yourself going back to? Beloved children’s classics? Favorites from college? Something that touched you and just makes you long to visit?

(Because, doesn’t everybody have at least one book they would like to curl up with, even if they don’t make a habit of rereading books? Even if they maybe don’t even have the time to visit and just think back longingly?)

Typically I like to reread books I loved, regardless of when I loved them or what genre they are. I love old favorites and it all depends on my mood. Sometimes, I reread a book because it’s becoming a movie, a friend is reading it, or I feel like jumping back into the world. And other times, I reread a book because I can’t quite seem to find something similar that suites me at the moment. I also like to reread when my memory gets jumbled, whether because a movie or show that wasn’t quite right or because my own memory fails me. I don’t have a “go to” book I reread, though. I just have handfuls of them.

WWW Wednesdays

2013-05-15T09:11:00.000-04:00

hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Right now, I’m reading

A Princess of Mars (Barsoom #1) by Edgar Rice Burroughs

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

I started to get a bit tired of YA for a couple of weeks. Well, not really YA, but books that are part of a series that end in a way that leaves you aching for the next book. It’s been refreshing to branch out a little bit and get some TBR shelf books read that I wasn’t interested in as much recently.

I recently finished reading

Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13) by Charlaine Harris: Review to come soon

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Review to come soon

The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1) by Laura Howard: Blog Tour Giveaway and Review

Next, I’m going to read

The Stars in her Eyes (Sparkstone Saga #1) by Clare C. Marshall

The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray (FINALLY)

Now that I’m moved in, settled, and back to reading, hopefully I can get some TBR books knocked out!

Review–The Last Academy by Anne Applegate

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Last Academy

by Anne Applegate

Summary: What is this prep school preparing them for?
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

Source: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

The Last Academy is a difficult book to review because I didn’t really enjoy it the whole time I was reading it, but the ending was awesome and really brought all the elements of the story together. As much as I loved the ending, I feel like it wasn’t enough to warrant a high review or a stellar recommendation. And I can’t really say much about the story because the only things worth mentioning are incredible spoilers. If you read The Last Academy knowing how it ends, it would be a waste of your time. If you don’t know the end, you’ll only feel like it’s wasting your time until the end brings the story together.

Honestly, I don’t know that I can review the book properly or provide a decent synopsis because anything worth highlighting can ruin the story for people who are fairly good at predicting twists.

Camden arrived at boarding school sort of unexpectedly. She basically adjusted to her life there and dealt with the possibility that her parents might not want her around. Most of the kids had some sort of similar feelings, too, which I imagined was common for boarding school students. For most of the story, Camden attempted to fit in, win the affections of a popular boy, and make friends while avoiding making the same kinds of friends she had at home. And all the while, weird things start to happen and Camden unravels the mystery of her new home.

The majority of the book was slow and uninteresting to me. I didn’t care for Camden, I thought her crush on Mark was stupid because it was based on nothing and they had nothing in common. I didn’t like most of Camden’s friends, aside from Nora, but I didn’t feel like Camden was really learning her lesson after the summer incident back home. Until the twist, I was just waiting for the story to end. The twist in the story was brilliant, intelligent, and quite interesting, but I feel like the book was poorly executed overall. I’m not sure how it could have been done differently, but something about the execution missed the mark for me.

I don’t know that I’d recommend the book, although the overall themes were great. I suppose it would just depend on how fast of a reader the person is and how much time they are willing to spend on a book. If you can make it to the end, it’s a book that can be appreciated. It’s probably a great book club book so readers can discuss the ending and the themes.

I'm Back!

2013-05-15T07:29:00.000-04:00

As most of my followers are aware, I took a vacation at the end of April and when I came back after 2 weeks, I moved. It has been crazy and I haven't had much time to dedicate to blogging since the move.

I wanted to let all of you guys know that I'm back!

I've been posting reviews since my return and even participated in a blog tour, but I haven't announced I am back because I was still pretty busy with getting settled into the new place. Things should start getting back to normal soon as I settle into a routine.

I have tons of reviews to write because I got a lot more reading done in Ireland than I expected! I read some really awesome books while I was gone, so I'm excited to start typing up reviews and sharing my thoughts with everyone.

Thanks for bearing with me during my vacation and chaotic shift in normal life! I saw a lot of interesting bookish stuff during my vacation, too, so hopefully I'll have some time to share some of the pics on the blog.

Thanks,

Megan

Blog Tour: Giveaway, Review, and Favorite Quotes–The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

2013-05-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1)

by Laura Howard

Summary: Allison O'Malley just graduated from college. Her life's plan is to get a job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She doesn't have room for friends or even Ethan, who clearly wants more.
When Allison's long-lost father shows up, he claims he can bring her mother back from the dark place her mind has sent her. He reveals legends of a race of people long forgotten, the Tuatha de Danaan, along with the truth about why he abandoned her mother.

Source: I received a copy of this book for Kindle from the author in exchange for participation in a blog tour and an honest review.

Review:

The Forgotten Ones was an adventurous YA story steeped in magic with Irish roots.

Allison had a relatively difficult life due to her mother's schizophrenia. Her mother hadn't been normal and engaging since Allison was 7 years old. Allison blamed herself for her mother's condition since it seemed to manifest around the time of her birth. Because of this, Allison was a bit of loner who pushed people away because she was preparing herself for a lifetime of caring for her mother. Her grandparents, aunts, and cousins all tried to help Allison relax and learn to live, but Allison was stubborn.

Her life continued normally as she attempted to brush off her feelings for her friend Ethan, which I enjoyed reading about. Things quickly became abnormal in Allison's life when her long lost and somewhat young looking father showed up at her doorstep asking for her mother. With him came an amazing story and an adventure that would take Allison to places she never imagined existed. His presence answered many of Allison's questions about her mother's past, too.

I'd hate to give much more away because the twists certainly surprised and interested me while reading. I was a big fan of anything that got Allison to admit her feelings for Ethan, though. The story started out feeling more like a contemporary novel since Allison was dead set on caring for her mother and ignoring her feelings for Ethan and attempting to avoid fun at all costs, but as soon as her long lost father turned up, the entire plot shifted into something much more exciting and magical. From magical political plots to dangerous creatures, the story had an action packed plot full of trouble.

Overall, The Forgotten Ones was an enchanting and adventurous story with a slight romance. While Ethan and Allison spent most of the novel avoiding dealing with their feelings, the angst and emotion was still there. I gave it 3 stars because it took awhile for the plot to pick up. Allison took forever to admit there really wasn't any harm in having a relationship, which also drove me nuts. And just when I was glued to the story, it ended rather abruptly. I typically give higher stars for books that keep me interested in continuing the series, but because I read this in between stand alone novels, the need for a sequel aggravated me and I always have to be honest!

