If I Stay Duology (If I Stay/Where She Went) Book Review

Hi Guys,

Today I am going to be reviewing the If I Stay duology by Gayle Forman. This duology is composed of If I Stay and Where She Went. I will also share some of my thoughts on the If I Stay film. I actually listened to both of these novels as audiobooks. I actually had mixed feelings about these audiobooks, and I will share some of my feelings on those as well. But first, here is the synopsis of If I Stay from Goodreads:

"Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?
Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters."

Book Review Mash-Up (1) *13 to Life/Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe/The 100/Beautiful Disaster/White Cat/Obsidian*

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be doing a Review Mash-Up of 6 books that I've read anywhere from 2 months ago to 3 years ago. Some of these books were very good, while others were simply mediocre. I put these books together because of the fact that I only remember certain things from each of these books because I failed at posting a review as I read them. The general ideas, and some major happenings are still in my memory bank, but most situations from these books are forever lost until I decide to pick these books up again, if I ever decide to. The books I will be reviewing are:

• 13 to Life by Shannon Delany
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
• The 100 by Kass Morgan
• Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
• White Cat by Holly Black
• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

If you would like to read the synopsis of any of these novels, just click on the title of that book above and it will direct you to the Goodreads page for said book.

False Memory Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be reviewing False Memory by Dan Krokos. This was the last book I finished in June, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. There were certain things that I loved, and there were other things that I didn't like at all. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Legend Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today, as promised, I'm going to be reviewing Legend by Marie Lu. This is a dystopian novel, that is unlike any other I've ever read. It's fast-paced. action-packed, and beautifully written., It also has such amazing characters, all of these things make it a MUST-READ! Here is the synopsis of the book from Goodreads:

The 5th Wave Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'll be reviewing The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, the first book in The Fifth Wave series. This novel is 457 pages of nonstop action, characters that you root for, and plot twists that will keep you guessing well after the end of the book. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Hush, Hush Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be reviewing a book that was released several years ago. It's been read and reviewed by everyone and their mother, and I just read it a few days ago, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. The hype around this book had me worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it was better than I thought it would be. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE
Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

 My first impression of this book was that it would be amazing, I first bought it back in 2009, and I'd never read an angel book. The cover looked amazing though, and I thought that it would be just as amazing. I've had it on my shelf since the day I bought it, and I also bought Crescendo and Silence, the second and third books in the series,. when they came out. I let three of my friends read this book before I even thought about reading it, and their reactions were all the same: "OH MY GOD!!! You have to read this book NOW!", but I never really felt the urge to pick it up. Then I finally decided to pick it up, and I couldn't put it down. It was amazing, I loved the story line, the suspense, the sarcastic humor, and the romantic tension between Patch and Nora. I really was amazed at how much I loved this book, the only thing I didn't really like was that it was a little slow in the first couple chapters, but other than that, it was very fast-paced and action-packed. I give this book 4/5 stars, and I can't wait to read Crescendo. If you guys haven't read this novel, which you probably have, PICK IT UP! It's worth your time, and you will have a new book to add to your favorite books shelf. Check out the blog tomorrow for my second #FridayReads post, and I'll see you guys then.

Carrier of the Mark Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'll be reviewing Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon which is the first book in the Carrier Trilogy. This was originally a story posted on InkPop that was published by HarperTeen. This was several years ago, and ever since I heard about it, I was excited to read the novel. The idea of this book seemed amazing, and IT'S BASED IN IRELAND! Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this novel. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Their love was meant to be.
When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.
But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

My first impression of this book was that it would amazing. First of all, it was chosen from tons of stories by HarperTeen to be published from InkPop. It also sounds very ominous from the synopsis, it's based in Ireland, and the cover is pretty cool. I'm just going to go ahead and give you guys my rating so I can get my pros and cons out of the way. I give this novel 1/5 stars, and honestly I think this is being generous. I hate giving this book such a low rating because I really wanted to love this book, but I couldn't possibly give it anything higher than a 1/5 stars. Here are the pros:

Pros

• Ireland... 'nuff said
• The folk lore and general idea for the paranormal in the book is very original
• Rian and Aine
• Fionn
•  Randall the crow
• Caitlin (Megan's friend)

Yep, that seems about right. That's everything I could think of, I don't think I liked anything else. Now, on to the cons:

Cons 

• Megan
• Adam
• Megan and Adam's Relationship
• The awkward tension throughout the book
• The similarities to Twilight (not really going to go into this one but for a better look at what I mean check out the Cuddlebuggery Book Blog)
• The plethora of info-dumps

