Book Review : Possession

Book: Possession
Author: Elana Johnson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: June 7, 2011
Pages: 416
Source: GalleyGrab
Date Read: May 21, 2011

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

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

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

Summary Taken from Goodreads

Yani's Review:

I have talked and talked and talked to others about this book, and yet I still don't know how I feel about it. So I will just write you the four notes I took while reading and explain them:

ONE   "No explanation of the world yet, but reminds me of Uglies series.... I like how she doesn't care about getting in trouble"

So this note came after the first couple of pages where I still wasn't getting what the world was about. What is this dystopian book about? What is the government limiting or controlling? I had lots of questions like this in the beginning because it pretty much jumps into the action. I actually really liked that about the story, it moved really quickly and a lot of things happened over the course of the book. I can see many authors even dividing the book into two or three parts with how much is learned and how many things happen.

Second part consists of Vi and her badass-ness. Love those type of female leads.

TWO "Contradictions: a land called freedom, bad, and good"

So it seems like this book is alot about labels and how they never really encopass things completely. Freedom wasn't free. Badies weren't all bad. Goodies aren't all good.

THREE "I'm not understanding this, but enjoying the ride."

So this is where I sort of drop from LOVED it to REALLY LIKED IT. The book jumps alot, from one train of thought to another, from on action to another, from one scene to another. Transitions where weird, trains of thoughts where hard to follow and at one point I was COMPLETELY lost. However, that didn't stop me from reading. Not once.

FOUR "Jag"
Simple as that note is, it holds a lot of power with me. I loved loved loved Jag and his relationship with Vi. They really got one another, and I love how their story grew. 

SPOILER-ISH SIDE NOTE (highlight to read): There is no note for this last part but I want to warn before you go into the story... the ending is shocking, and there is no sequel planned. And while I don't need all my endings to be cookie cutter happy, I really wish this one could have been. But I get it, you don't always win.

My Review in a Tweet: I love the idea of this book more than the execution, still I could not put it down. You could say I was Possessed.

Ratings:

Plot: 4/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

Similar Titles:

Other Reviews:

• http://www.thestorysiren.com/2011/06/possession-by-elana-johnson.html
•  http://www.electrifyingreviews.com/2011/06/possession-by-elana-johnson.html

Book Rivals: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood and The Lipstick Laws

Book Rivals:

Two Books. Similar Stories. One Winner.

This if the first post in a new feature I am creating. Lately, I have been feeling the similar styles of many books, and without meaning to I always chose a winner. I know its not a competition and each book stands on its own merit, but I still have one I like more than the other. This month I read two great books about mean girls. They both have similar themes of vengeance and being the bigger person. Here are my reviews...

Book One:

Book: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood
Author: Eileen Cook

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date Published: December 26, 2009
Pages: 272
Source: Library
Date Read: April 25, 2011

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face.

Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn’t dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

Summary Taken from Goodreads

Yani's Review:

I am a big fan of Eileen Cook's work. She has a great writing style and her books are laugh out loud funny. However, I am really glad I got this book from the library and didn't buy it. Not to say this book wasn't funny or it was bad writing, I just didn't connect to the characters like I did with her other books.

The plot was interesting, but it didn't have anything new to add. Take Mean Girls and make it into a book and you got Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood.... the lesson being that become like someone to take them down makes you no better than they are.

The one thing I really liked was the geeky new BFF Brenda. She was smart and funny and knew who she was. And Christopher sounds hot, but I would have liked to see more dimensions to him.

I didn't like the ending either. It came together too quick and neatly, and Lauren was the same bitch she was in the beginning. Not that every story about a mean girl must have a transformation or enlightenment, but I just wasn't satisfied. Overall it was a funny read, but that is about it.

Please check out Eileen's other books: What would Emma do? and The Education of Hailey Kendricks. Those where funny complete stories with amazing main characters.

Book Two:

Book: The Lipstick Laws
Author: Amy Holder

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date Published: April 4, 2011
Pages: 243
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: May 16, 2011

At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her.   For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity.   But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?

Summary Taken from Goodreads

Yani's Review:

This book had me on a roller coaster. One minute I was really feeling it and the next I was so over it. I was even tempted to stop reading it altogether a couple of times, but I kept going because of the Amy's writing. She has a great sense of writing style, and while this book felt 'younger' the words weren't. I mean the first couple of paragraphs had me cracking up.

