Papier Revue

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

2017-06-09T06:19:00.002-04:00

Title: Norwegian Wood
Author: Haruki Murakami
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published Date: September 20th 2003
Publisher: Vintage Books
Pages: 389
Source: Bought

From Goodreads :

A poignant story of one college student's romantic coming-of-age, Norwegian Wood takes us to that distant place of a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.

Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.

Review

Hey guys! For my first review, I’ve been thinking about what book I should review first, and only one book came into my mind, which is my personal favorite. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I have read Norwegian Wood for more than three times, you can tell how much I love this book. Every time I read it, it’s as if I’m reading it for the first time, which is amazing. Norwegian Wood is one of those books that will always stays in my heart.

In the cover of this book, there’s a face of a Japanese girl wearing a bright pink lipstick. To be honest when I first looked at it I was feeling kind of uneasy, as if the girl in the cover was looking at me lol. But then, after a while, I fell in love with the cover, I think there’s a touch of mystery to it for some reason.

Norwegian Wood tells a story about a hopeless and heroic love, about how Toru the main character, keeps holding on to his first love, which sadly rather hopeless. Naoko, the young woman Toru loves, who’s struggling with her own problems is a very complicated character, and moreover it seems that Naoko has been struggling with mental illness since the tragic death of her boyfriend. Naoko’s boyfriend is Toru’s best friend, so just by knowing that you can already tell that this is a very complicated love story. Toru’s world grow bigger when he meets a vibrant young woman named Midori, while Naoko’s world seems to shrink because her condition is getting worse. It’s a story about Toru’s hardship to keep the hope of love alive.

“All of us are imperfect human beings living in an imperfect world.”

Each character has their own world and perspective, making them so different and pure. I think everyone can fall in love with Toru, as a character he is so gentle, strong and hopeful even when the situation is the complete opposite. There’s no other words to describe Toru’s love to Naoko than the purest form of sincerity. On the other hand, Naoko is mentally a very weak young woman, it’s as if Naoko is trapped in her own darkness, she is struggling to fix herself, but despite that Naoko shows a beautiful strength in herself, she keeps trying to stay alive despite how broken she is. With Naoko, I think we can all relate to her brokenness as a human being, how as human we always struggle with the past itself and how the past haunts us over and over again, and we are always trying to fix our own brokenness.

Last but not least Midori, a very bright and brave young woman, she is actually my favorite character, because she is the kind of woman that I want to be in a way. Midori is very different from Naoko, the exact opposite actually, she is not soft but rather harsh, she is full of energy and she knows what she wants, and most of all she is not a coward when it comes to love. Midori is the perfect character to add into the story, as the story itself is already gloomy and dark, Midori’s character brings color to it with her odd but funny behavior and her sarcasm. There’s actually some other character, but these three is the main ones that I’d like to point out.

“I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it -- to be fed so much love I couldn't take any more. Just once. ”

What I really love about this book is the realness in it, it’s so pure because it has all the elements there is to life, which is grief, loneliness, emptiness, love, hope, struggle and many other things. So many fiction or contemporary novels is not realistic, as if they only wanted to tell us about the good things in life, which is not how life is, and it makes us think that life is supposed to be that way, beautiful just like in romance movies. But as I’m sure many of you guys know that life is not always pretty and convenient, bad things happen and we have to deal with it whether we like it or not and there’s always something beautiful in life that outlives the bad ones, and that is exactly how Norwegian Wood is, hopeless but also hopeful at the same time.

I am sorry if my words are all over the place, because it’s just hard to describe how good this book is. I guess Norwegian Wood is a book that you have to experience yourself, if I am to choose one word to describe this book it would be poignant.

“Despite your best efforts, people are going to be hurt when it's time for them to be hurt.”

Just a little disclaimer, just because this book is a best seller and I loved it to bits, I don’t think that this particular book is for everybody. Norwegian Wood is a pretty dark and depressing novel, and a little bit erotic. So I think, if you’re the type of person that like something light to read, or something bright and hopeful, certainly this book may not suit your taste. But, if you want to go out of your comfort zone and try to read this book that would be amazing. And for those of you who likes something dark and deep I think this book is just the one that you’ve been looking for.

Also here’s my favorite quote from Norwegian Wood, there’s just so many deep and meaningful quotes that I can’t choose but this one is the best!

“But who can say what's best? That's why you need to grab whatever chance you have of happiness where you find it, and not worry about other people too much. My experience tells me that we get no more than two or three such chances in a life time, and if we let them go, we regret it for the rest of our lives.”

So that’s all for my first review! I’m sorry if my writing is not perfect, I still have a lot to learn and I hope that my writing will improve in the future! Please do leave some comments if you want to ask me anything, I would love to hear your thoughts, and for those of you who have read Norwegian Wood please do share your opinions about it!

Thank you for your time, have a good one! :)

Love,
K.A

Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

2016-12-22T12:28:00.000-05:00

Title: Gilded Ashes
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: Fantasy
Published Date: April 1st 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 111
Source: Bought

From Goodreads :

A romantic and fantastical reimagining of the classic Cinderella tale, Gilded Ashes is a novella by Rosamund Hodge set in the same world as the author's debut novel, Cruel Beauty.

Orphan Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia's father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.

Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.

As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?

Review

I'm not actually that type of reader who will bother reading a novella, ever. But after the amazingness called Cruel Beauty, I will certainly have this one, please and thank you. And you, Rosamund Hodge, are almost certainly a genius with words.

Gilded Ashes took you into the world of Cinderella, with only, well, a hundred shades darker. The fairy godmother is instead a ghost mother (Well, hey, it sounds similar), and this Cinderella—Maia—is bound by her mother's love. Because her demonic bargain make anyone who made Maia cry, suffer. And by suffer, I mean meeting demons and went mad or die, tops.

"There are a lot of things I want," I say quietly and deliberately. "But I think I will keep what I have."

—Maia

And yes, even with just a hundred something pages, Hodge managed to make her character strong and lovable. Maia, our main character, had a really strong characteristic and an admirable wit that somehow still made me laugh, even when this book is hella dark.

And the side characters like the prince, the stepsisters, and the stepmother all have their own unique traits too. And they are also deep and well-layered, with a good past to back it up and all, not just boringly handsome or boringly cruel.

And the story itself is also fascinating, full of surprise, and although we all knew how Cinderella story goes, I still found myself curious with this book. If you're a lover of fairy tales retelling story, do give this novella and its companion book, Cruel Beauty, a try. With a strong cast of character and a fresh take of a renowned classic, this one is such an amazing read that all of you should definitely try.

Cheers, x

Exile by Kevin Emerson

2014-06-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Exile
Author : Kevin Emerson
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : April 29th 2014
Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books

Pages : 320

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

Catherine Summer Carlson knows how to manage bands like a professional—she’s a student at the PopArts Academy at Mount Hope High, where rock legends Allegiance to North got their start. Summer knows that falling for the lead singer of her latest band is the least professional thing a manager can do.

But Caleb Daniels isn’t an ordinary band boy—he’s a hot, dreamy, sweet-singing, exiled-from-his-old-band, possibly-with-a-deep-dark-side band boy. And he can do that thing. That thing when someone sings a song and it inhabits you, possesses you, and moves you like a marionette to its will.

Summer also finds herself at the center of a mystery she never saw coming. When Caleb reveals a secret about his long-lost father, one band’s past becomes another’s present, and Summer finds it harder and harder to be both band manager and girlfriend. She knows what the well-mannered Catherine side of her would do, but she also knows what her heart is telling her. Maybe it’s time to accept who she really is, even if it means becoming an exile herself. . . .

Review

When I first saw the cover for Exile, I was actually feeling a kinda bit meh about it. I mean, it's like . . . yellow. Yellow all the way with a clashing pink font for the title. Euh.

But those tag line on the top of it totally won my heart because, I don't know, it have a sweet feeling or something about it. And since it's also about music and Rock n Roll, I'm actually finding myself becoming quite curious about this one.

"I wish we all could just stay in this moment, in beautiful light, lost in music, free to play and dance. But the song ends."

—Summer

One thing I really love about this book was how the tension was done really right. How the unveiling was made little by little. And how the story managed to take a turn into the most unpredictable road.
But, while Kevin Emerson does really know how to write well and keep the plot tight-knitted, I feel like Exile stretched the story a bit too far. I mean, I expect a novel like this to resolves its story at the end neatly. But this one decide to be a series and take it into a waaay too open ending and made this book resolves nothing. Like, seriously. You should be perfectly fine being a standalone, in my opinion.

The main character, Summer, was interesting and fun to read. She's well-flawed while still being likable, and she had this believable teen-ish feeling going on around her. The rest of the cast, though, didn't share her goodness but rather fell flat and feels like they're just there and do nothing.

And the romance, which by the way sounds promising on the blurb, really fell flat too here. I don't particularly hate it or love it. And it's like, you know, not feeling any particular thing toward it? That's exactly how I feel about this book's romance.

Overall, I really feel like this book could become big and great, and I could see myself loving it. But what take the 5 stars away and made me put the 2.5 on its place was mainly the rest of the characters, which is mostly bland. Plus the open ending and the series things.

But with a tight-knitted plot that will keep you curious, a strong main character, and plot twist that you wouldn't even see coming, this book could be your try if the mood on reading something about Rock n Roll strike you.

Cheers, x

Push by Eve Silver

2014-06-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Push
Author : Eve Silver
Genre : Sci-Fi
Published Date : June 10th 2014
Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books

Pages : 352

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

It’s either break the rules or die.