These cons were all major parts of the story, taking 3 stars away from it. The pros are pretty self-explanatory, but the cons aren't really that easily explained. If you don't like the main character (Megan) in a story, you won't like the story that much. You REALLY won't like the story if you can't stand the main character or even their love interest (Adam). This is how I felt throughout the majority of the book, I could stand them when they weren't together, but barely. When they're together, however, I couldn't stand either of them. Especially with horribly awkward scenes such as this one:

""Megan," Caitlin called from the direction of the bonfire.
I looked away from him (Adam) reluctantly. "Over here." A little embarrassed by my intense feelings, I pulled my hand away, but Adam held it to his lips, letting his tongue lightly caress my palm. My eyes closed in pleasure. "

Um... GROSS! I don't know of any couple, fictional or not, that do that. Oh, I forgot to mention that these two were on their "first date" and hadn't really talked to each other before. I just can't see how anyone would justify MAKING OUT with someone's HAND!!! There were several other awkward parts throughout the book, they just made me cringe... more than when I read a Dexter book. Lastly, the info-dumping... it was the only way that info about the world and mythology was given to the reader. A ton of information would be given to me, and I didn't understand that much of it the first time reading it. Even as I read it for the fifth time, I could only understand about half of the information given. It's like I went into a reading coma while reading these parts, and I couldn't understand any of it. From what I could grasp of the elemental mythology with the 5th, was that it was like Captain Planet... but I'm not sure. If I had to tell you whether or not to read it, I would say not to read it, it's a waste of your time. For recommendations, I would have to say if you really, REALLY, want to read it, I would recommend it for fans of Ireland, horrible romance, The Last Airbender, Captain Planet, gross love scenes, and corny love stories. That's the best I can do guys. I really hate that I hate this book because I really wanted to love it, but no such luck. I am, however, going to be reading the next book Shadow of the Mark. I want to see if the author can turn some of my cons into pros, and the idea is neat enough that I want to know what happens next. If it gets better, I will let you guys know whether it's worth getting through this book to read the next one. I hope it's amazing, but if it's anything like the first one, I'm going to be disappointed.

Check out the blog tomorrow for my In My Mailbox post, I have quite a few books to show you guys.

Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge (Galley) Book Review

Hi Guys,
I hope you are enjoying your Summer vacation, I know I am. So far I've finished 3 books over this summer vacation, which started Friday for me. On my last post I explained that I was on an amazing book streak. Well, that's not the case anymore, and you guys will see in my next review just which book I didn't enjoy so much. Although, the book I'll be reviewing today is one that I very much enjoyed. Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge by David Lubar is a collection of short-stories that revolve around... well... death, murder, and revenge. I've never really reviewed a short-story compilation, so this is new for me. I will list the title of each story, and under it, I'll explain how I felt about it, and give each story a rating between 1 and 5 stars. Here's the synopsis of the overall collection from Goodreads:

Master of the macabre David Lubar turns his attention to dark and twisted tales for teens with Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge
A group of high school girls takes revenge on their sadistic gym teacher in the most fitting way possible. Two stowaways find themselves on a ship for the dead. An ancient predator stalks the wrong victim. Here are thirteen tales of death, murder, and revenge from the fertile and febrile imagination of master storyteller David Lubar—his first story collection for the teen audience.

My first impression of this book was that it would be decent. I'm not a real fan of the cover, and you guys know how I can't help but judge a book by it's cover. Although, the overall idea of it sounded really neat. I love reading short stories, especially about dark, morbid, and creepy things. This compilation didn't disappoint, either. Let's jump right into the stories!

"Running Out of Air" 

I really enjoyed this story, I'm not a fan of revenge stories, because I end up feeling bad for the original "bad guy". This, however, was a story that I felt could be straight from the local news. Teens always have quarrels with their gym teachers, and this coach went a little too far. I loved that it was quite realistic, and it, of course, made me feel bad for all parties. I give this story 3/5 stars.

"Split Decision"

OH MY GOD, I LOVED THIS STORY! This is definitely one of my favorites from the entire collection. I thought that it was a really neat idea, and I enjoyed reading it. I loved that it was short and to the point, which didn't allow it to drag out in some parts. I also loved the idea of the story, and also the way things tied up at the end. I'm still a little unsure why he chose to run away because of his step-mom's pregnancy, but it's fine, because that part didn't need to be explained for me to understand the story. I give this story 5/5 stars.
 

"Apparent Motives"

This was a good story. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it... quite frankly, I forgot what it was about, and I just had to skim over it again. Uh-Oh. I did actually think it was a good story, though. It was a lot to take in at first, but once I finally understood exactly what was happening, Lubar through a twist ending that was heart-breaking to say the least. I give the story 3/5 stars. 
 