I would recommend The Forgotten Ones to fans of YA magical stories with romance. It had some unique aspects and a plot that really kept me turning the pages. I definitely can't wait to read the next in the series.

Favorite Quotes:

“She had met my father during her last year of college. She had traveled to Ireland for her final semester to study music at Trinity College in Dublin.”

I read this book on the plane ride home from my vacation to Ireland. I wasn’t expecting the characters or the mythology to involve Ireland, so I loved this quote because it made my ears perk up!

“‘I will find a way to undo what has been done, or I will die trying.’ He took two steps back. ‘I understand your anger. You’re completely justified. But know this –you will see me again.’ He nodded curtly and strode down the from walk. Just like that.”

I don’t know why, but I liked his resolve and stubbornness here.

“‘Just one time.’ he said quietly. ‘What?’ ‘Say yes, just one time.’ Ethan slowly moved behind the counter, his eyes never leaving mine.”

I love Ethan’s character and the relationship angst going on.

“The woman smiles, and cocks her head to the side like a bird, grabbing his chin and pulling it upward until his eyes meet hers. As he speaks, the woman’s face contorts in rage. He winces and she loosens her fingers, leaving behind a bloody trail where her fingernails have cut him.”

This quote was violent and descriptive and I always appreciate that.

“‘You worried about what I might do, didn’t you?’ I said, the realization striking me as I spoke. He cleared his throat and shrugged. ‘You’re the first daughter I’ve ever had.’ he said.’”

I love the father daughter dynamic.

“It was like stepping into Oz and I was Dorothy. Everything here was richer, more vibrant than I could have imagined.”

“I brushed my fingertips along a flowering vine that hung between two low tree branches. I gasped –I could actually feel like pulsing from not only the vine, but the tree it hung from.”

“As we continued over the top of a grassy hill, I could see a valley with a sparkling river snaking through it. Beyond the river, the land was rippled with green hills, and speckled in each hill were doors and windows, similar to Niamh’s. Farther alone was a steeper hill, or maybe a low, green mountain.”

These quotes resonated with me because of my recent trip to Ireland. I know the character was describing another, fictional place, but her descriptions match the ones I have of the landscape in Ireland. It was the kind of place a mythological creature could have stepped out of and it would have looked normal and right.

About the Author:

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Author Website
Twitter @laurahoward78
Facebook Fan Page

The Forgotten Ones was published early on April 29, 2013.

It was originally scheduled to be published on May 15.

It is currently $2.99 for Kindle.

Goodreads

Amazon

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour hosted by Shane Morgan at Itching for Books. @itchingforbooks

Review–Legacy (Legacy #1) by Molly Cochran

2013-05-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Legacy (Legacy #1)

by Molly Cochran

Summary: When her widowed father dumps 16-year-old Katy Jessevar in a boarding school in Whitfield, Massachusetts, she has no idea that fate has just opened the door to both her future and her past. Nearly everyone in Whitfield is a witch, as is Katy herself, although she has struggled all her life to hide her unusual talents. Stuck at a boarding school where her fellow students seem to despise her, Katy soon discovers that Whitfield is the place where her mother committed suicide under mysterious circumstances when Katy was just a small child. With dark forces converging on Whitfield, it's up to Katy to unravel her family's many secrets to save the boy she loves and the town itself from destruction.

Source: I purchased a copy of this book for Kindle.

Review:

I loved Legacy! It was such a magical and action packed story. Ever since The Secret Circle television show was cancelled, there’s been a giant witch-shaped gap in my life. I’ve been craving a wonderfully witchy novel that captured some of those same elements from the show. After reading various YA witch stories, Legacy was the perfect fit! I absolutely adored the novel and I cannot wait to read the sequel. I was contacted for the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for the sequel, Poison, and I agreed, though I was unfamiliar with the series. I decided to buy book 1 and read it while I had the time. I’m glad I signed up for the tour because I love this series.

Katy really came into herself when she ended up at the boarding school in Whitfield, Massachusetts. She discovered her roots, the history of the town, and found love in various forms: family, friendship, and romantic. I loved the characters in Legacy so much. I think Hattie was my favorite, being the wise old woman who knew what everyone needed. I have a soft spot for those sorts of characters, but Katy’s long lost family from her mother’s side were also amazing and funny. Hattie was a bit like Amma from Beautiful Creatures and the family members reminded me a bit of Ethan’s aunts in Beautiful Creatures. The characters had such distinct personalities and it made for a wonderfully entertaining read.

Somehow, Legacy doesn’t have the amazing reviews I expected to see. It seems a lot of people feel the book had too many overused stereotypes. While this observation may be correct (though I wonder, seeing as there is no love triangle!), I found Legacy to be refreshing in some way. Sure, it had the boarding school, the forbidden love, the caricature stepmom, etc, but I honestly felt it took these clichés and ran with them in a good way. If Legacy is full of stereotypes, then it is full of ones I haven't seen in awhile. Instead of angst-filled love triangles, it had evil stepmothers. The romance was great because it was innocent, sweet, slow, and I could really sense their love without being bombarded by it, if that makes sense.

Legacy was the kind of story that had the paranormal elements I enjoyed, sweet romance, awesome conflict, and powerful characters. It dealt with everyday issues, like acceptance and trust. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.

Review–Escape Theory (Keaton School #1) by Margaux Froley

2013-05-09T14:57:00.000-04:00

Escape Theory (Keaton School #1)

by Margaux Froley

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Devon Mackintosh has always felt like an outsider at Keaton, the prestigious California boarding school perched above the Pacific. As long as she’s not fitting in, Devon figures she might as well pad her application to Stanford’s psych program. So junior year, she decides to become a peer counselor, a de facto therapist for students in crisis. At first, it seems like it will be an easy fly-on-the-wall gig, but her expectations are turned upside down when Jason Hutchins (a.k.a. “Hutch”), one of the Keaton’s most popular students, commits suicide.
Devon dives into her new role providing support for Hutch’s friends, but she’s haunted by her own attachment to him. The two shared an extraordinary night during their first week freshman year; it was the only time at Keaton when she felt like someone else really understood her. As the secrets and confessions pile up in her sessions, Devon comes to a startling conclusion: Hutch couldn't have taken his own life. Bound by her oath of confidentiality—and tortured by her unrequited love—Devon embarks on a solitary mission to get to the bottom of Hutch's death, and the stakes are higher than she ever could have imagined.

Source: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

For some reason, Escape Theory immediately reminded me of the show The Best Years that used to be on Teen Nick (right when the channel became Teen Nick after being previously known as The N.) I think the main character, Devon, reminded me a lot of Samantha from The Best Years, despite the completely different plot of the show.