I really liked April, and while I did have some issues with her (similar to above... aka good girl becoming mean girl to defeat original mean girl), I felt like April always knew what she was doing was wrong. Also, she never believed Britney was that great of a person when she became friends with her, she was just lonely and I could totally understand that. I was lucky enough that I never had to go through the first day (or year) of high school without friends, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

And Britney really is the typical mean girl. She is nasty and cruel and as self absorbed as ever. And she advocates shallow things, like not gaining weight by not eating , though this next line made me laugh:

Remember, a growling stomach is just a round of applause for a job well done!

The story moves really quickly and things fall apart for April in the first third of the book. Its your typical revenge/nemesis story, with a love interest of course, but I did find it lacking a little in the love side and the way it was set-up. Overall, I still enjoyed the story and think April is a realistic character, smart and funny, and no matter what I don't ever really think she questions that. She is more self-assured than she ever realized.

A great story about finding out who your true friends are and being a better person than those that try to bring you down.

Ratings:

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

Plot: 2/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Uniqueness: 2/5

Characters: 3/5

The Lipstick Laws

Plot: 2/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Uniqueness: 2/5

Characters: 3/5

Similar Titles:

Book Review : The Goddess Test

Book: The Goddess Test (#1)
Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Pages: 297
Source: ARC
Date Read: April 7, 2011

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

Yani's Analysis:
I was hearing a lot of blog chatter about this book and immediately requested it on Netgalley. It is very different from what I am used to reading and that is probably why I never requested it before even though its been available for a while.

What won me over about this book was the Greek mythology. It was so interesting! And inside this mythical world there was a mystery to solve. It was a super interesting backstory and I love how it was all incorporated into these tests,

However, there where some drawback. Like some reviewers wrote, you have to let go of reality reading this book, just like our main character Kate did. Obviously it’s a mythical world, so how could it be real. My issue was the characters and their actions; sometimes it didn’t seem to make sense to me. I felt like the love was a little rushed and some things could have been developed more, but the backstory and the mystery really kept me reading straight into the night.

The ending was neat, everything was solved, but still open ended enough to know there will be another book coming. One I will definitely be picking up when it comes out. Normally I would give a book like this a Great rather than Amazing rating, but since I could not stop reading and I just wanted to know more and more I gave it Amazing.


Ratings:

Plot: 3/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 4/5

Similar Titles:
I know there are some new Greek mythology ones out there, but I haven't read any yet.

Memorable Quotes:

Review: Between Shades of Gray

Book: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Release Date: March 22, 2011
Pages: 352
Source: ARC Tour 
Thanks Good Golly Miss Holly
Date Read: April 4, 2011

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Yani's Analysis:
After I wrote this review I realized it was less of a book review and more of a discussion. Either way my thoughts where brought on by this book: the topic, the characters, and the writing. So I am leaving it at that.

When I was younger we read the Diary of Anne Frank in school and I became obsessed that such evil can exist in this world. I began to read anything WWII related: After the War Carol Matas, Number the Stars Lois Lowry. I even made my parents take me to the Holocaust museum in New York. Yes, my obsession was frightening, but I didn't want to ignore human cruelty, I wanted to learn all I could about it. Humanity is so complex.

The moment I heard about this book the comparisons began. It is hard with books with topics such as these to fictionalize and create realistic and relatable characters, but Ruta did just that with the main character Lina. Told in present tense with certain paragraphs about the past and reference to the future being brought up... Like when she is taken and she says she didn't realize that would be the last time she looked in a mirror for almost a decade. That moment I was affected and by page 31 I was crying.

It's funny how so many books now are based on possible future evils, dystopian and sci-fi, that society or the government causes and we just forget that humanity has let this evil occur before. I don't mean for this to be a political discussion, but this book reminds me that history repeats itself. And while we read these dystopian books for fun, a little part of me always thinks which one will be out future? And even in these worlds where evil occurs there will always be people like Lina, who fight to keep themselves human, even when other do not act that way.

That is the power of books such as these, we find truth and comfort that even in a time as this, there are those that risk everything to help one another. I really enjoyed this book, it was a little slow, but every second was powerful and heart wrenching. You don't hear much of the plight of Stalin's victims, usually its just Hilter's victims and that is a shame. Thank you Ruta for giving the world this book.


Ratings:

Plot: 5/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Characters: 5/5


Other Memorable Quotes:

"I pictured a rug being lifted and a huge Soviet broom sweeping us under it."