Miki Jones lives her life by her own strict set of rules, to keep control, to keep the gray fog of grief at bay. Then she’s pulled into the Game, where she—and her team—will die unless she follows a new set of rules: those set by the mysterious Committee.

But rules don’t mean answers, and without answers, it’s hard to trust. People are dying. The rules are unraveling. And Miki knows she’s being watched, uncertain if it’s the Drau or someone—something—else. Forced to make impossible choices and battling to save those she loves, Miki begins to see the Committee in a glaring new light.

And then the Game crosses a new boundary, pushes harder into Miki’s and her friends’ lives, and there’s nothing in the rules that can save them now.

Push is the sequel Rush fans will be screaming for.

Review

Okay, so, it's definitely official. I. Am. In. Love. With this series.

First of all, those cover were just too pretty to be resisted. And topped with such an unique concept of alien and battling on the there-but-not-quite-there dimension, and having it like a game? Total love for you here.

"It was one of the best and worst seconds of my life."

—Jackson

Unlike most of the second book out there, I think Push managed to be even better than the first one. While the first book explained more on the concept, and at some point might be boring, that's not the case with this one.

This book was definitely fast-paced, and it was packed with the right amount of tension at its every page. The concept, like I said earlier, was overall interesting. And it also flow between the two life our main character had flawlessly, highlighting the problem on her both life, while still managed to not be cluttered.

And throughout the story, Eve Silver managed to drop a hint here and there and pulled the finishing blow at the ending too, making us (or at least me) waiting and dying a little inside every day waiting for the next book.

The characters were also more developed here. Miki Jones and Jackson, our main characters, were more fleshed up here, and it's also lovely to feel like we know more about them inside out. What they were thinking, what they were worrying, etc etc. And the relationship between them OMG. The chemistry was soo there, and they were not that disgustingly happy-and-kissing-all-the-time kind of couple.

In the first book it's like, okay, I shipped you with a tiny-weenie lifeboat.

In this book? Let me shipped you with a battleship please and thank you.

The BFF's thing in this book also managed to shine, and it's not just that empty and meaningless tag of "Hey I got a girl friend, and we're totally best friend" kind of thing. Eve Silver managed to make us reader care about their friendship, and when they worry about each other, it's believably real and made us worry too.

Overall, I think Push was definitely an enjoyable read. Although it's not exactly a gold of a literature piece or whatever, it does have an uber-interesting concept, a strong romantic and friendship relationship, and a really intense and full of tension read from start to finish.

If you're a sucker for a light sci-fi novel, or just love to read something with a little war on it, definitely give this one a try.

Cheers, x

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

2014-06-10T09:48:00.001-04:00

Title : Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author : Anne Blankman
Genre : Dystopian
Published Date : April 22nd 2014
Publisher : Balzer + Bray

Pages : 401

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Review

Being the millennium generation that I am, and also being a girl that has little interest in history, I actually know so little about Hitler aside from his world-renowned history as Jew-haters.

But while the world told Hitler as an influential leader (with a funny mustache) of the Nazi, I love that this book took it behind the scene. And what I love more is that the author really has done a hell of a research writing this one. And a well-researched story that sounds like the real history? The one that will make you believe it might be truly happening in real world? It is perfection.

"Welcome to the other side.”

—Daniel

The world building of this book is also really good, believably 1945's German, with all the term of that time, and overall really vivid it feels like a movie playing in my head.

And the tension was also really well-placed. The pacing was overall lovely, but the story sometimes felt like too plot-driven for my liking. And the story which is based on Gretchen's hunt of the truth about her father sometimes lacks the motivation and the urgency from Gretchen herself.

The unveiling about the truth was also not great. I expect to found some new info that will make me go into this oh-my-God-so-that-is-what-happened moment, but it's basically just the old and same info we've been told 100 pages earlier or so.

The character, however, was brilliant. Gretchen's personality is truly real and have both the good and the bad. And I love how her bravado was not nonsensically there since the very beginning, but rather because the condition forced her to do so, and therefore making her action very believable.

And the other, like Daniel and Reinhard and Hitler also has a strong and distinguishable traits.

And what is more lovely than Googling the side character's name and found it there on the Wiki, with almost an exact same role and story that they have on the book? It really does makes me flail excitedly. And on top of that, their actual history somehow move along with this book and accentuated them.

Overall, while this book does have some miss, it is nonetheless a beautiful and satisfying read. And don't let the Nazi and historic theme fools you, because I'm just an occasional history fiction reader, yet I adore this one.

With such a beautiful world building, well-placed tension, and a strong cast of character and a thorough research to all of them, I truly recommend this one to all of you.

Cheers, x

Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger

2014-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Let the Storm Break
Author : Shannon Messenger
Genre : Fantasy
Published Date : March 4th 2014
Publisher : Simon Pulse

Pages : 400

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

Vane Weston is haunted. By the searing pull of his bond to Audra. By the lies he’s told to cover for her disappearance. By the treacherous winds that slip into his mind, trying to trap him in his worst nightmares. And as his enemies grow stronger, Vane doesn’t know how much longer he can last on his own.

But Audra’s still running. From her past. From the Gales. Even from Vane, who she doesn’t believe she deserves. And the farther she flees, the more danger she finds. She possesses the secret power her enemy craves, and protecting it might be more than she can handle—especially when she discovers Raiden’s newest weapon.

With the Gale Force weakened by recent attacks, and the power of four collapsing, Vane and Audra are forced to make a choice: keep trusting the failing winds, or turn to the people who’ve betrayed them before. But even if they survive the storms sent to destroy them, will they have anything left to hold on to?

Review

With Let the Sky Fall being such an interesting read, it's no wonder this book became one of my highly anticipated release. From the very first time, I fell in love with this whole sylph concept and wind battle. And while I was hoping that this book would be as lovely as its previous, it is honestly a total letdown.

"She’s worth begging for. She’s worth everything."

—Vane

For a start, this book do have a good point. In the previous book, we didn't even get to see Raiden the antagonist in action. Just a mere sentence telling us how scary he is. But here, we finally got to see what he's truly capable of, and it heightens all the tension. Also, there's a lot more action than before.

Another thing that's good here for me is just how we could feel the romance between Audra and Vane. Their strong longing when they're apart and all, it just feels so believable.

But that seems to be the only goodness I could found, unfortunately. The writing, in comparison, was raw and cluttered and feels like it's just being thrown in.

And also, there's a lot of time when I feel that Vane's narration was a little bit too girlish, whining about unnecessary thing, and thinking about things that actually never concerns a boy in real life, ever. (I'm not even an avid male-PoV reader, yet I could tell).

The pacing was also a little bit boring, and only picked up nearing the end. And there's also countless time when Audra and Vane both doing stupid thing in the name of love, saying I would do anything so that their lovers don't die, while in fact, their lover was NOT even in danger, at all. And they do this annoying thing not just once, but over and over and over.

Would I read the continuation of this? Maybe, but it's only because the charm of the first book, really.

But does this book satisfy? Not at all.

Cheers,x

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

2014-05-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : The Distance Between Us
Author : Kasie West
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : July 2nd 2013
Publisher : Harper Teen

Pages : 320

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Review

When I read contemporary, I usually searched for the deep and heavy one, and avoid the fluffy-cutey one. I devour book which talked about suicide, about self-hurting, about anorexia, about self-discovery, about bipolarity. But not in a million year, would I devour a book about just a teenager-ish romance. So when I saw this book, I definitely try to avoid it. But seeing all those hype in the blogosphere about this book, well, how could I not, in the end, join in the bandwagon?

"Anything worth having is worth the risk."

—Xander

But eventhough The Distance Between Us is indeed one of those cute-fluffy-teenageish contemporary romance, it's not a bad cute and fluffy. In fact, I actually enjoyed it.
It was realistic and not oh-so-romantic and raining flower everywhere. No, the character had their own problem, and their life was not so charmed either.
The pacing was also nice and move at an enjoyable and stable pace. And the story, which manages to tackle the issue between rich and poor, is also interesting. It wasn't, unfortunately, work that well, and it's not really believable for me.

The character, on the other side, was really interesting for me. Sure, they might not be the most perfect cast in the whole bookish universe, but they're still definitely something. Cayden and Xander as the main characters really shine here, as how a good characters on good contemporary romance novel should be.
Cayden was unique, witty, and interesting, not your typical giggly-cutie girl, and she definitely had her own charm which I totally fell for.
And the author also did a wonderful job with Xander, making him as those clueless spoiled naïve rich guy that was actually kinda stupid on some things, but didn't came across as annoying, aloof, or bratty.
And I also love that Kasie West managed to make Xander And Cayden came from a 180 degree different world and yet had a lots of common on each other.

But overall, if you love to read a fluffy contemporary like My Life Next Door or Anna and the Frech Kiss, you would definitely love this one. Completed with a main character with nice development, and a more realistic take on happily ever after, this one is a must try.

Cheers, x
NK

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

2014-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : These Broken Stars
Author : Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Genre : Sci-Fi
Published Date : December 10th 2013
Publisher : Disney Hyperion

Pages : 374

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Review

From the hype that surrounds it and the cover that is simply too pretty to be ignored, I've heard about These Broken Stars like half a year away before it was even released. By the nickname "Titanic on space" I say I have a pretty high expectation for this book. Because, honestly, I've watched Titanic over and over since I was a child and it somehow still amaze me. But did this book meet that expectation?
Surprisingly, it exceeds it.

"But she's here, she's mine. I'm hers."

—Tarver

From the very first page of the story, this book already started as intriguing, and the more the story proceed, it turned to be addicting. The pacing and the plot structuring was nicely done, keeping us hooked but still managed to built the tension. The way the story was narrated in dual PoV from both Lilac and Tarver also help strengthening this already solid story.