I liked Escape Theory and I admired Devon for attempting to get to the bottom of Hutch’s death and figure out what happened when no one else did. I loved the whole mystery and the way Devon (along with myself) suspected various people throughout the novel of foul play. Did Hutch kill himself? If so, why? What caused it? If not, how did he die? Was he murdered? Is someone responsible? Why isn’t anyone else suspicious? Is Devon just trying to hold onto the past? Is Devon making a big deal over nothing? All of these questions were floating around and it made for an interesting read.

I enjoyed the plot of Escape Theory and getting to know the characters. From Devon and the people involved in her life to Hutch and the people surrounding his, a lot of different types of people made an appearance in the novel and they all played a role. While the book had a mystery aspect to it, it was also a great YA coming of age novel because Devon grew into herself and learned a lot of important lessons thanks to Hutch’s influence in her life.

I only gave Escape Theory 3 stars because, as much as I enjoyed the novel, I found it lacking in execution. I wanted more from it and I needed it to be a bit more serious in some places. There were certain events and scenes I didn’t see the importance of and Devon’s relationship with her roommate was weird. While I understand certain exchanges were supposed to display their friendship, it gave the book a sort of immature feel to it and didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped.

Overall, Escape Theory was a good read and I would recommend it to others, especially if you are looking for something a little less run of the mill in the YA genre.

Review–The Testing (The Testing #1) by Joelle Charbonneau

2013-05-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Testing (The Testing #1)

by Joelle Charbonneau

Summary: 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.

Source: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I decided to read The Testing when I got an email from NetGalley alerting me that it would be available to read for a couple of days. The premise intrigued me and as a lover of most YA dystopian novels, I knew I’d probably enjoy it. I was right! It was amazing and I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the series, as it quickly became one of my favorite dystopias. The Testing reminded me of a flawless mixture of elements from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins and the Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie. The tone and voice was poetic and calm like Matched, but the events were ruthless and cunning like with The Hunger Games.

I loved Cia right away. I always have a soft spot for regular, unsuspecting people in dystopian worlds. While I always appreciate the more “badass” characters like Tris from Divergent or Katniss from The Hunger Games, I strongly believe most people would be unsuspecting and trusting even in a dystopian setting. Cia reminded me a lot of Cassia from Matched because she was operating on small bits of information from her family that made her question what she was getting into. It was enough advice to start the skepticism within her, but ultimately it was up to her to decide what to do in the end and how deep the conspiracy goes if there is one. She was a smart girl, obviously, as she was considered as a candidate for University. In order to be accepted into University, students chosen had to pass what was known as the Testing. No one could tell the students what the Testing had in store for them because they couldn’t remember the details.

Cia’s colony hadn’t had any students chosen to participate in the Testing in a long time, but her dream was to be chosen in order to secure a brighter future for herself. Her father was a University graduate and she looked up to him. On Cia’s graduation, she was informed she was picked along with a handful of other students from her colony and they left soon after to head to the Testing facility. Before Cia left, her father warned her the Testing was not what it seemed and his nightmares told an entirely different story than the one he was given when he passed the Testing. There were missing pieces, horrible things he had no recollection of, yet he knew them to be true in his dreams. He warned her to be careful, be wary of the ruthlessness of other competitors, and not to trust anyone.

Cia learned quickly once she arrived at the Testing facility and only chose to trust one person: a boy she grew up with named Tomas. They were a part of the same team and chose to form a bit of partnership. Cia’s skepticism about the Testing was deepened by some of the things she noticed, like the cameras watching her every move and the way the Testing administrators lacked compassion as they watched students injure themselves and made no moves to help them in certain tests. As the story progresses, the Tests given grew increasingly more dangerous. Cia grew more aware of the dark side of the Testing, but she struggled with what to do about it. And who could she trust? Her relationship with Tomas bloomed throughout all of the tests, especially the last, most difficult one. Without giving any more details away, the plot was incredible and the biggest Test was challenging. The participants were forced to make life and death decisions and encounter dangerous things, even fellow participant. The object was to win or eliminate the competition.

The Testing dealt with major issues that typically present themselves in a dystopian world and Cia had to constantly watch her back and decide what kind of person she should be, while also considering what actions needed to be taken in order to survive and/or pass the Test. I loved watching her work through various situations and seeing what the Testing would throw at her next. I also enjoyed the development of the relationship between Cia and Tomas and the conflict of figuring out who else could be trusted.

The Testing was a wonderfully written and well executed dystopian YA novel that combined some elements from my favorite dystopian novels into a unique and adventurous story. I highly recommend it to fans of dystopias and adventure.

The Testing is the first in a dystopian series by Joelle Charbonneau. It releases on June 4, 2013 and is available for Pre-Order:

Book Blogger Confessions–Reading Challenges

2013-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

hosted by For What It's Worth and Midnyte Reader

Reading challenges:

Do you host or join in any?

What is your success rate on completing them?

Do they keep your reading goals on track, put too many restrictions/pressure on you?

What do you think makes for a successful reading challenge?

I have participated in reading challenge both years I’ve been blogging, but I haven’t hosted one. I’ve completed all except for one challenge that I only got 3/4 of the way through. It sucks that I didn’t finish, but I didn’t sweat it too much because it happens and I knew I was waiting until the last minute to complete the 4th book in the challenge. I usually pick challenges that I know I can complete. Nothing too difficult, time consuming, or expensive. At the same time, I pick ones that challenge me to some degree. My favorite challenge is the Eclectic Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out because it challenges me to try different genres without too much pressure. I have all year to find the right books to fill the categories. I just try to find challenges that will balance out and be fun, challenging, but not put pressure on me. I also participate in the Goodreads Reading Challenge and pick a number of books to read for the year that I know I can meet. I raise it throughout the year if needed instead of picking a large number that will stress me out. After all, reading should be about quality instead of quantity and goals need to push us just a little bit and not stress us out. The secret to success is picking challenges that are right for you and your level of motivation and stress. There’s no right answer and there’s no right challenge for everyone. It’s all about what works for you. And have fun with it. It’s not the end of the world to miss a goal and if it bothers you, lower your bar. For example, I entered the Book to Movie challenge hosted by Doing Dewey and signed up for 3 books with their movies for the whole year. I knew I planned on seeing more than 3 in theaters alone this year, but I picked the lowest level so I can raise it later as I go instead of picking the highest and stressing out.

Review–The Maze Runner by James Dashner

2013-05-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1)

by James Dashner

Summary: The first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series—The Maze Runner is a modern classic, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.
Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.
Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Source: I borrowed a copy of this book for Kindle through my local library.