Review: In the Storm

Book: In the Storm
Author: Karen Metcalf
Publisher: Vagabondage Press
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Pages: 88
Source: Author... Thanks Karen!
Date Read: March 19, 2011

Summary:

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay?

Yani's Analysis:
This is one short story that packs a lot of punch! Karen was nice enough to send me a copy ages ago, but with all these hyped up books coming out recently I didn't get the chance to read it until this weekend. Wow did I miss out. It just goes to show you, never underestimate the little people. Because of this I am actually going to try to do a special each month for smaller publishing companies with great authors such as Karen to get the word out about their books. Now enough babbling and on to my review....

Carly lives with her abusive step-father and adorable little brother. Her stepfather's a "sick fuck," and begins taking out his anger not only on Carly, but her little brother Mitch as well. It all becomes too much for her and she begins "clicking" herself into this other world, a limbo you would say. Throughout the whole story, Carly opens up her soul to the reader. Reading about her life you are at the edge of your seat wondering how can such a young girl suffer this alone.

And the storm world... wow the concept is completely amazing!! I don't want to give anything away so I won't explain more, but if you are a fan of emotional novels and/or Sci-Fi, I think you will love this novella. I only wish that there were more pages so I could learn more about this limbo world, learn more about Carly's past, see more of her future... but I think one of the beautiful things about this story is that you don't need to know her past or future to know that Carly is strong. This is an absolutely perfect read for stormy days (whether the storm is outside or inside doesn't matter, you'll still love it.)

This Thursday I will be posting an interview with Karen herself and a giveaway of  three e-book copies of In the Storm. If you don't win, definitely buy it on Amazon for only $2.99!!   Buy In The Storm

Ratings:

Plot: 5/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Characters: 5/5

Review: Angelfire

Book: Angelfire (Book #1)
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 2/15/2011
Pages: 464
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: 3/3/2011

Summary:

This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action. When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul. A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle.

Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once. While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Yani's Analysis:
This is probably the most surprising book I have loved so far this year. I got it from netgalley a while back and when I had just 5 days left to read I decided why not, I keep seeing good reviews for it online. Why wasn't I originally inclined to read it....

1. its an angel novel and other than unearthly those don't usually sit well with me
2. the cover didn't attract me --- I know I know don't judge a book by its cover, but seriously its hard not to
3. I sometimes get bored of action type books

I am sooo glad I decided to read this book. First of all Ellie is a bad ass chick and Will is her too hot sidekick and together they have been fighting reapers for CENTURIES! Its hot hot hot is all I can say... if all reaper fighters come with a sidekick like that, who wouldn't sign up.

Second, this book has a cool theme that I find super interesting. Its very much about evil: nature vs nuture. Are angels inherently good? Are reapers inherently evil? Why can't they choose? Can someone who is good do something evil? So many questions so many interesting quotes... like this one:

"I don't believe in absolute evil... or in absolute good. No one's perfectly one or the other."

So this makes the second angel book I actually liked. The difference between this one and Unearthly for me is that Unearthly is more about suspense and choices (fate), where Angelfire is more about destiny and timeless love, and obviously as I mentioned above good and evil. But at the root what made me like both so much was the strong female lead, both of which had extraordinary abilities yet where determined to lead normal lives. Maybe I am just tired of the guys in the story being the hero, when there are females like these that kick butt.

Ratings:

Plot: 5/5
Writing Style:5/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

Similar Titles:

Other Memorable Quotes:

" The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never live at all."

Author Spotlight: Gwen Hayes

 Goodreads         Twitter

 

I have been thinking about doing this feature once a month, not necessarily on any planned day, just when I really have connected with an author's work that month. Such as this month, with the recent release of her debut novel Falling Under, I previously bought all her short stories/novellas on my kindle. And I have to say I really like Gwen's style. Some of the books are obviously more adult, but whether it was geared to the younger or older crowd Gwen really understand her characters. So instead of writing full-fledged reviews I will post summaries and snippets of my thoughts here for you....

Title: So Over You

My favorite of the books I read. A young adult novel about love that just makes you root for them till the end.

Summary:
Layney Logan, girl reporter.

That's all she's ever wanted to be. This year, her senior year, not only does she have to share the coveted Senior Editor position with her arch nemesis, Jimmy Foster, she also has to figure out how to keep the school paper alive. With the local paper closing and the school cutting Journalism from the budget, it's a long shot. Working side-by-side with Foster, the guy she likes to call Lucifer,makes it even worse.