And then after those amazing-ness, there's this world building. And did I say that it's just sooo pretty and beautifully described without being over, and overall so vivid it seems like it was laid out before my eyes?

Lilac LaRoux as our main character was really lovely too. Although she tried to portrayed herself as a bratty, spoiled rich girl, her personality is actually way more deeper and complex than that.
She's actually strong, independent, and the way she narrates her part of the story is actually admirable as well. And I also love how her back story and all support her personality and proved that her attitude doesn't come out from nowhere just because the author feels like it.

"His opinion of me is already a lost cause—years later, when he looks back at this escapade, I’d rather he think bitch, than weakling."

—Lilac

See why I adore her so so much? I mean, many girl in many condition would be happy to be damsel in distress just to save their image or something. And yet here's our Lilac with her attitude, who prefers to be a bitch any time.
And the way she bluntly stood up or playing it sly, she could totally nailed it all while still being such a badass. And honestly, if I could add her into my book crush, I will, because she's just so freaking amazing.

Tarver, as Lilac counterpart, also complements her nicely. I love their funny banter. I love te way Tarver saw Lilac on his mind, thinkin sarcastically over her all the time. I love how his opinion slowly changed in a very believable way. And not like any other character who;s usually overshadowed by such a strong character like Lilac, Tarver managed to shine with his own light.
And when the two of them are combined? Well, here's me :

And those little snippet of Tarver interviews in between chapters are really fun to read too. It gives us hope that they'll survive, and the way it merges with the story in the end is also seamless as well.

And then there's their romance, and it's just asdfghjkl amazing. I just totally love love the fact that this two people like literally needs each other to stay alive, and that they didn't meet and fall in love just because they have to.
And I also totally adore the fact that Lilac also played a huge part on keeping them both alive, not just Tarver and always Tarver do all the work. It's like they fitted each other just perfect, and it's just soo beautiful.

One thing that I also noticed was how after every struggle and impossibility that seems to drive the story to a dead end, I found myself dying a little inside hoping that they could find a way, rather that being annoyed—which I usually do a lot when it comes to endless cycle of problem. And that's kinda proves just how much of a chemistry Lilac and Tarver have, no?

Overall, I think couldn't name a single flaw of this book. I might be biased, but for me this is a bundle of amazingness wrapped with an impossibly real world-building and romance that will left you wanting more and more of it. So who will I recommend this book to? My aswer is : Everyone.
If you're an avid sci-fi lovers, or honestly, if you're a reader, try this one because it's just amazing.

Cheers, x
NK

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

2014-04-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

Title : Cruel Beauty
Author : Rosamund Hodge
Genre : Fantasy
Published Date : January 28th 2014
Publisher : Balzer + Bray

Pages : 342

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Review

A month ago, if someone came to me and recommend to me a retelling, I would totally turn it down. Like, uh, retelling? No thanks, I've seen the Disney one and it seems like good enough. I'll do with just that.
Tell me again that I'm totally wrong? Yep, I know it.

Before, I've only read one retelling ever. It's Tiger Lily (Retelling of Peter Pan, which, by the way, I love while I hate the original), and this book is my second attempt on retelling.
I think I've seen a review of this book somewhere that made me reluctant to read it. But after a little while and tons of 5-stars Goodreads review to convince me, I finally did gave this a try. And wow, wasn't this one is beautiful.

"But we’ll pretend we know how to love.” I smiled at him. “And someday we’ll learn."

—Nyx

I've actually never really watched Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and just know that there's Belle, there's Beast, there's this talking furniture, and it turned out the Beast was a prince, happily ever after. But Cruel Beauty offered so much more depth to the story than I've ever know.
When we know a beautiful peasant, this book offered an assassin. When we know a beast, this book offered demons. And when we know a witch's curse, this book offered a cunning gods. And the way Hodge weaved all this intricate details into one beautiful and mesmerizing story is just beyond me.

I also really really love love love this book unpredictably and the way it makes me so confident about how the story will go cliche-ish, and the turn it upside down. The pacing was also fast enough that it will keep us curious and guessing (and turned out wrong) every time.
The world building was also very strong and very well-portrayed too. It was easy to imagine the grandeur of the castle, the eerie surroundings, and it's just so beautiful without being hyperbolic.

Beside the world building, the character of this book was also really well-developed. Every one of them had heir own distinctive traits and their own role. And even the most minor character of all do have an impact on the story, not just being there to crowd the space.

Nyx, as our main character, would probably be one of my favorite character. What made her especially charming is because she doesn't started out as those annoying humble, innocent, selfless girl like most fairytale had. Instead, she held her dignity and pride and looked calm, but pent up her anger inside like a warrior. And oh, did I mention that she even fought back to a seemingly sadistic demon lord like Ignifex? Isn't it just simply amazing? I couldn't adore her more.
Ignifex, our demon prince too, started out as a seemingly corrupted demon prince. And there's just something in the way Hodge write him, that however wicked his action is, I couldn't help but to root for him. And then turn out what? He's actually totally sweet and all.
And the way he's able to ask for help and not being I'm-way-too-cool-for-that like some guy on novels did, is just another plus point on why I also love him.

And gosh, did I mention the chemistry between Nyx and Ignifex? The feels? The asdfghjkl-I-want-this-right-now moment? Their relationship is just so deep and cute and complex and snuggly-warm and all this feeling jumbled into a huge fluffy ball of feels. And wasn't Ignifex just soo sweet he gave me a toothache? it makes me feels like I want to bring him home and keep him for myself.

Overall, this book totally delivered more than I've expected. It promised amazing, and it delivered perfection. And I know this because I've waited a week before even writing my review and I still can't find any flaw.
With it solid world-building, ever-moving plot that's unpredictable, strong character, and a great romance, this book is totally a must try.

Cheers, x
NK

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

2014-04-23T00:00:00.002-04:00

Title : Allegiant
Author : Veronica Roth
Genre : Dystopian
Published Date : October 22nd 2013
Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books

Pages : 526

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Review

To be blatantly honest : this book disappoint me. So. So. Much.

From reading Divergent and Insurgent, I was totally in love with this book. So like those avid fans, I was eagerly waiting for this one to be released. I expected an epic ending. I expected a grand finale. A great story. The one that'll left me speechless, full of feel, and seemingly unable to move on with life.

But what did I get? Some utter nonsense, crap, and BS dressed prettily as genetics lesson or something along that line.

"He is a secret that I have kept, and will keep for the rest of my life."

—Tris

I honestly still can't get over the fact that this book totally spoiled the whole series for me. The pacing was boring and it was cluttered with too much unneeded—and as I said before, nonsensical—explanation. And even the narration, which is told from dual PoV this time, was not distinguishable, AT ALL. I couldn't even count just how many times I started a chapter and had to go back to see who the heck narrates this.

The characters weren't better than the pacing, either. They all fell flat and their personality seems to just brushing the surface, even for the admirable Tris and Four. And their romance also got a lot more shallow than before, annoyingly kissing and hugging practically every single time they met.

And what ruined it the most was the fact that this book seems detached from the rest of the series. It took an obviously-way-too-new direction, and it doesn't have any similarities with the two previous books.

But who says a new and fresh concept was bad? Nope, in fact it could be great, IF it works. And unfortunately, it doesn't, and I really don't like the new way Allegiant was going.

I honestly prefer the old way which is Divergent and Insurgent. Simple, unique, and full of impact. Whereas this book was generic, boring, faux-scientific-ish, and WTF-inducing.

And don't even get me started at the ending, which is—again—totally nonsensical to me. The reason are not worth the action, at all. And no matter how much the narration told me that it was right, that it was the best, etc etc, I couldn't even bring myself to be convinced. Much so liking it. I mean, that's completely unnecessary, and I think it's just done to make some kind of—in my opinion, unneeded—statement. And I actually have no idea why it would—should—happen that way.

Overall, this book was a total letdown for me. The series was incredible, but the last book spoiled all the fun. It's one reason why I'm reluctant to pick this up, and it seemed like my instinct was right. With so little thing that I could call good enough, I truly don't recommend this one.

Cheers, x

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

2014-04-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Perfect Ruin
Author : Lauren DeStefano
Genre : Dystopian
Published Date : October 1st 2013
Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pages : 356

Source : Bought

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

Once upon a time when friend lend me her copy of Wither, I was actually pretty reluctant to read it. But afterward, Lauren DeStefano manage to make me fall in love with her work and stalking through Goodreads if in case she wrote another book.
When I saw Perfect Ruin? I was ecstatic. And flying city, you said? Give it to me right now.

"They’ll find pieces of a girl who followed the rules. That girl is gone now."

—Morgan

One reason I've loved DeStefano's work so much is that she has her magical way on constructing her fictional world. And as usual, this book also delivered a perfectly solid world. Largely dystopian but still believable, otherworldly but not nonsensical. And completed with a series of rule that pushed the story forward, Internment—where this book took place—is so real and vivid.

Sometimes, when a book was sets in a completely fictional world, the author tends to delve into the history too much it felt like we was reading a history book. But this book managed to filled us with necessary info, yet still has a quick pacing.
The way the tension built in this book was also perfect. It piled one mystery after another, and tugging us with a false hope that will make us curious and glued to its every page.

Then there's this bit of essay at every chapter's beginning, which is tied to the story. And actually, I really love reading that snippet. It is wise, thought-provoking, and sounds so genuine.

And I was particularly sure I would give this book a flawless 5-stars, until somewhere in the middle, it all went downhill.

The setting of this book, Internment, is a city floating in the sky, said to be banished from the ground, and therefore, its people are not allowed to even took a gaze at the ground. So, Pop Quiz : Is there any transportation to go down below? Nope. Good. Is this believable? Very.