"Feelings"

 This story seemed to last FOREVER for me. I don't know if it's because the three before it were so short, or because this one was just boring, but I was stuck on this one for a bit. I did like it though, I liked the first couple pages, then it got boring, then I enjoyed it again, then it got boring...again, and it did this up until the end where I was captivated and couldn't turn the page fast enough. This was the first story to feature a paranormal element, and so far I liked the "everyday life" stories better. I  give this one 2/5 stars.

"Every Drop"

This story was very interesting, I was captivated from start to finish, and I loved the idea behind it. It started off like one of the "everyday life" stories, but quickly changed, and I really enjoyed it. I thought the ending was appropriate, and it was an overall enjoyable story about revenge. I give this one 4/5 stars.
 

"Patterns of Fear"

THIS STORY!!! OH MY GOD! IT WAS AMAZING! I loved everything about it, it was perfect in my eyes. I wanted to read an entire novel about this story, it was THAT good. I'm telling you guys, "Patterns of Fear" and "Split Decision" are tied for first right now. There's nothing else I can say, I don't feel like I could come anywhere close to giving it justice. I give this story, as if it wasn't obvious already, 5/5 stars.
 

"Free Seas"

This story was probably my least favorite of the entire collection. It wasn't long enough to let a story develop, in my opinion. It also wasn't that great, or original, of a story. One reason I know I didn't like it as much was because it had to follow "Patterns of Fear", and this was definitely a "NO-CONTEST" situation. I give this story 1/5 stars. 

 "Blood Magic"

Uh, can you say creepy? I really enjoyed this story for the first half, and then when someone started bleeding, then it was just creepy. It did have tons of action, and intrigue. I did love learning about this certain someone, but I was so weirded out about it, that I couldn't really enjoy it. I give this story 3/5 stars.

"A Cart Full of Junk"

  This story was really interesting, it sort of reminded me of "Split Decision" because of it's foreshadowing, and the outcome. I really enjoyed this story and I couldn't see anything wrong with this one either. I give this story 5/5 stars.
 

"Morph"

 This was another long story, but I actually thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was very original, and entertaining. I loved the characters, the plot, the creatures, and the story all together. I give this story 5/5 stars.
 

"Whoodoo"

This story was very short, but very enjoyable. I loved this story, coming from a broken family, I could empathize with what the main character felt about his parents' upcoming divorce, and wanting them to fall in love again. But this story had an added twist that made this story awesome. I give this story 4/5 stars.
 

"The Ex Box"

This was a generally good story. It wasn't creepy, it wasn't scary, but it was interesting. I loved reading about these characters, and even though I thought that one of the characters was a certain supernatural being, I put that thought aside thinking that that would be too mainstream/obvious. But then Lubar shocked me by doing the most obvious thing, which I really liked. I give this story 3/5 stars.
 

"Evil Twin"

 This story was another very original story. I want to read a novel all about this story... it is so good, and leaves you with a question. "Was she the good twin, or the evil twin? I loved the idea so much. I give this story 5/5 stars.

This compilation was amazing! I really liked it, I give it 4/5 stars overall. I not only loved the stories, I also loved the illustrations that went along with each story. I can't wait for it to release on July 23rd, so you guys can read it. It's so amazing, I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THE STORIES! I can definitely see myself re-reading these stories. You guys definitely need to buy this book ASAP, and read them, and if you are like me, re-read them.

Gone Book Review

Hi Guys,
For this week's review I will pick back up with the Dream Catcher Trilogy. This is going to be a review of the third and final book of the trilogy, Gone by Lisa McMann. Before the review I would like to let you guys know that I have a feeling this summer will be full of awesome reviews. Some of the reviews to come, so far, are: Light by Michael Grant, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I'm also about to finish The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon soon, and I just started Legend by Marie Lu and I love it. So, yeah, SUMMER OF EPIC REVIEWS! I can't wait. Anyway, here's the synopsis of Gone from Goodreads:

Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her. She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves—she has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.
Then a stranger enters her life--and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out...

My first impression of this book was that it would be mediocre like the other books in this series.  The cover didn't really pop to me either, and the synopsis didn't seem to catch my attention. This book was definitely better than Wake, but nowhere close to Fade. I was expecting the conclusion of this series to hook me more than the previous two books, but that wasn't the case. It was definitely mediocre, and as for the actual ending, it was quite depressing. I mean, it was a good ending, just very depressing. I give this book 3/5 stars because I loved seeing how the characters grew, how Janie's power has transformed (and originated), and how the story ended. These things made the book good, but the lack of any sort of excitement, or pop, and the depressing nature of this novel, definitely deducted 2 stars from it. Overall if I were you, I would check this series out from the library if you're interested, I don't think it's worth buying, just because it's a very dark and depressing world that I wouldn't want to enter a second time. I hope you guys enjoyed the review, and I look forward to posting more reviews soon. The next review will most likely be on Light by Michael Grant, the conclusion to this epic series. I can't wait to share my thoughts! Also, check out some of the previous reviews if you haven't already, I know the first couple reviews are a little rough, but I believe they get better as I went along. Also, please share this blog with your reading friends, it would be great to see this blog grow, and have more opportunities for other awesome blog things.