Review:

I loved The Maze Runner. It had such an interesting concept that kept me on my toes the entire time. I loved the way it was executed –how I was trying to figure out the world the same way as Thomas, the main character. The fact that all of the kids had limited memory meant that the reader and the characters were unraveling the mystery as we went. Each new piece to the puzzle was examined by all of the characters in the Glade and by me, the reader, too. I just loved this aspect and I think it’s what made the story even more engaging.

"He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air."

The Maze Runner was a brilliant novel and I highly recommend it. I almost don’t know what to say because I knew literally nothing when I started the book and I think it added to my own reading experience. Thomas, the main character, woke up in box with barely any memory other than his own name. He had no idea how old he was, where he came from, or where he was. The box was opened and he found himself staring at a group of other kids and teenagers in a place they called the Glade. They wouldn’t tell him much, kept using strange slang he was unfamiliar with, and each Glader had a different job. They sort of set up their own society in the middle of a maze. They were given supplies by the same unknown entity that gave them a new member in the box each month. And they all had one focus: figure out the maze so they can all go home. Even though none of them had any idea where home was or what home was like. They knew nothing outside of their own society they built for themselves.

“I mean, it should be impossible—sometimes you don’t look very hard for things you don’t believe will or can happen.”

Thomas knew right away he wanted to be a Runner –the one job that required you to go into the maze and attempt to figure it out. Thomas’s presence led to strange happenings in the Glade and broke the normal routine that the kids living there relied on. Order was incredibly important and Thomas shook that order up, partly due to his drive, but also due to circumstances beyond his control. The doors to the maze closed each night and opened each morning and walls inside of the maze were thought to change each night as well, making the maze virtually impossible to solve. Especially because there were terrible creatures living in the maze that attacked and killed whoever they came across. If a person got stung, he would go through what they called the Changing and wake up a little less normal with haunting memories that faded over time.

I can’t give any more of the story away without ruining awesome moments. The premise was stunning. The book was one big puzzle/mystery, but also one with action, character development, and survival. And quite possibly a post apocalyptic story, if the characters memories were correct after the Changing. And on top of all of that, the story was also dystopian. Someone created the maze. Someone was watching the kids. Someone was giving them supplies. And someone was taking away their memories. But who?

"Thomas felt a trickle of doubt that life was so great back home—what kind of world allowed people to make kids live like this? The thought surprised him, as if its source had been founded in actual memory, a wisp of light in the darkness of his mind. But it was already gone."

I’ve seen such mixed reviews about this book and I honestly don’t understand the negative ones. I thought The Maze Runner was so unique, creative, and awesome and it was also well written with likeable, well developed characters. Perhaps the only thing that is missing from this story that The Hunger Games and Divergent (the two books it is compared to) have is a romance. But I don’t think there was really a place for it in The Maze Runner. There was a hint of a romantic connection that I don’t think should have been explored anymore than it was in the book. I can’t think of any other reason anyone would not finish or love this book if they are fans of other YA adventure, dystopian, or post apocalyptic fiction.

I will definitely continue the series and I highly recommend the book.

Top Ten Tuesday–Words That Instantly Make Me Pick Up A Book

2013-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

hosted by Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book

1. Dystopian (my ears immediately perk up when I see this term or terms that imply a dystopian world.)

2. Post apocalyptic (I feel the same way about this term as I do Dystopia)

3. Strange world, magical, something amazing hidden under the surface, everything will change for [main character] (anything that differs from normalcy will get my attention)

4. Untangle a mystery, discover something that will change everything (anything that implies things aren’t what they seem)

5. Words that imply a dark, gritty, haunting book or one that deals with important issues. (I can’t really thing of an exact word or line, but anything with this gist or feeling will usually interest me.)

6. Secret, magical, enchanting (This pretty much covers the realm of beautiful stories or stories involving a magical world)

7. What would it be like if.. Imagine a world where… (This is basically THE phrase to reel me in. My brain is automatically intrigued and anxious to read the book.

8. In the future, [insert strange concept full of awesomeness or terrifying reality] (This line always gets me to read the full synopsis)

9. Mythology or other magical/supernatural people/concept (greek gods, angels, demons, vampires, werewolves… I could go on. I’m all about it.)

10. Together [heroine and love interest] must [solve awesome conflict] [something about love] (Even though this is a cookie cutter line for most stories, if it appears in any of the above summaries, I know there’s some sort of romantic thing happening that I’ll enjoy in the story.
Alone, though, I’m not sure it’s one that always hooks me.)

Basically, I’m open to any story where the world is somehow different than real life. If it’s a contemporary novel, it’s one that deals with issues and is somehow gritty and relevant (and therefore highlighting an issue in such a way that it seems less than normal). I read for a break in my routine. My life is not that stressful. I don’t read to escape stress, so my books tend to have incredible conflicts that I can’t really relate to, but I enjoy solving them through reading. I do like some sweeter, lighter love stories and contemporary novels, but I’m much pickier about them than I am with other books and I have to be in the mood. I’m not even sure what hooks me for that genre.

Review–A Shimmer of Angels (Angel Sight #1) by Lisa M. Basso

2013-04-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

A Shimmer of Angels (Angel Sight #1)

by Lisa M. Basso

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

Source: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I really enjoyed A Shimmer of Angels. I was engrossed in the story and I loved the way that it unfolded. On the surface, it reminded me of Fallen by Lauren Kate because the main character was dark haired, recently considered to be somewhat disturbed or crazy because of the things she saw, and the story involved the existence of angels (one of them named Cam). But while it’s an angel story, it has different elements that make it unique and unpredictable and unlike other angel books I’ve read.

Because of Rayna’s history in an institution being treated for seeing things that weren’t real, she tried to keep her grip on reality. When she saw the new boy, Cam, at school sporting a set of bright wings, she tried desperately to unsee them and ignore their existence. The first third of the book was a little slow because of her unwillingness to explore her situation, but it made a lot of sense because admitting she was seeing things again meant she might really be crazy again. I liked her struggle, but I did wish the story got to the point (so to speak) a bit faster.

When some of Rayna’s classmates started to get hurt, there was a layer of mystery wrapped up in the magical element of the existence of angels and I liked that aspect. Someone was hurting the students, but Rayna was barely able to admit to the existence of Cam, let alone anything darker or sinister lurking around. As the story progressed, Cam and Rayna formed somewhat of a partnership attempting to find out who was behind the murders. Rayna was also trying to maintain some illusion of normality by working at a restaurant in the meantime, which is where she ended up meeting Kade.