But one event after another, it reached a turning point when everything just turn bad for Morgan, and then what? She survives, and a revelation was made.
[SPOILER]
Turns out that her slightly crazy brother along with the accused murderer and the strange girl—which Morgan's brother reminds her to stay away from, mind you—and a bunch of other people was making a plane. A freaking plane that could actually fly, and no one notices anything, and then this trio somehow managed to stay very very calm about it. And then out of the blue, they suddenly tell Morgan and even bring her betrothed to it. Just after she passed through a hard time. And it is highly possible that her betrothed could spill the secret outside.
[SPOILER]
Was it still believable? Not so much. And honestly, I hate how this semi Deus ex Machina suddenly came to play. Like, super suddenly.

The characters, on the other hand was superb. The characters were all so developed that even the most minor one has its distinctive personality.

Morgan, our main character, was unfortunately overshadowed by this well-developed cast, though. Sure she has a strong trait or two, but overall, she's just a little bit above average.
Pen, her besties, on the other hand, was very interesting. She's strong, fierce, independent, yet still has a believably real fragile side to her. And I could totally feel the friendship between them as well. Not just a the-main-character-must-at-least-have-one-BFF kind of friendship, but rather a true, heartfelt friendship where they both need each other.

The other side characters like Morgan's brother and his wife and the other, was also very unique from each other, and although it's quite a number of character being thrown together at one place, I could still distinguish them easily.
And one character that I'm really curious about is that spoiled Princess Celeste. I don't really know why, but in a way that she was strange and weird, she also seems very interesting.

But, despite the well-developed characters, this book also has its downside from the romance.
As usual, the same things happens over and over again on the romance of DeStefano's novel. The love has no chemistry at all. Even though the characters are betrothed since birth, they accepted each other. And if they accept, shouldn't there be love? Connection? Feeling? I actually feels none at all.

And then I arrived at the ending, and it's honestly killing me. It was one hell of a choppy ending, and calling it a cliffhanger would hugely be an understatement. I was honestly taken aback when I flipped the page and saw there's nothing more.

But it does the nice trick on making us curious about what will happen next, though.

So overall, there's not a lot from this book that disappoint. Beside the nonexistence of the chemistry and the sudden appearance of the semi Deus ex Machina, this book is actually a pretty fun read.
If you're looking for a dystopian read that might have been a little different, with a well-developed characters and interesting world-building, I highly recommend this one.

Cheers, x
NK

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

2014-04-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

Title : Dreams of Gods and Monsters
Author : Laini Taylor
Genre : Fantasy
Published Date : April 8th 2014
Publisher : Little, Brown & Company

Pages : 613

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

Review

I've been waiting and dying for this one like forever, and when it's like April already and it's released, I'm practically ecstatic. And glad to see that this book really satisfy and ended this series beautifully.

"I want you, at the end of all this. The dream, peace, and you."

—Karou

The beginning was actually a bit slow and boring, but once it pick up, you'll find yourself addicted to it. The story also had lots of interesting twist and unveiling, and clever use of the story's element to fleshed thing up.
And the way it all resolved was also lovely too, all loose end tied together and leaving out hope in the end.

The romance between Karou and Akiva is also way more lovely here than the other books, with their chemistry and their so called star-crossed lover existing and all. Sure, there's not a lot of swoony moments happening because they're in the middle of war, but it still doesn't lessened the charm this two had over me.
And they, as their own character, was also stronger than they are in the previous book. Karou continue to amaze me, while Akiva, well, he continue to make me swoon all over again.

As for the secondary character : Zuzana, Mik, Liraz, and Ziri, they also has their very own unique and strong characteristic here. The first part of the book might seems cluttered by totally new and random chimaera, but as the story goes on, I'm glad that Laini Taylor made a place and pivotal role for each one of them.
Also, the character that has became really interesting was Liraz, for me. Her development from the heartless angel to someone very human, is really really believable. And turns out, she's really, believably cute too, with her own problem and story.

All in all, I do have some complain about this book, such as the slow beginning and the story that stretched out a little bit too much. But for the final book in a trilogy, Dreams of Gods and Monsters didn't fail to impress and satisfy.
With a strong cast of characters and intriguing story line and unexpected twist, this book is totally a must read. If you haven't read this series already, do so right now.

Cheers, x
NK

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

2014-04-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : This Song Will Save Your Life
Author : Leila Sales
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : September 17th 2013

Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Pages : 279

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

Review

When it first came out, this book received so many attention on the blogosphere. But I'm not really interested at it at that time, because well, music is not my thing.
And the first time I actually am curious this book, it's from one of my friend in blogosphere (Cue to you, Kezia :D), saying about how much she loved it and all. And since our taste is similar, I said to myself, well why not?
And turns out, this one is a piece of amazing.

"Because throughout it all, you are still, always, you: beautiful and bruised, known and unknowable. And isn’t that—just you—enough?"

—Elise

This book was told from a perspective of Elise Dembowski, high-school-freak-slash-loser who tried her best to remove that label from herself. To make herself feel worthy enough. Good enough.
And I really love that this book managed to captured that raw emotion so beautifully, and it really connect with the real world and the real peer pressure. The writing was also light but still thoughtful, and it has managed to make me devour it on one sitting.

The characters were all great and very well-developed too.
Elise as the main character had this unique personality, and it's lovely to see her living up to this until the very end, that even the condition changes, she doesn't. And the way she behaved is believably weird, and maybe if you read it, you could say like "Wow, this girl is exaggerating everything", but I see it with my teenage's eye, and her action was like, weird but just how I expected a socially-awkward teen to behave. And another plus point is that both her parents are pretty much alive and existing, not just questionably absent like soo many YA novels out there.

The side characters also had its different role too, all with their own issues and their own personality. And even the assholes did has his own issue for doing things, and making it perfectly sensible, while being still unacceptable. And if it's not an amazing balance, I honestly don't know what is.

Overall, I think this book really succeed in tackling the issue of bullying and overwhelming peer pressure and identity crisis in teenager. Completed with powerful characters and fun but straight-to-the-heart writing, I truly recommended this book.

Cheers, x
NK

How to Love by Katie Cotugno

2014-04-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : How to Love
Author : Katie Cotugno
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : October 1st 2013
Publisher : Balzer + Bray

Pages : 389

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time.
But he's never seemed to notice that Reena even exists until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated-and pregnant-Reena behind.

After: Almost three years have passed, and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena's gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she's finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life.
But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn't want anything to do with him, though she'd be lying if she said Sawyer's being back wasn't stirring something in her.

After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

Review

The first time I saw this book, I was totally in love with the color-block cover and the cute chalky font. I mean, that cover is nothing but gorgeous, right? Reading again, the blurb says 'baby'. And I was like, "What, baby? Teen mom, you mean?" and got a little discouraged by it. Teen mom is deemed controversial in here, but when this book sold me with a promise of a second chance to the first love, well, who can resist?

And ooh, there's Jakarta mentioned in there! Well, hello there my Indonesia.

"A baby before my seventeenth birthday and a future as lonely as the surface of the moon and still just the sight of him feels like a homecoming, like a song I used to know but somehow forgot."

—Reena

As it has promised, sure, this book has its romance, and it has an interesting way to introduce both the young and the old version of Reena and Sawyer with its alternating narration of 'After' and 'Before'. Plus, the two of it complement each other. And how it was all wrapped up and resolved is just pretty.

But with the dual narration, comes backstory as well. And in this case, I think the backstory makes the whole book felt a little bit too stretched out. Like maybe it could be shortened and condensed a hundred page less or so, but didn't.

And also, unfortunately, the beginning of the story is just waaay too confusing. I mean, up until where Reena and Sawyer met again was great. But after that, there's this backstory in the 'Before', telling us their friends, their family, their this and that.

And it's a part that totally made me going "Who are you again?" to all of them. Because there's a serious case of name mentioning without any backing description going on here at the beginning.

Although, it does have a plus too, like we already got to know that Reena will ended up pregnant, and that jerk Sawyer will be gone. But still, we want to know how they ended up together before the baby. And it's not easy to do that, trust me.

As for the character, Reena, I think, is very humanly and totally easy to relate to. But I feel kinda annoyed by her whenever she turned into this backbone-less girl when Sawyer is around. Like seriously, he is not that charming, and I sure as hell don't find myself swooning pathetically over him at all. In fact, he was so flat.

So why oh why did our rational heroine become super stupid just because a boy? Oh, because it's the mighty Sawyer LeGrande. Hm, Reena, think again. Even if it was the story's issue, she surely wouldn't be THAT stupid, would she?

But what I love the most about them is how Reena and Sawyer totally grew as a character. And if you compared the first page and the last page of them, you'll see like a huge difference, and that's exactly what I prefer my character to be : growing.

Overall, I think How to Love is not a spectacular contemporary read and all. It doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't make me want to hug and kiss and sleep with it as well. If you're looking for a contemporary read that's a little deeper than usual, with interesting narration and visible yet believable character's growth, you might want to try this one.

Cheers, x

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

2014-04-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Maybe One Day
Author : Melissa Kantor
Genre : Contemporary
Expected Publication : February 18th 2014
Publisher : HarperTeen

Pages : 304

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.
Even when Olivia misses months of school.
Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Review

From the many people's response on Goodreads and around, they've said that this books induce a lot of feelings. And truth be told, I actually didn't quite believe it would be the case for me.
It's because, for some time of my life I've kinda accept this : It's pretty damn hard for me to bawl over a story. Because it often didn't hit with me and I'll just go "oh, okay" and go on with it.
But this book?
Well, you Melissa Kantor, are going to be held accountable for my parents coming to my room at midnight to find me awkwardly bawling my eyes out, and waking up the next day with both my eyes swollen like crazy.