Charm & Strange (Galley) Book Review

Hi Guys,
I know, I know... I haven't been posting reviews like I need to, I apologize. I can't help it, my schedule has been hectic this semester, and things are just starting to die down now that I only have two exams left to take. Although, you guys should be pleased to learn that I've been reading quite a few books since I last posted a review. I would also like to say that I've been on an amazing book streak, every book I've read in the past month has been phenomenal. One of those phenomenal books just so happens to be the book I'll be reviewing today: Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn. I received this a few weeks before it was released as a galley from the publisher. So I want to give a huge thanks to St. Martins Griffin publishers, I really appreciate the opportunity to read this book early. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .
Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.
He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.
He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.
Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.
Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

My first impression of this novel was that it was going to be really good. I e-mailed the publishers, and they sent me a galley copy of this, and I was very excited. This book starts off very weird, but amazing. I read the first half of the book in an hour, and I didn't want to put it down. This book is separated by alternating chapters, matter and anti-matter. Matter being what is presently happening to Win, and anti-matter being something that Win has previously experienced. The further I got in this novel, the more I understood, but with every one thing I understood, I got ten more questions about Win and his circumstances. This is definitely a good mystery novel, not because Win is trying to find a killer, or a thief, but because he is trying to find himself. I went through half of this book believing one thing about Win, and the other half questioning my belief and trying to make sense of the information the book gave. This book has several plot twists, and I loved learning about Win, and how he came to be the way he is. I loved this book so much, it is eerily amazing, and unbelievably dark. It is like a slightly more dark and sinister version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Before reading this book, I was in a slump, and this novel definately brought me out of it. I give this book 4/5 stars, not for any particular reason, it just didn't seem like a 5-star book to me. You guys definately have to check this book out when it is released on June 11th. This book has impacted me immensely, and I find myself thinking about it, even now, a month after reading it. It's dark and impactful nature definitely makes this book one of my favorites. Mark your calendars, June 11th.

Fade Book Review

 Hi Guys, 
This week's review will be of Fade by Lisa McMann, the second book in the Dream Catcher series. A story about a girl who can enter others' dreams, whether joyful, embarrassing, or nightmarish. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.
For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.
Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.
Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

My first impression of this book was that the cover for Fade was so much better than the cover for Wake. I don't know why, but there's something about the ominous objects on the covers of these books, it really draws my eye, and makes me want to read it more. Aside from the cover, the synopsis of this book was also better than the synopsis of Wake. The synopsis doesn't really cover exactly what really happens in the book, what they mention have very little significance in this novel, in my opinion. It took a little while to get into this book, it was just a tad bit boring in the beginning, but once Janie and Cabel decide to become Narcs, it starts to get really interesting. This novel takes two very serious situations that seem to be happening more and more in our world: drugs and alcohol with teens, and teacher-student affairs. Janie and Cabel work with the police to find out exactly what is happening in both scenarios, and they both get into very dangerous situations. I really loved the action and suspense of this book. You also got to learn more about Janie's condition, and more about her relationship with Cabel. It's very interesting, and I couldn't wait to read Gone, the third and final installment in this series. I give this book 4/5 stars, just because of the slow start. Besides that, it was a very interesting read. The story line was still a little depressing, but nowhere close to the depression I felt while reading Wake. It picks up a lot, and you guys should read it, it's pretty short. I think it has around 250 pages, but I can't really remember. You guys should really check out this series, if you didn't like Wake, keep reading the series, it picks up so much from Wake. CHECK IT OUT, NOW!

Wake Book Review

Hi Guys,
This week's book review is going to be on a book I finished in a couple hours over the summer, Wake by Lisa McMann. I don't know why I'm just now posting a review, I guess I just forgot to review it when I finished the series. This is the first book in the Dream Catcher trilogy, and here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

NOT ALL DREAMS ARE SWEET.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....
  