The only thing Layney dislikes more than swimming in the high school dating pool is Jimmy Foster think he got the best of her, so she takes
his ridiculous newspaper assignment--to go on twelve blind dates--to prove his powers of darkness won't work on her. The trouble is, the more she learns about herself on her journey of bad blind dates, the more she wonders if maybe Foster has known her better than she knows herself all this time.

And maybe she should have trusted him with the secret she’s kept for four years—the secret that broke them up to begin with.

So Over You is a young adult short novel of almost 40,000 words.

Title: Butterface

A young adult novella about having confidence and knowing yourself. Has the power of a full novel.

Summary:

When love isn't lucky...or pretty.

The scars on Beth's face aren't nearly as deep as the ones she nurses on the inside. She was born with hemifacial microsamia and was supposed to feel "lucky" that she wasn't as disfigured as some people.

One boy, Lucky O'Leary starts to find the cracks in her hard shell and finds himself falling for her. Only Lucky has a secret--he needs to bring Beth to a "dog dinner" or lose his spot on the team. She can't find out that the guy who brings the ugliest date wins a prize.

Young Adult Short Story--8000 words

Title: The Chosen

Adult paranormal novel that just gave me goosebumps!

Summary:
Daniel "Morgue" Morgan hunts demons. And likes it--until the day Madigan Carter cuts through his life like a blade of sunshine. She is everything he isn't, and for the first time in his life, he questions his calling when it means he will be forced to turn Madigan into a killer. Just like him.

Madigan doesn't believe in demons, until the day she fends one off with her Louis Vuitton bag. She doesn't want to be an Expeller, and she really doesn't want to be trained by the most aggravating--and sexy--man she has ever met. When the Expeller instincts, and the unnatural hungers that go with them, threaten to overwhelm her humanity, will her connection to her mentor be enough save both their souls?

I really enjoyed these books so I will definitely be buying Falling Under, Gwen Haye's debut novel that was released March 1, 2011.

Review: Ten Miles Past Normal

Book: Ten Miles Past Normal
Author:  Frances O'Roark Dowell
Publisher: Atheneum
Release Date: 3/22/11
Pages: 256
Source: ARC
Date Read: 2/21/11

Summary:

Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk goats every day…and endure her mother’s pseudo celebrity in the homemade-life, crunchy mom blogosphere. Goodbye the days of frozen lasagna and suburban living, hello crazy long bus ride to high school and total isolation--and hovering embarrassments of all kinds. The fresh baked bread is good…the threat of homemade jeans, not so much. It would be nice to go back to that old suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. 

So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend Sarah’s older sister), why else would she get arrested while doing a school project on a local freedom school (jail was not part of the assignment). And, why else would she kind of be falling in "like" with a boy named Monster—yes, that is his real name. Janie was going for normal, but she missed her mark by about ten miles…and we mean that as a compliment. Frances O’Roark Dowell’s fierce humor and keen eye make her YA debut literary and wise. 

In the spirit of John Green and E. Lockhart, Dowell’s relatable, quirky characters and clever, fluid writing prove that growing up gets complicated…and normal is WAY overrated.

Yani's Analysis:
All Janie wants is to be a normal teenager. It is a couple of days into freshman year and she is already known  as the girl that walked around with hay in her hair. Why did her 10 year old self ever think that living on a farm was a good idea?Ten Miles part normal is a book about growing up and fitting in. While other books I have read to live in a fantasy, this book was like returning to my past, minus the farm. I was an insecure freshman once, too.

Janie loves the farm, but lets other's opinion dictate how she feels. Whats funny is she wants to be normal, but her role model is one of those rebellious against the grain types. I don't think Janie realizes she doesn't want to be normal, she wants to be noticed.

A cute story about growing up and learning to be yourself, Janie takes my back to my high school years. This isn't my usual type of book... a little too young and way to country for a twenty-something city girl like me... but I think people will appreciate this book and enjoy reading Janie's journey.

Ratings:

Plot: 3/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 3/5

Similar Titles:

Other Memorable Quotes:

"...wondering why some people could totally be themselves and still be accepted by everyone, while other people- people who did everything in the world to fit in - were shunned like the runts of the litter."