"I'd failed to appreciate how the permafrost in which I was encased was protecting me, and now that it had melted, everything hurt."

—Zoe

Something in this book that had touched me the way other books doesn't is probably Zoe and Olivia's friendship. I love how their friendship was not overly-dramatic, how it was just another ordinary friendship founded on a hellish ballet class, and how their activity is never crazier than your usual girls talk and all. Yet, their connection was there and the connection was strong.
Every things that Zoe did for Olivia—and vice versa—was natural and realistic, and not at all seemed to be forced. And it adds this certain beauty to their friendship that it hurts so much to see them struggle throughout this story.

And the plotting, which was mainly driven by Olivia's condition and Zoe's decision, was also very interesting to read. A character-driven story often had a more in-depth feeling that the action-driven. In this book, I got a bucket of feeling. And while it leaned toward a character-driven style more, the pacing is still pretty organized—not picking up and sagging at some random point—but rather progressing steadily.

Zoe and Olivia as our main character, was probably the strongest aspect of this book, and what had helped it to hit exactly at the spot.
As a narrator, Zoe has an especially strong and unique voice. She also has this authentic feeling to her narration that it felt a little but more personal that usual. And I also love how her reaction to a condition was very genuine and believable, rash and hurried like any decision a high school girl would make. And it really helped to propel the story forward without making it cheesy and melodramatic.

Olivia as well, has this charming personality, that will make you can't help but to adore her and sympathize with her. But instead being this boring do-gooder, she also has another layer of a personality no one but her closest ever see, and it really help adding more depth and realness to her already solid character.

And I also love what Melissa Kantor do with her side character, making them subtle enough so it won't overpower the main, but still give each of them a personality so they will feel three-dimensional.

The romance in this book, though, was not spectacular or anything. But given this is not a romantic story, I guess I really can't complain about it. And it also doesn't really affect the story in a huge way, though.
But I feel that Zoe's relationship with her kinda-clear-and-unclear boyfriend Calvin kinda lacked the chemistry. Sure the boy was always there to help her and was so understanding and sweet at all. But I didn't feel this unexplainable urge to put them back together when they're not, like I did with Zoe and Olivia. And I guess, it's because their connection lacked this certain spark called chemistry.

Overall, Maybe One Day was quite a satisfying read. It was a good tearjerker (The one that actually DID make me cry), and with the friendship of our two main character being soo beautifully written and a strong, character-driven story, this book is really worth a try.

Cheers, x
NK

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

2014-04-08T22:34:00.000-04:00

Title : The Winner's Curse
Author : Marie Rutkoski
Genre : Historical
Published Date : March 4th 2014
Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Pages : 355

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Review

The first time I added this book to my TBR, I just thought "Oh, super pretty cover." and add it. Even when I buy it and read it, I still have no idea that it was going to be a historical fiction. And I still have no idea too that it was such a hyped up book everyone is talking about.
I was never particularly like those genre from the beginning, because it is often too boring for me. But even when I read this one, I still think "Oh, it's going to be dystopian maybe?". But then it was historical all the way until the end. But, well, who knows this book is actually a really nice surprise?

"You, I understand. You, I know how to read."

—Arin

One thing that maybe appeal to me so much is that although the history was maybe all made-up, it's still very well-thought of. It all seems so believable, full of depth, and overall very interesting. Like we could rolled out a map and see "Hey, that's the Herranian Peninsula up there."
And did I say it already, just how much I coveted the cover? It soo freaking beautiful.

The plotting of this book was pretty enjoyable. It is unpredictable, thrilling, and managed to keep us curious and dying to know what's next, all the time until the last page. Also love it that we actually could guess where it was going if we noticed the subtle hint being dropped here and there, but in the end we're still surprised and said "Why didn't I see this?"
I also love the fact that this book is very character-driven, and most of it is because of our brilliant main character, Kestrel (Although, honestly, her name is just so damn weird and hard to pronounce).

She is very smart and tough, using her brain when she obviously couldn't get out of a situation with her power and her lady's weak hand. And another thing that I admire from her character is that she was not that bratty wealthy girl, yet still hold her origin as a lady even though she might be sparring through mud or something.
And I really enjoyed the way she drove the story, guessing what she might have done this time, because she would always somehow had a logical, truly believable and valid way to get out of any situation. And man, doesn't I loved that just so so much?

Arin, as her counterpart and literally a slave of her, was also very well-developed. He has a strong and distinctive personality, and managed to look both strong and fragile at the same time. I also love how he successfully made us reader sympathize with his former-noble-but-now-a-slave condition, but not making it hyperbolic and melodramatic for a male.
One thing I didn't really love from him though, would be that (But not much, thankfully) sometime, when he stood to his personality, he is just simply weird. Like, I don't know what the hell you're doing even if you lay all your reason right there in front of me kind of weird. But I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Unfortunately, all the other supporting character, like Kestrel's friends, were just so generic and common that when Kestrel risked it all to save them, I just couldn't connect because, well, I don't see the why.
And the ending of this book, also, feel like it was missing a conclusion or something. I don't exactly know what it is, but I know that it left me feeling a lil bit emptier than before.

But overall, I think this book was very worthy of the hype that surrounds it. Sure it might not be the most brilliant book out there, but it does live up to the expectation. If you're a fans of historical fiction or if you want to try to read one, this book with its strong and admirable main character and a plot that'll keep you entertained until the very last would be a great choice.

Cheers, x
NK

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

2014-04-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Uninvited
Author : Sophie Jordan
Genre : Sci-Fi
Published Date : January 28th 2014
Publisher : HarperTeen

Pages : 384

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.

Review

The first thing that lured me into trying this book is, as you can guess, its cover. Notice how the girl's hair is shaped into a DNA? And those intriguing blurb that promises you a seemingly amazing story? Well of course, I decided to try this one. But when I dived into it expecting a riveting, suspenseful, and action-packed story, that's not exactly what I got.

P.S : Beware for my review-slash-ranting here. If you happens to be an avid fans of this book or something, then maybe you should not read further.

"Everyone in here. Everyone out there in the world. A world so afraid of carriers, it makes killers out of the innocent."

—Davy

The plotting and the way the story flow is average to me. Not too slow to make us bored and yawning all the way, but not so dynamic that it makes us curious and glued to its page, either. But here's one word that's best for describing this book : Hyperbolic. And here is why :

One, HTS is like those genetic disease that doesn't express itself when we have it. Like colorblind, maybe. We have to be tested, and when we came out positive, maybe we can't go to medic school or whatever is that which required your eyes to be no less than perfect. But that is colorblind.
With HTS, when you came out positive, you were taken away from the society, locked, and caged. Yep, read that right. Over-reaction toward the character, and voila, they're caged.

And in my opinion, the way people treated the HTS when they've never seen an HTS-carrier in action just looked so overrated. Over maybe, say, 10 HTS, only one actually killed. And then people caged and isolated them from the society like they're dealing with a bunch of hardcore terrorists. And I couldn't even let myself believe that the people would be THAT scared to something they've never seen. See? hyperbolic.

And then, there happens our main character Davy Hamilton. And the way everything about her is just perfect is actually annoying.
So she's a musical prodigy and straight A's student, with an adoring hot boyfriend that everyone wants, and a freaking rich family. Mm-hm? What else, what else? Here's an eye roll that you don't have yet from me.

And honestly, the way it was mentioned several times throughout the book that Davy is amazing with instruments and amazing this and amazing that is sooo overdone.
And then, what's more, after all of that, there's also this :

"Ever since I was three I knew my destiny."

—Davy

And it's like, oh my God. Can this book be even more hyperbolic?
Three years old didn't even go to school yet, please. I couldn't even remember my three years old self, much so knowing my destiny when I could crying and yelling like crazy for just falling. Kids like that? Knowing her destiny?

That above is a pic of a three-year-old. And you gotta be kidding me if she knows what her destiny is. And also, did I mention that those side character are just so bitchy and freaking annoying and seemed like they have no brain at all? (Well, sorry people. But read the book and you'll understand what a jerk they are).

It's just that I honestly can't believe that her former boyfriend—that looked at her like she's his whole world and that this earth could collapse with her is she willed it to—and friends can be that antagonistic when she's proved positive of HTS.
Apathy, maybe. But treating her like that? Seemingly lesser than the most shunned person alive? Maybe this is the first time I literally want to throw a book across the room. But then, it would be a physical abuse to a perfectly beautiful looking book, so I decide better.

But even though all those over-the-top description, I still found Davy as a kinda good main character actually. She hold to her belief, and she don't let the world bend her to what they want, and plus, she's not this dumb-naive girl either.

This books overall fell flat for me, with such a hyperbolic reaction to something we've never witness—which make it even more hard to believe—and an even more hyperbolic narration. Topped with a super frustrating and aggravating bitchy side character, I don't think I'll recommend this book. Some redeeming quality I found from it is maybe its pretty cover and intriguing blurb, and this determined main character. But still, the bad over-weighed the good.

Cheers, x
NK

Movie Review : Divergent

2014-04-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Divergent
Director : Neil Burger
Writers : Evan Daugherty (Screenplay), Vanessa Taylor (Screenplay), Veronica Roth (Based on the novel by)
Genre : Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi / Dystopian
Published Date : March 21st 2014
Stars : Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet

Length : 139 mins

From IMDB :

In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in.
When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.

Review

You do know the hype surrounding the release of Divergent movie, right? You know what it's like? It. Was. Crazy.