Ahh, Kade… Kade was definitely my favorite character. Instead of having bright wings like Cam, his wings were sleek black and everything about him was sly, dark, and intriguing. And gorgeous. And probably dangerous and murderous. Rayna found out why their wings were different and what that meant in the grand scheme of things. It’s hard for me to explain what I loved so much about Kade without giving away major details of the plot. But I thought Kade’s heart was in the right place, despite the many mistakes he made. He just made Cam look dull in comparison, even if he was the number one suspect of Rayna’s. I almost rated the book 3 stars because of how slow the first bit of it was, but Kade’s character and the action packed last half of the book made me bring my rating up to 4 stars.

The plot twisted a few times and the stakes got higher as the story progressed. Rayna’s sanity was once again in question, she found herself in the sights of a ton of angels, and she couldn’t quite sort out the feelings in her heart. And most importantly, she was still desperately trying to prevent the killings of any more of her friends.

I loved A Shimmer of Angels and I’ll definitely read the next book in the series. I need to know what happens next. I recommend it to fans of angels and YA paranormal romance with action and mythology. There were also a lot of Doctor Who references due to Rayna's quirky best friend, Lee, and I think fans of the series will appreciate all of them.

Review–That Time I Joined The Circus by J.J. Howard

2013-04-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

That Time I Joined the Circus

by J. J. Howard

Summary: Lexi Ryan just ran away to join the circus, but not on purpose.
A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake--and facing a terrible tragedy--Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi's mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.
When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn't there . . . but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus's fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.
But then Lexi's ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it's Lexi's own future that's thrown into question.
With humor, wisdom, and a dazzlingly fresh voice, this debut reminds us of the magic of circus tents, city lights, first kisses, and the importance of an excellent playlist.

Source: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I was so excited to read That Time I Joined the Circus. The synopsis hooked from from the first sentence and I wanted desperately the read a sort of coming of age YA book mixed with the fun of a circus and great music. I thought it would be a mixture of something like Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist mixed with a modern day Water for Elephants based on the summary. And to some readers, I suppose it was. Unfortunately, That Time I Joined the Circus didn’t work for me and it fell flat.

That Time I Joined the Circus was told from two different time periods: before Lexi joined the circus when she was attending prep school in NYC and after Lexi joined the circus and her life fell apart. The reader doesn’t really know what the major catalyst, besides her father’s death, was in the “before” part, so we find out along the way. Before the circus, Lexi lived with her beatnik father, attended a prep school he worked hard to pay for, and hung out with her best friend Eli, until he became enamored with a girl named Bailey, or “Adventure Barbie” as Lexi refers to her. The three of them were a tricky group after Bailey came and shook up the dynamics. And something happened around Lexi’s father’s death and inability to pay for prep school between them and Lexi found herself alone. Her last resort was to find the mother who ran out on her and joined the circus. The circus ended up changing Lexi’s life and made her a better person, which was sort of the point. She met interesting people, grew up, gained confidence, etc.

I felt like That Time I Joined the Circus has the perfect formula for a great story. The added element of Lexi’s life at the circus had tons of potential and Lexi even became a temporary fortune teller due to the need for the position and her ability to read tarot cards. Each chapter had a quote from some sort of song, which I liked, especially because music was so important to Lexi. And of course, between Lexi’s unhealthy attachment to her best guy friend and then losing everything only to gain new confidence in the circus makes for a great story. But somehow, all of these elements weren’t executed to the best of their abilities.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters and Lexi’s own growth was too obvious. She was obviously a doormat in prep school, except she had no idea it had more to do with her attitude and less to do with circumstances and she played the whole “woe is me” card without trying very hard to fix anything. She had this whole warped perspective about how guys only talk to girls like Bailey and ignore her, even as guys were coming up to her. But, of course, that was only because they felt bad for her. Or whatever her issue was. It just drove me crazy. And of course, the entire growth of her character was based on her realizing her own potential and she took forever to do it. The whole internal conflict was just too obvious and induced too much eye rolling from my perspective. The rest of the characters were pretty flat, too. I wanted more of everyone, especially the friends Lexi made at the circus. Lina and Liska could have been awesome, but I felt like I didn’t get enough of them to really care about them. Even after so much of Eli in all of the before sections, when the time came to meet him, I wasn’t sure who I met. No one stood out to me. And it made all of the conflict a bit underwhelming.

And then there was Nick. Lexi fell for him pretty quickly and I loved the banter between them, except it was short. And then for some reason they couldn’t be together and that was the conflict and she tried to prove him wrong. I’m still not really sure what the problem was. I hate this type of conflict, thought.” We can’t be together because our lives aren’t going in the same direction even though I love you” isn’t a conflict that works for me immediately after falling for someone. If the character’s have been together awhile, I feel like it’s believable because life gets in the way of love sometimes. Or if one of them is like… a demon and the other kills demons for a living. Something like that. But as a rule, if you love someone, you try. And if you don’t try, I don’t believe you are in love. So this whole relationship didn’t work for me either.

Mildly Spoilerish:

Finding out the major catalyst between Before and After was so incredibly underwhelming that I wasn’t sure why it was even written the way it was. I felt like the whole flash back to the past and forward to the present was supposed to make the conflict stand out when it wasn’t anything close to being worth the suspense. Especially not in comparison to her father’s death! And then the rest of the book didn’t work for me because I didn’t agree with Lexi’s decisions and I didn’t like how things came full circle. I should have guessed from the title that joining the circus would change her, but it would still be just a thing in her past. You know, that time when she took that one really big risk. Still, the end was even more underwhelming than the rest of the book.

End of Mild Spoiler

I didn’t care for the writing, either. Lexi’s point of view lacked descriptions. I can’t even really explain the circus because it wasn’t described to its full potential. Perhaps this was the biggest problem of all. Between Lexi’s point of view, the lack of character depth and development, and the lack of world building, I felt like I was left with a mediocre story. Lexi’s adventures at the circus, when described in detail, reminded me so much of Jacob’s story in Water for Elephants (minus the time period difference) that I didn’t feel like I was gaining anything new by hearing Lexi’s story. I wanted more newness, more circus, more enchantment. And because the little descriptions I got reminded me so much of Water for Elephants, I couldn't help but notice the elephant performer's name was Marina (and it was Marlena in Water for Elephants) and I just cringed. It was too much.

I feel horrible for giving such a negative review because I wanted to love it so much. It had elements that should have worked for me and had me falling in love with it. I think it would be the perfect story if it was better executed or it was marketed more as a coming of age for Lexi than an adventure involving a circus. If I expected more of a story about a girl in a prep school who had her life turned upside down and had to deal with losing her parent and her friends at the same time rather than a girl who joins a circus (which imply two very different forms of conflict in my opinion), I would have loved it more. Perhaps someone without such high expectations would enjoy it. But as a lover of both Water for Elephants and The Night Circus, I wanted something of that caliber and that’s not what I got.