My first impression of this book was that it was original, and I love the ominous cover. Janie's ability is one unread about in books, yet everyone has thought about the possibility of going into other people's dreams. We all think it would be very amazing seeing what others dream about, but in this book it shows the negative side-effects of this ability. I read it very quickly, it's only 210 pages, and I found it easy to read with the way the book itself was structured. I longed to learn everything about Janie and her ability, and eventually about Cabel. The characters were amazing, you either loved them or hated them with a passion. When I was reading about Cabel's dream, I was a little scared, it definitely made me look over my shoulder a few times. Overall, though, this book was very depressing, I was expecting a fun, light hearted, story about  a girl who can visit other people's dreams, but this was not that type of book. This depressed me to the core, I was looking forward to it picking up and getting better, but it never did. I liked learning about the characters, and Janie's condition, but I didn't know how much longer I would be able to take the depression of this book. I give this book 3/5 stars, which is an "average" rating. I didn't hate this book by any means, I thought it was very good, but the depression of this book definitely made a four starred book become a three starred one. I would still check it out if you don't have a problem with the depressing storyline. The characters are really good, and so is the mystery around Janie's condition, but it lacked something that I was looking for. If you've read this novel, let me know what you thought of this book in the comments.

Pretty Little Liars Book Review

Hi Guys,
I'm sorry I didn't post a review this weekend. It's been because of homework/projects/events going on during my weekend. Anyway, this week's book review will be on a book I read a few summers ago, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard. I know, you're probably thinking, "This is really girly, I mean just look at the cover, why would you read this?" This is exactly what I thought about it until I heard more. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Everyone has something to hide-especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna.
Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.
How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.
-A

My first impression of this was that it was definitely a "chick-book", I don't see me, or any other guy, ever picking this up to read. This reaction was apparently just made off of the cover alone. One day in class my friend was talking about an all new show that was really good, and would "beat out the Vampire Diaries TV show," (close, but no cigar). At the time I didn't think I would watch it because I saw the cover of the book at a book store, I knew it would be girly... well, one day while at home, I had absolutely nothing to do, and the first episode of this show was on for a re-run, and I decided I might as well, and I've been watching the show ever since. The show is inevitably what made me want to read the book in the first place. The show is amazing, and although I've only read the first book, I continue to watch the show every Tuesday night. This definitely has some "girly" aspects to it, but overall it isn't really too girly. There are a lot of  secrets, mystery, suspense, and characters. My favorite character to read about is Aria, then a close second is Spencer (she kind of reminds me of myself a little). The other characters kind of fell flat to me in this novel, on the show however, I like all of them. The events that happen in this novel are basically what happens within the first three episodes. I like this book I give it 4/5 stars, just because it had some things that I just got bored reading about. If you haven't checked out this series/show... do it now, they're really good. Guys, don't be afraid that it looks to "girly", it isn't too bad, and it's probably the best mystery book I've ever read. I really need to catch up on these books, they're already in season 3 of the show... Yikes, I'm quite a slacker when it comes to this series. If you guys want me to put the next couple books of these higher on my TBR, just comment letting me know, otherwise it's about midway through my TBR pile, but don't fret, I at least have it bought on my new kindle, so I could start it any time.

The Rise of Nine Book Review

Hi Guys,
I'm sorry I'm a couple days late on the review, I've been a little busy this week. But, I didn't forget, so here is the review for The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore, the third book in the I am Number Four series. This was another amazing installment in this book, and I can't wait to review it. Here is the synopsis from the Goodreads:

Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive. Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . . I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others--including John. But so are they. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They caught me in New York--but I escaped. I am Number Six. They want to finish what they started.
But they'll have to fight us first.

My first impression of this book was that it didn't really look like the other covers, I liked the first two, but this one kind of fell flat to me. When I bought the book, I noticed that the cover felt strange too, I didn't like that either... I'm also confused as to whether the book cover is a rock, or sand. I thought it was sand at first, but I've heard people say it was a rock, so I don't know. Besides the cover, I was hoping this would be a good book, I loved the I am Number Four, but The Power of Six was below average for me. I started reading this in August of 2012, but I just finished this past Saturday. I wasn't reading it the whole time, I set it down to read some other books, and I just got back around to it. It was an easy read for the last 150 pages or so. Although, it was a little boring in parts in the middle. The plot wasn't very interesting, the only new thing was the vision of Setrakus Raa (#Spellcheck) by each member of the Garde. There were also some "surprise" plot twists (I guess that by the quotation marks, you guys understand that they weren't very surprising). I loved the additional new characters, Nine has instantly become one of my favorite fictional characters ever, and Eight was likable enough, but I felt something that made him seem like the "Judas" of the story, but I don't know how it'll turn out. The action of this book was amazing, and the suspense left me on the edge of my seat. I'm really looking forward to what happens in the future books, I want for Five to be introduced, and I WANT TO KNOW WHERE/HOW SAM IS!!! Sam is one of my favorite characters of this series, and I need to read about him some more, I miss his hilarious wit. I also liked some of the new legacies introduced in the book. I give this book 4/5 stars. It was better than the Power of Six, but nowhere close to I am Number Four. The reason I gave it four stars, is because of the boring parts, and that's about it. I can't wait for the next novel, and I hope it's the best one yet! Check this book series out, if you haven't already, It's AMAZING!!!