Review: Here Lies Bridget

Book: Here Lies Bridget
Author: Paige Harbison
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 1/18/2011
Pages: 224
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: 2/12/2011

Summary:
Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

Yani's Analysis:
Bridget is a really spoiled brat - I wish I could use another word for her, but I keep my online writing clean - who never does anything wrong and nothing is ever her fault. Even when she knows something is wrong, she continue to do it. She claims she is transparent, that people can she how she is feeling through her facial reactions. Well others may see her clearly, but she clearly doesn't. She never thinks of others and is beyond selfish. And although I love these second chances stories, I feel the author went overboard with the character making her almost irredeemable in the reader's eyes.

What kept me reading was Liam and the writing. Harbison is the daughter of another writer and you can tell. Her writing style is quirky and funny; she is really in tune with the YA generation. I like how Bridget talks to the reader, as if in a conversation. But no matter how much I enjoyed the writing style and quality, having a main character I couldn't connect to dampened this book for me.

A lot of people are going to compare this book to Before I Fall, but they are very different. In BIF, you don't see so much of the main character back-story, more of the process of change she goes through. What I liked about that was it was very realistic. The main character tries to be nice and that still doesn't change the outcome of her life. It was about being a better person, unselfish. In this book, her change came from a superficial place. She didn't like how people saw her and although she was in their shoes (literally), she never understood them.

Maybe its because I liked Before I Fall that I couldn't see this book with the proper eyes, but it was still an interesting read.

Ratings:

Plot: 3/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Characters: 2/5

Similar Titles:

Review: Unearthly

Book: Unearthly (Book 1)
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 1/4/2011
Pages: 435 pages

Source: Bought
Date Read: 2/10/11

Summary:

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Yani's Analysis:
When I first heard about this book, I wasn't interested in it. I had read the inscription in the back of the book and it didn't appeal to me. Finding a boy in the woods? What? Then all these bloggers started coming out with these rave reviews. So I read it, and I just have to say this is how you do a paranormal book about angels.

I didn't really get into it until I was a couple of chapters in. In fact, I almost gave up on it -see discussion on DNF here- but I decided to keep reading it and I am glad I did.

What kept me really interested in the book was not the romance or the "will they won't they". I was actually really interested in the lore of the angel world. What is their purpose? What are Clara's mother's secrets? And so on and so on. This is the first time that the romance wasn't what kept me reading. Although, I did love the chemistry between the characters, this book was about so much more than that. It is mystical, magical, and marvelous... I like alliteration.

Is this one of my favorite books? No. Did it leave me wanting more? Heck Yes! Can't wait to see what comes next in Hallowed the official title of book two. A stunning debut by Cynthia Hand.  

Ratings:

Plot: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

Similar Titles:

Other Memorable Quotes:

"Sam: I always thought you were the most beautiful of all the Nephilim.
Meg: That's ironic because I always thought you were the ugliest of all the angels."

Review: Across the Universe (Take Two)

Book: Across The Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: January 11th 2011
Pages: 398
Date Read: 2/5/2011

From Goodreads:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. 

  Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Yani's Analysis:
You can never go wrong by starting a novel with a quote from The Beatles.

That being said, this novel is intense. You feel it from the first page to the last. Amy POV starts off the book with her memories of the freezing process. It so heartbreakingly vivid and torturous it makes you wonder why someone would go though such a thing.... almost feels like dying.

Then Daddy squeezed my hand, once, hard, as they crammed the tubes down his throat, and I crumbled, inside and out.

Once awakened, Amy finds herself in a completely new society onboard the Godspeed, a ship where history has been rewritten, the sky is painted on, and a dictator controls everything. The people are pods, as Eldest believes the society thrives as long as it is monotonous. Anyone who do not follow these societal norms are labeled as crazy and live in the hospital.

Part mystery, part reflection on humanity and survival, this book keeps you guessing till the last page. Beth Revis did a brilly job creating an isolated world inside a spaceship and reflects very well the consequences of being captives of space for so many years. Even the language and slang is adorable.

For a young adult novel, the themes in this book and the language lend to a more mature audience. This book was not at all what I expected and although it is labeled as Sci-Fi and takes place centuries from now, I think its a great novel that reflects the times. Can't wait to see more from this debut author.