That Time I Joined the Circus released on April 1, 2013. It has an average of 4 out of 5 stars, so don't just take my word for it!

Top Ten Tuesday–Books I Thought I Would Like More/Less Than I Did

2013-04-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

Books I thought I’d like More Than I Did:

1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

I am not the biggest fan of Jane Austen, but I figured what better way to read the book than to read it with zombie mayhem? I’m not sure if I just dislike the story that much that zombies didn’t help it or it just didn’t work together. Either way, I was disappointed.

2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Even now, when I read the synopsis, I get excited. This should have been THE book for me. But perhaps my translation wasn’t as good as others, because it was very difficult to read. For example, the narrator thought in quotations, so when he’d “confess” inside of his head, I’d read it as if he spoke aloud and I had to go back and reread. And the characters had a bunch of nicknames, so I had a hard time differentiating between who was who and who was just referred to by a different name.

3. Pretties (Uglies #2) by Scott Westerfeld

I loved Uglies and I actually loved the story in Pretties. But because the main character became a brain dead “pretty” and was also the narrator, much of the narration was spoken in the “pretty” slang and I got so aggravated by seeing the word bubbly, I STILL cringe when I think about it.

4. Specials (Uglies #3) by Scott Westerfeld

Specials was even more disappointing than Pretties because I thought that after Tally was no longer a pretty, her narration would be far more tolerable. I was wrong. The narration changed from pretty talk to specials talk, which basically replaced the word bubbly with icy and everything was all sinister instead of shiny and awesome. While I still appreciate the plot and even the way the author got the language so right, it drove me nuts and I almost couldn’t finish. I’ve never loved a story and hated reading it so much in my life.

5. The Children of Men by P.D. James

Children of Men is one my favorite movies. So when I saw this book, I jumped up and down with delight. I loved the story so much and I couldn’t wait to read it. But the book was different. The plot was basically the same, but the book was slower, more thoughtful, but less action packed. I still enjoyed the book, but I admit I was pretty disappointed.

Books I Thought I’d Like Less Than I Did:

1. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

I read the book because I knew the movie was coming out and I knew I’d probably see it. I was slightly curious and I expected something mediocre if I’m being honest. I gave it 5 stars. I was blown away by how incredible and intelligent the story and the writing was.

2. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies and it’s so hilarious and the acting is so good, I thought there was no way the book could capture the humor the same way. But it did! The book was hilarious and I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the parts that are in between the story better in the book than in the movie, too. So there was an added element to it.
3. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

I’m not going to lie, I thought this story would be stupid. The movie previews had me laughing a bit, which is the only reason I agreed to see the movie with a friend. I figured I’d pick up the book just because of the Book to Movie Challenge I signed up for. I loved the story, which surprised me!

4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

A friend of mine raved about the book and I only decided to read it because I could get a copy from the library. I was still reluctant, but then my friend’s sister mentioned how much she hated the book because the story was too real and violent and the hero doesn’t always save the heroine before bad things happen. Never has a review made me want to pick up a book I didn’t want to read and devour it like that one did! I loved the book!

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

I didn’t expect to hate this book or anything, but it wasn’t high on my to read list. I didn’t even see the movie even though people were raving about it. Eventually, I found a cheap copy and I needed something to read. I had no idea I would connect with the characters so much and find so much to relate to. It was a touching and beautiful story that I loved. I didn’t expect to love it at all!

Review–The Rules (Project Paper Doll #1) by Stacey Kade

2013-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Rules (Project Paper Doll #1)

by Stacey Kade

Summary: 1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don’t get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival –and that of her adoptive father –depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening –and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…

Source: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I loved The Rules. As a matter of fact, since I’ve been trying to balance out all my NetGalley books and schedule reviews while I’m on vacation and moving, I’ve been back and forth about what to read. I’m trying to read in order of release date or what reviews need to be out first, but then I’ll get new books and have to sort of rearrange my plans. Anyway, I opened the first page of The Rules, not fully intending to read it yet, but just sort of giving myself an idea of how long it would take me (since my Kindle takes my reading speed and calculates how long a book should take me to finish). But the very first sentence hooked me and next thing I knew, I finished the book.

The premise was definitely intriguing: an alien/human hybrid who is trying to live a normal life while also trying to avoid recapture by the organization who created her. In some ways, it reminded me of I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore, since Four/John Smith, an alien from a distant planet, tried to blend in with normal humans while also hiding from the other alien race who killed his race and destroyed his home planet. Both characters had a father figure who wasn’t really their father, both have a hard time fitting in, both made some of the same mistakes for some of the same reasons, and both were teenagers with the same sort of irrational and emotional urges as regular human teenagers. The backstory and overall plot was different, but I noticed these similarities and I enjoyed reading a similar premise with different outcomes, conflicts, and styles of writing.

Ariane, while attempting to defend the only friend she had, got in the face of the most popular girl in school. Who happened to be related to the very people Ariane was hiding from. Which was a very bad move on her part. To get revenge, Rachel, the popular girl, created a scheme involving embarrassing Ariane by setting her up in a false relationship with her friend, Zane. It’s all very high school, but Rachel was the quintessential mean girl of high school and the conflict is heightened due to Ariane’s perfectly legitimate reasons for wanting to avoid attention to herself. And if you are like me and dislike plot holes, you might be wondering why Ariane is living anywhere near the very people she’s hiding from, but that is well explained and makes a lot of sense.

I really liked Ariane. She was a mixture of so many different personality traits; she was both fierce and weak, brave and shy, plain and striking. Certain issues were triggers for her and she became a pretty fierce version of herself when the situation called for it. I loved how she observed and understood the people she went to school with. Watching her sort of define, judge, and determine people’s motives was really interesting.

Zane was a surprising character. I liked him right away and I enjoyed getting his perspective throughout the book along with Ariane’s. I thought the relationship between him and Ariane was predictable to some degree, given the way it developed, but it was sweet and I enjoyed watching it develop nonetheless. Ariane’s personal dilemma made the moments between them quite interesting. It was nice to see two people continuously surprise each other and themselves at the same time and it was adorable.

The overall conflict, though predictable at first (especially given the parallels with I Am Number Four), ended up taking some surprising twists and turns that made for a unpredictable story overall. All of the characters were well developed because of Ariane’s uncanny ability to read them. The mean girl is more than a cookie cutter mean girl because Ariane is able to understand what makes her tick. And the fact that the book is narrated by both Ariane and Zane, who have opposing points of view and different backgrounds, made the views of the characters more developed, too. I thought The Rules was adventurous, creative, and thoroughly captivating.

I definitely recommend this book to fans of YA science fiction mixed with romance and fans of I Am Number Four. It’s a great story that was well written and thrilling, with some sweet and tragic moments, too.