Lockdown Book Review

Hi Guys,
I'm trying my best to keep up with doing at least one post a week for the new year. I don't know how it'll work out, but so far, it's working. I know I said I was going to do a review of Glitches next, but I decided to do a book I finished a few days ago instead.This is the first book I finished in 2013, and for those of you are follow me on Goodreads might have seen this on my 2013 Challenge. For those of you who haven't seen it the name of the book is Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith, and it's the first novel in the Escape from Furnace series. I've heard several people talk about this book, and I've heard mixed reviews... but the good reviews, plus the strangely awesome cover, led to me picking this book up. This is also the third book I read on my kindle paperwhite (I'm still loving it guys!). Here's the synopsis of Lockdown from Goodreads:

Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison. Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.

My first impression of this book was that it looked scary... and that's not a bad thing, but I just don't really read a lot of horror fiction, not that I don't want to, it's just that there are very few horror books I'm interested in.  Once I read the synopsis, I realized that it seemed like a book I might like, so I kept it in the back of my mind. Then I saw CassJayTuck do a review of the first three books in the series, and she seems to like some of the same books I like, so I put it a little higher on my TBR list, but still wasn't in a real hurry to read it. But once I got my paperwhite, one of the books I saw recommended for me in the kindle shop was this, and I figured, "Why not?", so I bought it right then. So when I started to read it, I found that I didn't want to put it down. Before too long, I'd finished and LOVED it. This is one of my favorite books now, and I can't believe I waited so long to read it. The characters, the plot, the setting, the action, and the writing of this novel left me breathless, and I can't wait to read the next book. My favorite character was Donovan, he seemed like a very sensible guy, and I like how he helped Alex as much as he could, even if he didn't want to half the time. I'm a little shocked about what happened to him at the end of the book, but it just makes me want to read the next book more to find out what happened to him. I give this book 5/5 stars, I didn't see anything wrong with it at all... I mean, it got a little gory at times, but I'm a guy, so I liked it. Like I said before, I can't wait to read the next couple books in the series, and I was left on a cliff-hanger at the end of this book, and I need to know what happens next! I wish the next book were free so I could already read it and review it, but I'll just have to wait until I feel like I want to buy another kindle book (since I got so many for Christmas). I just can't wait to read Solitary!!! I NEED IT!!! Anyway, hopefully next week I will have another review for you guys, and it probably will be Glitches this time, but "the world may never know." Until next time guys, keep reading, and PICK UP THIS NOVEL!!!

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Book Review

Hi guys,
I'm sorry I haven't posted in FOREVER, it's just that my schedule is ridiculous. I've been staying up until 2 in the morning almost every night doing homework and projects. I've hardly had any time to read. That's why I'm glad for Christmas Break (even if it is only a week long this year (thanks a lot school board!!!)) Anyway, for Christmas I bought the new kindle paperwhite, and I LOVE IT! It's so much better than my old kindle. I definitely recommend it. When I got my kindle I bought a few books on it, one of which was Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I haven't read a book since Ten, even though I've tried, but I've been too swamped. So when my parents announced we were going to Baltimore for a few days to see some relatives, I knew I would get some reading done. I heard so much about this book that's one reason I bought it, the main reason I bought it though, was because everyone said it was one of the funniest books they'd ever read. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.
Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.
Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.
And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

My first impression of this book was really good because of the cover, which is awesome (I love the colors, and the Scrapbook-y feel to it) and I also had a good first impression of this book because of the book review of it by Raeleen from Padfoot and Occasionally Prongs. I love all the characters in this book, they all add to the story line so well. I, obviously, like the three main characters the most, but all the other characters really made this book more life-like. There's really nothing to say about this book that hasn't already been put in the synopsis except that the awkward chemistry between Greg and Rachel is hilarious. My favorite part of the book was there conversation about Pillows... it's the funniest thing I've ever read. I loved the humor of this book up until about the half-way point from then on out some of the jokes started to get a little repetitive and not as funny, but there were some funny parts of the second half of this book. Also, this book is very vulgar, and you guys know I don't really like that... but somehow this book kind of made it work for me, I don't know how, but it did... so that didn't cause a large deduction of star rating power. One thing I didn't like about his book was that it ended too abruptly for me it kind of built up with all the humor and everything going on that once the thing, which you've been expecting the whole time, happens, it just sort of ends... there wasn't a large revelation, or change of heart, or anything... so I guess that's what makes it more like real life, but I just didn't like the ending. So I give this book 4/5 stars because of the annoying humor from the second half, and the abrupt ending. Except for those two things, I loved this book, and I'm glad it got me out of my reading slump. I can't wait to, hopefully, start reviewing more frequently, and my next review will be on Glitches, which will be my first short-story review. This is the prequel to the book Cinder by Marissa Meyer, and I hope to review it soon. Check out Me and Earl and the Dying Girl... it will make you laugh harder than you have ever laughed during a book, I swear! READ IT NOW!