I've actually watched a few days after its premiere, and just getting the ticket feels like I'm playing The Hunger Games or something. But luckily, I got some advantages because my school got out early and all.

Anyway, I admit I must praised Lionsgate for making yet another fantabulous adaptation from a YA novel. After its remarkable success with Catching Fire, Divergent was their other huge success.

Sure maybe their opening wasn't as big as the *choughcheesychough* Twilight, but as the reader of the book, I gotta say I'm very satisfied with the portrayal.

"What Makes You Different, Makes You Dangerous"

—Divergent

Shailene Woodley, I think, was a perfect fit for Tris. She totally nailed that kickass-and-tough-but-not-heartless look that Tris had. She still lacked Tris's expressions though, but I think her acting skill kind of make up for that.

When she was acting with Miles Teller in The Spectacular Now—that apparently played as Peter here—I actually doubted her as Tris. I mean, okay, she looks great with her role and she looks so sweet and innocent and naive there. But the way she transformed into something else completely here is just, wow. And on top of that, I love what she has done to her body too, making it believably muscular and all.

Theo James as our Four, when I first looked at him at the trailer, was not really what I had expected to be Four. But seeing him live in the film, his acting and his expression really pull it off. Plus, he is just ohmygodnesssoooohandsome. Me and my friends were literally fangirling right there at the cinema when they do the close-up shot of him. And when he hugged Tris and say something along the line of "You'll be okay", we're like "We want to be hugged to pleaseee?"

But despite his handsomeness that has fooled quite a bit of me, I think he was a little bit too old to play Four. I mean, come on, Four was like, what? 17? 19? He totally looked like he's in his late twenties though. And he really is, in the real life. But when his real age leaked to the movie, it was well, unconvincing.

And Jai Courtney who played Eric also did a great and super believable job. Completed with his looks, he actually made me want to just go to the front of the cinema and kick him in his face and mutilate him whenever he talk.

Unfortunately, casting Miles Teller as Peter was not really my taste. I feel like he doesn't have the cocky and arrogant air that Peter had, and he seemed more like a loser who tried so hard to fish for attention, with his made-up smug looks and all. Not a natural center-of-attention-slash-asshole like Peter.

Moving to the story line, I think the crew had done a great job on the cutting of the plot that it wasn't too long and boring, but still had its essential. And on top of that, it was so similar to the book too. (And who doesn't love that, honestly?)

The portrayal of the dystopian Chicago was also very real, as well as the trademark Ferris Wheel, and that Abnegation quarter that's as believably dull as I imagine.

On the other hand, though, I think the Dauntless' trains are a little bit too polished, and their quarter on the contrary a little bit too rough and barren.

And there's Christina's trademark railing scene, but unfortunately, that scene was so short it lose its deathly tension to me, and I barely blink when I watched it, whereas in the book, I really maybe gnawing on my nail because it's really intense.

But there's also something that I surprisingly like it more here than on the books, which is : the Dauntless' life.

In the book, they're like this nonsensical, adrenaline-junkie. But in the film, we get to see just how they lead their life. And man, does it looks so fun and make the whole reason of why Tris joined them became clear and acceptable.

Overall, I think Divergent is such a satisfying film. Do I enjoy it? Absolutely. Was it the most perfect movie? Of course not.

It might not be the most amazing adaptation ever made, but at least it's pretty good for its book reader and that's quite an achievement.

And I think that this film will appeal to a lot of people, even if you're a non-reader. So go grab your purse and please go to the cinema right now, ‘cause you won't regret trying this.

Cheers, x

Early Review : Frozen by Erin Bowman

2014-03-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title : Frozen
Author : Erin Bowman
Genre : Dystopian
Published Date : April 15th 2014
Publisher : HarperTeen

Pages : 368

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

The Heists were only the beginning.

Gray Weathersby escaped from the primitive town of Claysoot expecting to find answers, but what he discovered shook him to the core: A ruthless dictator with absolute power. An army of young soldiers blinded by lies. And a growing rebellion determined to fight back.

Now Gray has joined a team of rebels on a harsh, icy journey in search of allies who can help them set things right. But in a world built on lies, Gray must constantly question whether any ally—or enemy—is truly what they seem…

Review

After those many dystopian novel popping every here and there, it takes more than just a pretty cover and catchy title to convince me. But this series, apparently, have it all. From the title to its pretty cover and an even more intriguing blurb, this series promise me something more than your usual dystopian.
And while the first book was not spectacular of something, the second was thankfully better

"We used to be easy. But I don't want easy anymore, because I want all of her."

—Gray

When the first book had focused more on life behind the Wall and being captured, Frozen had much more than that. It focused on running and unveiling secrets after secrets, laced with a lot of action scene and surprising twist, and flowed at a quick and interesting pace.
The world building was also more vivid and more structured compared to the first.

Gray Weathersby, in this book, actually showed a real nice side of him. He was actually not this kind of badass guy or something equally admirable. But what made me love him was the fact that he made a mistake and he's just flawed, and he apparently got the balls to admit it openly, and made up for it. It just made things believable, and not turning him into this boring character whose actions are always damn right.
Bree, on the other hand, feels like this weird character to me. Her personality is just kinda unclear, and it feels like she's always slipping whenever I tried to understand what she's like.
And Emma, it's just like ohmygod, how I loathe her endlessly and wish that I could mutilate her right there and now. I know there's this kind of oh-so-kindly character who does nothing but loving and caring and all. But God, just how fake and BS does she sounds? I literally groan whenever she said something or anything at all.

The other supporting character also, was a little bit generic and just a mere name with no real distinctive something to mark them.
But what I found more interesting than the others were the little technician Clipper, and the clone Jackson. They were both has their own personality even though it's not so deep and layered. But it's enough to set them apart from the crowd, and I think that makes them way more enjoyable to be read.

But while the pacing and the story had clearly improved a lot here, that's not the case with the romance. Simply put : It was irritating.
Especially in that moment when Gray suddenly forgive Emma, who had clearly betrayed him (and it's all because they were faced with a moment of not-so-dying, horray!) thus begin the so-called super-freakin-annoying love triangle.
And to make the matter worse is that Gray knew exactly that his right choice was Bree. He know, we know, everybody else know. So why in the freakin hell did he still consider Emma this and Emma that? Hm, hm?

Overall, I think that this book had improved a lot from its predecessor in the pacing and plotting and tension aspect. But while the romance and the characterizing still fell in the same hole, I think this series was quite promising, and I would recommended it you're looking for a not-so-common dystopian that has a vivid world-building and well-flawed main character, as well as action-packed with an unpredictable delicious twist.

Cheers, x
NK

DNF : The F- It List by Julie Halpern

2014-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Title : The F- It List
Author : Julie Halpern
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : November 12th 2013
Publisher : Feiwel & Friends

Pages : 256

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

With her signature heart and humor, Julie Halpern explores a strained friendship strengthened by one girl’s battle with cancer.

Alex’s father recently died in a car accident. And on the night of his funeral, her best friend Becca slept with Alex’s boyfriend. So things aren’t great. Alex steps away from her friendship with Becca and focuses on her family.
But when Alex finally decides to forgive Becca, she finds out something that will change her world again—Becca has cancer.

So what do you do when your best friend has cancer? You help her shave her head. And then you take her bucket list and try to fulfill it on her behalf.
Because if that’s all you can do to help your ailing friend—you do it.

Review

Well, when this book promised me a heartfelt story about friendship, cancer, bucket list, and just overall beautiful read? You just got me fooled. Because halfway through reading this book, I just couldn't muster any will to continue at all. Even though I am an avid contemporary reader and I usually could take on any story, however weird it was (Although I do would feel it was weird). I honestly can't take any more of this, thank you.

"So I carried on, waiting for what ever was to come, with or without God’s help"

—Alex

While in Goodreads, I saw a glittering 4-5 stars every here and there, I do wondering if maybe I'm the black sheep here (Am I?). But oh well, here's my thought on this book anyway. And I really can't comment about the story or the ending or whatever, because I didn't read this until the end and it just won't be fair.

The main issue I had with this book was, number one, it's romance. Honestly, so far as I read it, it didn't cause ANY big thing on the story except that now Alex had someone to be kissed, crossed a few item on the bucket list, and nothing else. And the biggest issue yet? They were like "Who are you and who are you?" at the first time they met, and YET, here comes the magic, they were kissing! Or, making out while lying on the grass, really.

Awww, sooo romantic, right? NOT if you're somewhat a stranger with each other. And it was like, a freaking five minutes, on the first time they ever had a real, actual meeting. I think I'll need an extra eye or two to do a massive eye roll here. And the chemistry, you ask? Here' the number = 0.

Another thing that just annoyed me is just how super-extra-mega perverted this book is. Or Becca and Alex is. I mean, I am a high-schooler too, and I totally am not like you. And I bet no one is. I lived your live, you know. Okay, minus the cancer, but cancer certainly doesn't make you perverted as hell.
And on top of that, if it was not enough reason, there would be no way—however perverted someone is—they would act like Becca. I mean, come on, there's no way she would think about sex every single second of her life, playing game about sex, talking about sex, and guess what? Doing a bucket list full of sexual thing. Like she literally have nothing else to think about, please.

Some thing I found redeeming enough to make me give this book two stars instead of one, though, was mainly because of Becca's personality. Not the sex-addict personality, of course, but more of her straight-forward attitude. Not afraid of doing what she want to do, and not wait another day to do it. And she and Alex just complement each other really nicely.