Review–Terra (Terrestrials #1) by Gretchen Powell

2013-04-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Terra (Terrestrials #1)

by Gretchen Powell

Summary: A broken and desolate Earth. A young girl struggling to survive. A lost boy with a powerful secret.
A discovery that will change everything.
In the distant wake of a plague that has decimated the Earth's population, humanity is split in two: The rich and powerful live in skycities that float overhead, while those who remain on the ground have gathered in settlements strewn across a dying planet. Eighteen-year-old Terra Rhodon is a terrestrial--a denizen of the barren groundworld--who makes her living as a scav. Long abandoned by her father, her caregivers gone, Terra supports herself and her younger brother, Mica, by scouring the earth for discarded scraps and metals to recycle for profit. One day, while on a routine scavenging run, she discovers something that shocks her home settlement of Genesis X-16. When the value of her discovery is revealed, Terra's world is turned upside down.
Terra suddenly finds herself asking questions no one will answer. Her search for the truth leads her to Adam--a beguiling skydweller unlike any she has ever met. But Adam has secrets and a quest of his own, and with him by her side, the world Terra thought she knew begins to unravel. Soon her discoveries unearth a terrifying conspiracy that has the potential to shatter everything--a revelation that will test the bonds of loyalty, family, and love.
The first book in debut author Gretchen Powell's anticipated Terrestrials series, Terra catapults you through a story filled with blood-pumping action, intrigue, and surprising twists that will both wrench and warm your heart. As the hidden truths of this world unfold, new dangers that loom on the horizon are sure to leave you waiting breathlessly for the sequel.

Source: I won a signed paperback from the author in a giveaway.

Review:

I loved Terra! It was action packed and the premise was incredibly interesting. I’m always looking for new dystopian worlds to read about and I thought the world in Terra was unique. A dying planet full of acid rain with safe skycities that only the privileged live in? Awesome. My kind of story!

Terra was a great character. I loved her strength. She was tough and did everything she could to take care of herself and her teenaged brother by scavenging for metal parts for money. She was particularly brave because scavenging was a male dominated field and there was a risk of running into raiders, who would beat up the men, but weren’t nearly as kind to any females they captured. The world was bleak, but Terra’s perseverance was amazing.

“Something clicks in my brain. My heart instantly plummets to the bottom of my stomach, and I feel my face start to flush with new color."

Parts of the world were sectioned off as part of the quarantine process that began after the plague nearly wiped out the population. Terrestrials, the people living on the Earth and not in the skycities, were warned about venturing off into quarantined areas. But when Terra found herself in the sights of a particularly nasty raider, she had no choice but to escape into a quarantined area. Just when she was out of escape options, she blacked out and found herself waking up to a beautifully green world and staring up at the unmistakable blue eyes of a skydweller named Adam.

I loved Adam. He was always saving Terra and asking tons of questions about the area she lived in as part of his research program. Terra was a bit rude, having a generally bad perception of privileged skydwellers in general, but Adam was nice, it was hard to keep her guard up. I loved the banter between them. I just couldn’t help but fall in love with both Adam and Terra and root for them even though skydwellers and terrestrials didn’t really mix.

“Don't you see? We were meant to save each other.”

So much happens and the entire dynamic of the world in Terra was complex. It wasn’t one group of people oppressing another, but a cycle. The skycities needed the people on the ground and the people on the ground needed the skycities in different ways. I really loved the world building because it added to the depth of all the characters and I could appreciate them and the way they had to live in order to survive. The dynamic between Terra and Adam was complicated, too, not just the poor girl meets rich guy dynamic I’m used to seeing. There were layers to everything in Terra.

Terra’s younger brother, Mica, caused Terra quite a bit of stress, but I loved his character, too. When it mattered the most, he was there to save the day, especially when Adam couldn’t. The three of them were a great team and I loved how Adam and Mica bonded, adding to the whole Terra/Adam relationship thing quite well.

“You want to hide,” he says. “I know. Because you feel like you’re not allowed to think the things you think. Or feel the things you feel.”
“Welcome to the human condition,” I say wryly.”

I can’t give any more of the plot away, but I can say Terra was full of oppression, a wonderfully dystopian world, a harsh dying desert setting, acid rain, action, technology, violence, corruption, amnesia, space, bribery, strength, family, love, class, struggles, and redemption. It was just.. so awesome. I seriously loved the world, the characters, the conflict, and the romance. I cannot gush enough about it. I highly recommend Terra to anyone who loves a good story with a great plot. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Terra is only $4.99 for Kindle!

Attn Followers: I Am Going On Vacation

2013-04-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

To my Readers and Followers:

If you haven’t noticed, my usual 3 to 5 reviews a week has dwindled a bit. Not to worry, it’s not that I haven’t been reading and reviewing. I just haven’t published any of those reviews!

I am going on vacation tomorrow and I won’t be back until the first week of May. I’m spending 2 weeks with my grandmother in Ireland! I’m sure it’ll be fun. However, the day I get back will be a day of rest because I’ll have to drive the next day behind my husband in the moving truck and then spend the next couple of days/weeks unpacking and settling into our new home in a new state.

Busy times, I know. It’s all happening at once! I'm not sure how it ended up like this, but all will be normal soon!

Fortunately, all of my reading and reviewing in advance has paid off.

I was able to line up enough reviews so that you guys will see about 1 to 2 reviews a week until the first or second week of May (by which time I should be able to post again.) I also have a few meme posts lined up that I could do ahead of time, like Top Ten Tuesday.

Bear with me while I adjust to this crazy shift in my life! I’m just glad I have some stuff lined up so it won’t be completely quiet while I’m gone.

I’ll respond to any comments and what not when I get back and moved. I’ll be back to normal by mid-May.

Megan

Review–Imaginable (Intangible #2) by J. Meyers

2013-04-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

Imaginable (Intangible #2)

by J. Meyers

Summary: Twins Sera and Luke Raine’s unusual abilities are growing. Sera is healing vampires now, making them human again. And, at times, Luke can actually change the future he Sees.
But Sera’s healing has dangerous consequences, and though Luke is altering the outcome of more visions, he can’t control them yet.
Now Sera is in danger as the dark creatures of the Realm seek to use her. As Luke struggles to master his gift in order to save his sister, he discovers even more about his powers.
And what he learns just may put him in greater danger than Sera has ever been.

Source: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I loved Imaginable! It was an incredible sequel that had me on the edge of my seat as the twins found themselves in danger once again due to their amazing abilities. Sera found that her healing had consequences for some creatures and Luke was stuck figuring out how he could alter the future again and possibly control his visions. The twins relied heavily on their friend, Fey, an elf who was in charge of protecting them. Because the events happened so quickly in book 1 and they found out so many creatures existed and were their friends, I felt like the characters were getting used to their strange new lives in the beginning of book 2.