Ten Book Review

Hi Guys,
I know I've been a little lazy on the posts, but I've been busy with school. That seems like a common factor with reasons for my lack of posts... but it's so stressful this semester (and it's just my Junior year... OF HIGH SCHOOL!) So, I'm a little worried about what my life will be like in college. This semester I have: Honors Latin III, AP Chemistry, Honors US History, and Marching Band... and each one of them is stressful in their own way. Anyway, getting off the subject of stress in my life, let's move on to the stress of the Ten teenagers in Gretchen McNeil's new novel Ten. This novel was a fantastic thrill ride, the plot isn't that hard to comprehend either. That's one reason I loved the tag line (Ten teens. Three days. One killer.) because, if anyone asked me what the book was about, I would just recite the tag line to them and they would say that the book sounded amazing. Even with the self-explaining tag line, I'm going to post the synopsis from Goodreads:

SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. House party.
White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.
Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

My first impression of this book was that it was going to be amazing. I'd never read a book about normal teens being hunted my a killer, or a story as suspenseful as this one. Once I saw how small the book was though, I was a little worried about how the story would play out in such a short amount of time, but it worked out well. I really liked the plot and the characters, and how it all tied together in the end. However, at times it was quite predictable. The first couple people who died, I knew a couple chapters before they actually died, and I saw some of the conversations coming into action before it actually did. But there were also times where I didn't know what was happening, especially the last 50 pages or so. I was shocked about how it tied together, I didn't see it coming for sure. I told a friend after reading the book that McNeil cheated with who the killer was... (Ah... I had to catch myself, I almost gave an important piece of info away.)  I was worried towards the end when people started to die, and the chances of it being certain people increased, but the author did great with the shock factor of the last couple chapters. I really didn't see it coming, and I loved how it all tied together in the end. I give this novel 4/5 stars, just because of some of the predictable moments, but overall it was a great read, and I look forward to reading other books like this as well as other books by McNeil. 

 Additional Announcement: The Army of Ten is a website hosted by McNeil, and it is used to spread the word of Ten with libraries/book stores/etc. It's an amazing site and you guys should check it out I have a button on the sidebar of the blog, so just click on it and it will take you straight to the site. I like this site because it gets the book out into other peoples hands, and it also gives you the chance to win awesome stuff... by doing different "missions" in order to win a couple prizes. Just click on the picture below, or the button on the side bar. I LOVE IT! CHECK IT OUT!
 

The Raven Boys (ARC) Book Review

Hi Guys,
This week I'm going to review The Raven Boys, the first book in the Raven Cycle series, by Maggie Stiefvater. I received this books a few weeks ago in the mail as you guys know, because of my "In My Mailbox" post. You guys also know I've wanted to read this book for a while due to my "Waiting on Wednesday" post. I was very excited to be able to read the ARC of this book. This is the second ARC I've finished, and I loved it just as much as I loved the first. This book was very original, and so... *I don't have any words to express what else this book was... it was just... ugh! I LOVED IT! Here is the synopsis from the front flap of the book:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

 My first expression was obviously good, you can check out my Waiting on Wednesday post for evidence of that. The cover is amazing, I don't like birds, but this bird looks Gothic enough that I looked past what it actually was. I was drawn to the three "feathered" strokes behind "The Raven Boys", and, thankfully, they explain what they mean in the book. I've never read a book like this, I was wrapped up into the world and the characters within the first couple chapters. I loved the plot, the setting, and most of all the characters of this novel. Each of these characters had their own personality, that complemented the other characters perfectly. I was very passionate about the characters I either LOVED them or HATED them... there was no in-between, and I loved that.  My favorite character is definitely Gansey, which is strange, because I really wanted to hate him, but I just couldn't. I really wanted to like Adam, but something about him threw me off. Ronan was a great character, he's one of those characters that seems unimportant, but without him, the book would've been pretty boring. Noah was a great character as well, at first he was my least favorite character, but when I found out his "situation" I started to like him more. Blue was a great heroine, she knew what she was getting herself into, but she couldn't keep away from the "Raven Boys". I liked the psychics of this book as well, (with the exception of Neeve) Maura, Persephone, and Calla were great characters, and I feel that they almost reflected the personalities of the "Raven Boys". You can see why I enjoyed the characters so much, there were so many of them, and they are all so different, it's hard not to be drawn to each of them. The five main characters (Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah) reminded me of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys at times, which is a good thing. The magic of this book reminded me of the Caster Chronicles combined with Lord of the Rings. The action, however, was like nothing I've ever expected while reading a book, and I loved it, I can't explain what makes it different, but it just is. I loved the roller-coaster ride that this book was, and I also really enjoyed the ending. (WHY DIDN'T YOU LET THEM KNOW SOONER RONAN? I NEED TO KNOW MORE!) I give this book 5/5 stars, I can't think of anything I disliked about this book. One bonus thing about this book, for me at least, is that the book had a TON of Ancient Latin in it, and I was very excited, because it was one time I could use my knowledge of Latin from school to decode the phrases that were in Latin in the book. Finally something in my everyday life that I can use my skills of Latin in *SCORE*! I'm in my 3rd year of Latin now, and I look forward to taking a fourth and fifth. I loved this book, and I look forward to reading the sequel. This book was totally different than Shiver, thankfully. I hope you guys enjoy the picture of Gansey and Blue at the bottom of this post, I know I do! Definitely check out this book when it is released September 18. COME ON BOOK 2!