And, that, I think, is the only thing I could think of that was positive from this book. And oh, the pretty cover, and those intriguing blurb. Nothing else, really. Period.
If you're looking for a touching contemporary story about friendship, or possibly just looking for a tearjerker book for your weekend reads, just look for another book. I bet there's lots of them way better than this.
Sorry, but, just not my taste, really. Waaay out of my taste.

Cheers, x
NK

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

2014-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Title : Crash Into You
Author : Katie McGarry
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : November 26th 2013
Published by : Harlequin Teen

Pages : 474

Source : Bought

From Goodreads :

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Review

So after her brilliant take on Pushing the Limit and Dare You To, here comes the contemporary queen (Or for me, at least) Katie McGarry with her another wowza. I mean, it's freaking Isaiah, people. ISAIAH. Do you need another reason to be super excited and jumping up and down over this book? Well, cars. Cars + hot guys never go wrong, by the way.

"It’s what I do. Each tattoo represents the only happy memories I've had. And you, Rachel, you’re the happiest."

—Isaiah

The pacing of this book, I think, is very similar to the first two book. It's still detailed and not too rushed and managed to fleshed out the story well, but I also think this book shows a lot of improvement with something always happening in every scene. The stake is simple and real and deadly too, making us readers feel really easy to connect with it throughout the whole book.

One thing I also notice (And damn love) was that Rachel's and Isaiah's narration were very different yet really reflected what they are. Rachel's are those kind of naive rich girl (Not in that I-know-nothing-and-I'm-freaking-adorable kind of naive) with that cute way of thinking while Isaiah just cursed everything all the way 'round, and I love that it just felt so authentic.
Both of their character were also very strong with a very decent back story that I just can't help but to agree with whatever they do because I could see their reasoning behind it, even if they do something wrong.
I could also—particularly—feel the way Rachel feel about her family, why her Mom made gajillion of kids just because she wants another daughter, how she felt like a replacement, or the act-like-he-know-it-all-and-you're-just-nothing crappy older brothers. It were all very easy to relate to.

And their romance. Can I just flail and not write anything about this? Cause it's just sooo beautiful I can't help but going ooh and aah every time they're together. Isaiah is like so swoon worthy and they're just perfect for each other. AND THE CHEMISTRY. AND THE FEELS.

The side character though, I found were all a jerk. Like, oh my God, Rachel's brother. Why on earth, could her brothers, and on top of that, all four of them, be suck a jerk like it runs in their Y chromosome or something? And Rachel was just this good girl who completely understand her brothers for being a jerk and it just make me feels like ripping their heads one by one? Like, please, Rachel, it's not called over-protective. It's called being an asshole.
The other side characters, such as Noah and Beth—while they were great in the previous book—also somehow become a lil bit of a jerk here (Although it's only in the beginning and they all like, kind of reconciled in the end. But, still).

And then there's also this gigantic 'Why' that haunted me, though. This story revolves around the debt Rachel and Isaiah owes to this so-called gangster, and that they'll have their whole life threatened if they don't pay.
But honestly? I remember it being mentioned somewhere, and she's like freaking rich, so why can't she just sell her diamond earring, said she lost it, and be done with it already? Yeah I know it's not a noble thing to do, but I'll bet that most people would do this instead of what Rachel does. The problem just feels being made complicated unnecessarily.

And then, after making the uncomplicated probs complicated, Katie McGarry then proceed to make the complicated one damn simple. Like those one defining race that had Isaiah and Rachel's life on it.
It was resolved in what pages, your guess? Two paragraphs and one sentence. Horray.

The ending though, was not all fluffy and happily ever after, and they still had the after effect of it, not coming out unscathed at all, and that just add the right amount of realness to it.
Overall, if you're already an avid fans of Katie McGarry's work or if you want to give it a try on a contemporary genre, this book is totally a must read with its distinctive narration, well-developed characters, and an always moving story with a swoony romance that will keep you entertained. Haven't read this series yet? Like, go grab it now.

Cheers, x
NK

Early Review : Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

2014-01-04T00:21:00.000-05:00

Title : Into the Still Blue
Author : Veronica Rossi
Genre : Dystopian
Expected Publication : January 28th 2014

Publisher : HarperCollins
Pages : 400

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

Review

[CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS BOOK, "THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT" HERE]

You know, the very first time Under the Never Sky came out, I actually didn't really think it would be such a great story. Because well, it was the age of The Hunger Games, and then dystopian stories popped out everywhere like fungi on rainy seasons (Excuse my scientific-ish language, peeps. Exams were just over). I first thought that this series would become one of those Hunger Games-wannabe. Turns out? I was wrong, like, totally. And this book, as the last of the series is just whoa.

"I keep trying to fraction. I keep thinking my Smarteye is malfunctioning, and it's kind of like I've gone deaf. Like there's this huge missing piece. Then I remember this is all we have. Real is all that's left."

—Jupiter

Into the Still Blue told us where the story left off from the previous book, where Aria found out that the Reverie had broke down, Hess had to sacrifice his own people for his own safety, and Perry had led the Tides away from their territory and into an isolated cave, all to escape the Aether and discover the Still Blue, the rumored place where the sky is clear and the Aether is nowhere to be found. But when Roar and Perry's relationship is crumbling, and Sable and Hess joined force against the Tides to discover the Still Blue—with Cinder's life as the price, what will Aria and Perry ultimately do to save them all?

While the first and the second book definitely makes me fall in love with this series, the third just totally got me hooked and managed to make me read it all in one sitting. The story was heated right from the very first page, and the flow was really nice—not too fast, not too slow. Also, love the way the story always proceed toward the unexpected, always moving forward, and gave us such an interesting read.
The narration of both Aria and Perry was also much more entertaining to be read than the two other previous book. It had more souls and characteristic to it, and it's much more easier to distinguish between the two.
The twist toward the ending was totally unexpected too, and reading that really just make me goes :

At first, however, maybe you'll find yourself getting a little confused about who's who, more so if you already forgot the details of the previous books. There's like, so many character naming already at the beginning, which honestly make me goes "Er, who are you again?". Plus, their role from the previous book was not really memorable either, which make it even more harder to remember them. But after a while, you'll get used to it (Like me, who just read it on because I'm just too curious. You'll end up remembering them, anyway :D)

Moving on to the main character, Perry. Previously, I imagined him to be those barbaric-looking man, unruly hair, (Smelly, probably?) and overall so not swoon-worthy. And maybe, if you offered him to me as a boyfriend, I'll be like :

But, ha, I take it back now. GIVE HIM TO ME NOW. Because he was just soooo adorably sweet and super aww-ie in this book, melting us all with those little romantic gesture toward Aria that will turn us into that gooey puddle of hopeless fangirl, all while still manages to avoid that I-love-you-and-will-kiss-you-like-every-second-if-I-could-because-I'm-just-that-sweet-and-you-all-will-die-swooning kind of cliche, like that one particular book *coughtwilightcough*. Ahem.

Aria as the other leading character was particularly very charming as well. Love that she was such a reliable character with a decent backbone, not just a whinny girl who can do nothing, even if she don't have the muscle power like the Dwellers, but rather, brains (Which is, by the way, a really nice touch, because it proved that Rossi really followed her own concept and not just making anything possible in sake of the story : a.k.a Mary Sue).
And she also had this really nice relationship with Roar also, which (Thank goodness, by the way, that Rossi didn't take those turns toward the evil love triangle) proves, that: Yes people, girl and boy can be close and just be friends. Like, really.

However, although the whole book was really satisfying, I think that the ending could have ended with a little more bang than it already is. Like, this is what the Tides have all been waiting for. What Perry, Aria, Roar, and basically everyone else was waiting while spending their life at The Death Shop. And when the final battle come, it was basically just a little chit-chat with some empty threats and 10 seconds of action? Mhm-kay.

Overall, Into the Still Blue was still a satisfying read for all of Rossi's fans out there. While the ending might not be packed with appropriate amount of feels I've been expecting, the whole book made up for it with its great plot and tension, the fast and always intriguing pacing, strong character development, and also lots of swoon and feels. Totally worth the read.

Cheers, x
NK

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

2013-12-28T10:37:00.000-05:00

Title : The Burning Sky
Author : Sherry Thomas
Genre : Fantasy
Published Date : September 17th 2013

Publisher : Balzer + Bray
Pages : 464

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

Review

Now, first, let me just be honest and tell you that The Burning Sky is the first High Fantasy book I've read. Ever. Nope, I haven't read those hyped Shadow & Bone yet (Though I've tried and understand nothing) and nope, neither Narnia or well, you name it.

I actually kinda scared about trying this book, since I find it really hard to concentrate on High Fantasy because they are well, frankly confusing. But this book totally changed my view, and make me think that the high fantasy book are probably not THAT hard to be read.

"Let me tell you this : I live for you, and you alone."

—Titus

The Burning Sky told us about Iolanthe Seabourne, the elemental mage prophesied to save her world from the tyrannical leader. But when Iolanthe accidentally called forth a lightning—the elemental power only heard on myth—she bring both ally and enemy close too her. But when they proved to be way too close and way too endangering, what will she ultimately choose to sacrifice?

Number one pet peeves on my list : Prophecy. I always automatically stay away from book that had the P-word on it. But this book totally had way too many good things that even the P-word can't make me stay away from it.

Usually, when I read a book, it was because one or two thing caught my interest. But with The Burning Sky, it seemed like almost everything sounds right up my alley; from the pretty cover, the blurb, and even the first few sentences already had me hooked.

Sherry Thomas also managed to did the world building in just the right way, making it so beautiful and magical, yet didn't feel exaggerated. The pacing also always moving forward, with something always at stake, and it really keeps readers entertained until the end.

And combining a badass elemental mage and heart-melting prince, and going undercover at an all-boys school?