The book isn’t written in first person, so the perspectives jump around to all of the major characters and I loved this aspect because I get to know all of the characters better rather than just getting to know one really well. All of them have their own internal conflicts that I get to understand as the reader. It was especially interesting because as Luke and Fey attempt another rescue of Sera, I got to read see the rescue happen from Luke’s perspective while also getting Sera’s perspective from the room she was held in. I just loved the suspense of moments like that.

Jonas was still my favorite character and I was happy to see him in various parts of the book. While I feel like I never get enough of his presence, he was a big help with his inside knowledge of the enemy in Imaginable and his own cunning abilities. While vampires and elves don’t typically associate in the world of the Intangible series, Jonas and Fey both take responsibility for protecting the twins and have an understanding between them and get along quite well. Thorn, another elf and friend of Fey’s, arrived aided Luke in finding Sera and I loved the added dynamic of distrust between him and Jonas. The relationships between all the supernatural creatures are distinct in the series and each type of creature tended to stick to their own kind. I love how the twins shake things up and blur the lines a little.

I never like to give too much of the plot away and I knew nothing when reading aside from knowing it was the sequel to Intangible. The conflict was a result of Sera’s healing abilities she demonstrated in book #1, but the enemy wasn’t the same at all. I don’t want to give much more than that away because I loved how the plot stacks up with the previous book and grows from there. The twins learned a lot about themselves, the world around them, and found themselves in some pretty terrifying situations that didn’t always work out so well.

I love the characters and the relationships between them. Both of the twins had their own moments of romantic connections with the characters that interested them and I loved watching both of them struggle with their feelings.

Imaginable is a wonderful sequel to book 1 of the Intangible series, full of adventure, magic, conflict, family, and love. It’s one of my favorite YA paranormal series and I can’t wait for more. I highly recommend the series, especially to people who enjoy paranormal aspects but are tired of the same old creatures and conflicts. The Intangible series combines a few paranormal elements, but in unique ways that make it refreshing.

Imaginable releases today, April 16, 2013.

Grab your copy and if you haven't started the series, now is great time to start. There are a few character novellas in the series that are great reads, too.

Top Ten Tuesday–Favorite Words

2013-04-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

hosted by Broke and the Bookish

This week is a Top Ten Tuesday REWIND, where you pick a past topic you missed or one you want to revisit! I chose:

Top Ten Favorite Words

1. Gaumless [GAWM-lis] adj.

lacking in vitality or intelligence; stupid, dull, or clumsy.

I recently saw this word on my Dictionary.com Word of the Day app. I shared it with my husband and both of us agree it’s the perfect word to insult others without them knowing it. Not that I’ve done that, but it’s a thought. Sometimes I’m not nice.

2. Apocalypse [uh-pok-uh-lips] noun.

a prophetic revelation, especially concerning a cataclysm in which the forces of good permanently triumph over the forces of evil.

any revelation or prophecy.

any universal or widespread destruction or disaster.

I love the way the word sounds and I like the sorts of feelings it induces. It’s a dark word that brings tons of images to mind.

3. Dystopia [dis-toh-pee-uh] noun.

a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding. I like the way it sounds and I love that fact that it stands as the opposite of utopia with the dys prefix. Plus, it’s my favorite genre of stories.

4. Feels [feels] noun. slang.

a wave of emotions that sometimes cannot be adequately explained.
short for feelings. Typically used when someone is fangirling/fanboying over something, or just saw something sad.

feelings you get when something you read/see/hear/etc is just so touching and perfect that you can't help but make sounds, curl into a ball, and never stop thinking about said thing that made you this way.

This word is my favorite popular slang word. I can’t stand so many words (especially swag. Yuck. *cringe*) but feels so accurately explains so much. “I have all these feels” is the shortest way to explain how something impacted me.

5. Quandary [kwon-duh-ree, -dree] noun.

a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma.

I just like the way it sounds. I also like perplexity, but since they mean the same thing, I went with quandary. I feel like an old school British detective or something when I use it. Lol.

6. Catawampus [kat-uh-wom-puhs] adj.

askew; awry. positioned diagonally; cater-cornered. adverb. diagonally; obliquely Seriously, this word is such an awesome word. The way it sounds describes what it means and conveys the definition perfectly.

7. Pandemonium [pan-duh-moh-nee-uhm] noun.

wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos. a place or scene of riotous uproar or utter chaos. the abode of all the demons. hell. I love the images in my mind this word projects. It can be chaotic in a good way or a bad way.

8. Vampire [vam-pahyuhr] noun.

a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night. (in Eastern European folklore) a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned. a person who preys ruthlessly upon others; extortionist. a woman who unscrupulously exploits, ruins, or degrades the men she seduces. These are my favorite fictional creatures, but I do like the way the word sounds. It also has definitions that completely vary and I respect how this word can mean so many different things and project the right image.

9. Oblivious [uh-bliv-ee-uhs] adj.

unmindful; unconscious; unaware forgetful; without remembrance or memory I like this word for various reasons. I suppose I like the way it sounds and how it can explain things so well.

10. Cataclysm [kat-uh-kliz-uhm] noun. any violent upheaval, especially one of a social or political nature. Physical Geography . a sudden and violent physical action producing changes in the earth's surface. an extensive flood; deluge. Much like the word apocalypse, cataclysm brings wild and dark images to my mind. Plus, it’s really fun to say. It is a vivid word that expresses such turbulence and violence.

Definitions from Dictionary.com Slang definitions from UrbanDictionary.com

Book Blogger Confessions–Evolving

2013-04-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

hosted by For What It's Worth and Midnyte Reader

How long do you see yourself blogging for? Do you think it's ok for a blog to evolve over time?

For example: You may have started out as a book review blog but now your interest is in cooking as well. Do you incorporate that or start over?

I’ve never really thought about it. I suppose I’ll stop blogging once I’m no longer interested in doing so or my schedule changes dramatically and I don’t have time for it. For now, I’m enjoying it. It keeps my reading more organized and I love having a place and community to share my thoughts.

I think it’s great when blogs evolve, whether they start out as other blogs and add in more book stuff or it’s a book blog branching out into other fields. I follow quite a few crafty blogs that participate in some reviews and bookish memes. I enjoy reading the variety, but books are my own forte, so I don’t see myself adding more content. I also see some bloggers run multiple blogs, like a separate recipe or writing blog. I think it would be difficult to manage more than one blog (and devote as much time to them), but I think that’s a choice individuals should make according to their preferences. I follow both mixed blogs and multiple blogs by the same author and I enjoy both equally.