Shiver Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'm posting a review of Shiver, the first book of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, by Maggie Stiefvater. This is the first book by Maggie that I've read, and it didn't do good for me. I was kind of turned off by this book, it was very different... in both good and bad ways. Here is the synopsis from the back of the book:

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.
the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.
the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

My first impression of this book was good, I liked how the cover looked, and the plot sounds amazing. Another cool thing is that the words were blue in the book, which I found unique. I wish this book was great, because you guys know I've read The Raven Boys  Maggie Stiefvater, and I couldn't believe it was written by the same author. The Raven Boys was phenomenal while Shiver was... well, less than that. I'm just going to go ahead and let you guys know that I give this book 2/5 stars. Here are the things I liked about this book: Sam, and the new werewolf mythology. Hmm... that's it. Well, I guess those two things stood out so much for me to give the book 2/5 instead of 1/5.Let's dive into the reasons I didn't like this book. To start things off, Grace... oh Grace. I didn't like Grace as a character, she seemed very unbelievable, and just the way she responded and acted in general was a turn-off to me. I actually didn't like any of the characters at all, except for Sam, I didn't like the plot so much, I mean, of course Sam was going to live. The only twist in the whole book was at the end, but the rest of the book was so predictable. The setting was decent, the definite temperature made the book interesting, with Sam continuously having to fight his inner wolf. I still plan on reading the next two books, and I'll let you guys know what I think of them. I personally WANT to like this series, I seem like the only one who doesn't like it. Maybe I just need to keep reading the series, and maybe the characters go through some severe character development, shoot, I wouldn't mind a character (Grace) delete-ment. Tell me what you guys thought of this book/series, if you feel the same way about this series, please leave a comment, I feel a little alone on this one. I'm not really looking forward to reading Linger, but I'm curious to see how it goes. I'm very glad the Raven Boys was better, check out my review for that in 2 weeks.

Infamous Book Review

Hi Guys,
I'm sorry I haven't posted a review this past week, but I've been at my marching band's band camp. Ugh! I'm sore, and tired, so I'm writing this review in, some-what of a, daze. This is 1 of the 6 books I have yet to review this summer. I'm going to try to post the other reviews soon, but until then, here is my review of Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon. This is the third book in the, action-packed, Chronicles of Nick series, and this book didn't disappoint. I finished this book when it was released, and I'm sorry I'm just now doing the review. Anyway, here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That’s the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn’t the average teenager. He’s a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.
He’s learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive and keep a girlfriend so dang hard? But that isn’t the primary skill he has to master. Survival is.
And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known, or he’ll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he’ll lose everyone he cares about. Even himself.

My first impression of this book was good, I'd read and loved the first two books in this series (Infinity and Invincible), so I knew I would love this book as well. This is my favorite cover of the series so far, and I also love how thick each of these books are, and I just fly through each one of them. I can't really say what happened in this book because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. This book was very action-packed, and so many questions were answered, and so many more questions were made. I loved reading about the old characters, and getting to meet new ones. I laughed so many times in this book, and that's one thing I like about this series. I love being able to read a chapter that would seem so serious, but end up laughing because of Nick's sarcastic humor. That's about as much as I can say, without spoiling anything at all. Overall I give this book 4/5 stars. This book was great, but it just wasn't a 5-star to me for some reason. I'm not sure, I just feel more comfortable giving this book a 4. The next book in the series, Inferno, is set to release March 4, 2013. I'm very excited to read it, I look forward to sitting on the edge of my seat, and laughing my butt off, in March. You guys should definitely check this series out, and let me know what you think of this series if you've already read it.

I believe my next book review will be on Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, but it might be on Wake by Lisa McMann, but most likely Shiver.