It just fels like *drumrolls* :

Our main character Iolanthe Seabourne—or Archer Fairfax when she went undercover and pretends to be a boy—was totally someone I would love to be friend with. Hell, BFF or whatever. She was such a strong, logical, dependable girl, and you all know just how much we love that.

Also the fact that she still hate the handsome bastard—however uber-handsome he might be—and not turning into a pathetic puddle of feels, just make me love her even more. Really, if she was real, I would totally hug her like now.

But Prince Titus, on the other hand, was kinda lacking of bad traits. Sure, he had this little obsession with Iolanthe that he even changed the Sleeping Beauty's face with her face, and that he is quite a trickster that managed to fool Iolanthe into unwillingly work with him, but after a while, I get the feel that he was just a noble prince that make us all swoon and turn into a gooey puddle of hopeless fangirl, but with one or two negative traits, he would be even more believable. Love it, thought, that he still had that completely logical fear of dying, since YA characters this days seemed to be all too overly heroic and death feels like nothing.

But despite Titus's lack of bad traits, the romance between them was still very great. Their chemistry—thank God—was strong and, more importantly, exist. It was not at all an insta-love, and that was really a HUGE plus point.

However, another miss of this book was when the problem first started and all those fantasy elements come to play, it just really confuses me because many terms were just being thrown around without really being explained. Or is it just me, because I seemingly never read any other high fantasy books before this one? Because when I read the sentence that "he vaulted", I just think that "What the hell is a vault? Like, in bank vault?"

Noted : after putting this and that together, I figured out that vaulting was pretty much some kind of teleporting or sort.

Overall, with its strong and pretty lovable protagonists, solid romance, tight-knitted plot, and a beautiful world building, The Burning Sky looks like a promising starts for The Elemental Trilogy. Whether you're already a high fantasy readers, or a first-timer like me, this book is a must-read.

Cheers, x

Once We Were by Kat Zhang

2013-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Title : Once We Were
Author : Kat Zhang
Genre : Dystopian
Published Date : September 17th 2013

Pages : 352

Publisher : HarperCollins

Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

"I'm lucky just to be alive."

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

Review

[CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS BOOK, "WHAT'S LEFT OF ME" HERE]

The first book of this series actually did not really make me go speechless or gaping or feeling whoa or anything. It actually kinda feel flat. But since the whole concept of this story totally won my heart, even though the first book of this series was kinda so-so, I still found myself reading the second one. And, well, glad to say : Lots of improvement there, people.

"Because in the end, we all wanted the same thing. To be safe. To be free."

—Eva

Once We Were told us about the continuation of Eva and Addie's journey, and what their life—and the other fellow hybrid—had become after they escaped the nightmare of Nornand Clinic. Taking shelter at one of the Hybrid's rebel, Eva and Addie found themselves getting caught in the middle of a rebellion and conspiracy, which might just way too dangerous for all of them. With the governors building more clinic and cutting more Hybrid's head open for experiments, and the rebels making more and more risky turns toward preventing it, just how will Eva and Addie save their fellow allies, and more so themselves?

If the first book deals with Addie and Eva hiding their hybridity (Is that even a word?), this second books focus more on accepting the fact and working toward the best future they could have, with two people sharing one body and different wants. Tricky, yes, but that was one of the thing that actually made me love this book more.
Because really, how can I resist a story about such a complicated problem? It's not like Eva and Addie can sever themselves from one another. But it's also no fun when the other one is kissing her crush while another watch. And yeah, just imagine if they get into a relationship or even married. Who will they marry, Eva's boy, or Addie's? Oh, choices.

One thing that also shows a lot of improvement was the way Zhang build the tension on her story. The stake was higher, the problem seemed real, the condition was easy to relate to, and it actually succeed in making us believe that their problem really actually matters.
The pacing is, unfortunately, still slow as ever. But here's one thing : it shows some improvement, at the very least.
The ending, though, was quite great in my opinion. You know those kind of book where the ending is totally ambiguous for the sake of piquing reader's curiosity, but instead give us those "What am I reading this hundreds pages book for if there's no conclusion" feels? Good thing it didn't happen with Once We Were.
It still makes us curious about what will happens next with its cliffhanger, but at the same time still managed to make the readers feel satisfied as well.

But, while the tension building seemed to have improved a lot, there's also some flaws that still haven't changed in this book, which is : Name mentioning. Yay. Again.
The problem is still the fact that the side characters name were like, dumped all at once in the beginning, and then just stays names throughout the story. Names only, with no real description on how they looks like, or what their traits or personality is. And with the hybrid issue where you have literally two people inside you, the changing name of the character can be quite annoying and confusing as well.

Moving to our main character, I actually kinda loathed Eva in this book. Sometimes she's smart and really thought of something before actually doing it. But sometimes (Or lots of time, actually), she could be really really stupid and making unnecessary problem which turns into a disaster, while in fact, she could avoid it altogether.

But one thing I do love about how Kat Zhang treated her characters was that she gave almost everyone a crucial role. They all served a purpose, and wasn't there to just exist and fill the space. They actually did something meaningful, and it's really nice and realistic to see that the responsibilities were not given to just one people but rather lot of them. Like, in real life, no one is that mighty to do all this and that and a bunch of other things all by himself. And Zhang really give that touch of realness to this book, which is a plus point for me.

Overall, this book is not really a mind-blowing or amazing read to me. While it was indeed way better that the previous one, it still had the same mistakes at some places. But if you're looking for a dystopian novel with a strong concept that will left you even more curious than before, topped with a solid tension building and problem with a realistic touch to it, this book could be one of your try.

Cheers, x
NK

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

2013-12-14T05:13:00.000-05:00

Title : The Beginning of Everything
Author : Robyn Schneider
Genre : Contemporary
Published Date : August 27th 2013

Pages : 335

Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books
Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review

From Goodreads :

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

Review

The first time I saw this book—you know just how a cover-judger I am—it really didn't make me want to read it. But then again, it was like probably no secret anymore that I'm easily sold when there's this tag saying this book is a heart-wrenching, or thought-provoking, or something along that line. So when I read the blurb of this book and saw that shining golden line of "a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel", ha, yep, screw the cover. Read it right away.

And oh, by the way, when I got to read the book, I finally understood that the cover actually had more meaning to it than just an orange-y roller coaster.

"So who I was in the aftermath of my personal tragedy?"

—Ezra

The Beginning of Everything began with how Ezra Faulkner—the boy who ruled the Eastwood High and seemingly had it all—had an accident that broke his knee and took away his ability to play tennis ever again, and with it, all of his glory. But when his life seemed to fall out of place and every thing he had known became worthless, come the new girl Cassidy Thorpe to the never changing city of Eastwood, bringing her mystery along and took Ezra on her up and down. But what would become of the ex-king and the mysterious new girl, when Ezra realizes just how far Cassidy would take him under?

First of all, let me just tell you how super beautiful the writing of this book is. It was fun and hilarious, but still full of meaning behind it all. If I marked the pretty quote from this book while reading, it would probably be covered with Post-It all over it. Seriously, it's THAT beautiful.

One thing I also particularly notice was how distinct and captivating Ezra's voice is. His narration was humorous, sarcastic, easy to read, and yet really contains his personality. And although it was all seen from the eyes of a boy, I still found that the story was overall enjoyable.

His hurt pride of having the 'King' status forcibly taken from him was really believable too, make the reader feel what he felt, but without being cheesy or overly dramatic.

As a character, Ezra Faulkner was really well-developed, too. His action was reasonable, and he was not that type of character who did whatever-the-reader-would-love-me-to-do kind of thing, which really gave a nice touch of reality to this book.

One thing that I really couldn't understand, though, was how every single person in Eastwood High just seemed to want Ezra on their life. Like no matter how often and sudden he dumped his current gang, they would happily accept him back whenever he went back, even if he dumped the popular crew for the nerd, and vice versa.

Like, man, feel a little betrayed, at the very least? That kind of 'I'll accept you back anytime' attitude never happens on real life. Ever.

Cassidy Thorpe—his counterpart—on the other hand, was really an intriguing character. Unfortunately, she turned into somewhat your typical girl in the middle of the story, and then transforming again into a selfish bitch nearing the end. I just really had this mixed feelings toward her, like I want to hug her and punch her at the same time. Because however bitchy she might had become, I think her character is just so solid that I couldn't bring myself to loath her but rather see her reasoning and agree with it.

And that really broke my heart because I just loved Ezra and loved Cassidy as well and it just felt like :

In the end, I think Robyn Schneider did a great job with Cassidy's character and how she coped up with everything happening inside her small small world, and how Ezra react with it all and not turning all angsty and acted like his world end that very moment. Magnificent work there, Robyn.

Although some of the side characters, like Jill Nakamura, Sam, and a whole lot of the tennis and cheer squad, were just completely purposeless, in my opinion.

But although the narration and the characterization was great, what made this book lost its one last star was honestly its plot. Sure, the beginning was good and piqued my interest, but the middle part, unfortunately, was sagging a lot and just seemingly aimless. One thing didn't affect another, and it just felt like a bunch of random scene being glued together, and then was put there in the middle of it all.

Fortunately, though, the story picked its pace up again later, and although the ending was not at all satisfying, I do still think it was beautifully realistic, and showed us how Ezra truly changed and finally grew out of his teenage's indecisiveness and found where he belongs after all.

Overall, The Beginning of Everything was quite a nice read for me. With its strong characterization, captivating narration, and the realistic story, I think this book would appeal to all of you who love reading contemporary story that was not all bubbly and happy, but rather thought-provoking and meaningful.

Cheers, x