Ratings:

Plot: 5/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Characters: 5/5

Similar Titles:


Memorable Quotes:

"So, I do what any reasonable person would do when faced with a crying girl. I get the frex out of there." Elder

"Everything is wrong here. Shattered. Broken.
Like the light.
Like me.
I never thought about how important the sky was until I didn't have one.
I am surrounded by walls.
I have just replaced one box for another."Amy

"A leader doesn't make pawns- he makes people." Edler

Review: Head Games

Book: Head Games (Pretty Tough #3)

Author: Keri Mikulski

Publisher: Penguin Books

Release Date: 1/6/2011

Pages: 284

Source: Own

Date Read: 2/1/2011

From Amazon:

Taylor is calm, cool, collected, and ferocious on the basketball court. A total all-star. Not so much in real life. She may be tall, gorgeous, and an incredible catch, but just try telling her that!

And lately, Taylor doesn't know which way to turn: The summer showcase game is almost here. Her BFF Hannah roped her into a fashion show (eek!). And she can't decide between Zach - the super-popular, super-tall, super-off-limits basketball dynamo and Matt - the sweet boy from her math class (who may just be dating her BFF's older sister). It's enough to make any girl's head spin!

Can Taylor strike a pose, land the boy of her dreams, and win the game?

Yani's Analysis:

First, I have to say I loved the first two in the Pretty Tough series. They are about sporty girls, who are still popular and cute, that get the guy. The series doesn’t have to be read in order, because the books can be standalone books, but some of the characters do make cameos in the other books. The author of the first two Liz Tigelaar is really in tune with teenagers. She is an amazing writer. (She was also the producer/writer for the show Life Unexpected)

Even though Pretty Tough series is aimed more at the young of young adult -and not twenty-somethings like me- I can usually relate to the girls in the story. After all, I did only graduate high school four years ago. So because of my love for the first two books and my intellectual youth, I was very excited to see a third Pretty Tough book coming out, even if it wasn’t the same author. However, with Head Games I just couldn’t relate. I don’t know if it’s that the generations have changed so much – I mean bratz was mentioned once, when I was little there was only Barbie – or the sports references where over my head, but it took me a while to connect with Taylor. This is supposed to be a fun light read, I don’t like spending too much time forcing myself to sit there and do it,

Overall, there were some cute moments, but then there were times I wanted to scream at the characters. I mean do they even understand what being in a relationship is? If you are into the younger high school period or first crushes then you might want to give this book a try.

Ratings: 

Plot: 2/5

Writing Style: 3/5
Uniqueness: 1/5

Characters: 2/5

Similar Titles:

·      The Boyfriend Game by Stephie Davis

o   Highly recommended- younger high school students and first crushes, mixed in with sports

·      Pretty Tough by Liz Tigelaar

·      Playing with Boys (Pretty Tough #2) by Liz Tigelaar

·      Smart Boys and Fast Girls by Stephie Davis

Memorable Quotes:

none

Review: Memento Nora

Book: Memento Nora

Author: Angie Smibert

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

Release Date: 4/1/2011

Pages: 192

Source: ARC Tour

Date Read: 1/31/11

From Amazon:

Nora, the popular girl and happy consumer, witnesses a horrific bombing on a shopping trip with her mother. In Nora’s near-future world, terrorism is so commonplace that she can pop one little white pill to forget and go on like nothing ever happened. However, when Nora makes her first trip to a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic, she learns what her mother, a frequent forgetter, has been frequently forgetting. Nora secretly spits out the pill and holds on to her memories. The memory of the bombing as well as her mother’s secret and her budding awareness of the world outside her little clique make it increasingly difficult for Nora to cope. She turns to two new friends, each with their own reasons to remember, and together they share their experiences with their classmates through an underground comic. They soon learn, though, they can’t get away with remembering.

Yani's Analysis:

When I picked up this book I thought it would be a a miniaturized repeat of other dsytopian novels, and while there are similarities between this book and other works, I was intrigued by the storyline and the character’s chemistry. It reads like a psychology journal- of memories to forget. I liked the fact that because it was a journal of memories to forget, the author doesn’t bore you with irrelevant details. The idea of forgetting to be happy is a similar theme in other dystopian novels and its a relevant topic to today’s world, where people medicate themselves to not live with the pain. Also, the theme of privatized security was really prevalent, without using more than 200 pages Smibert was able to incorporate all these societal evils into one book. Amazing!

Other things I liked:

• I like how the author created  a new slang/vocabulary. It was hard to pick up, but very creative, and reminded me of the Uglies with the words like bubbly. In this book everything is glossy.

• Funny how the reward for memory erased is points, like a credit card. 
• Told in multiple viewpoints, love this in stories...really brings out the whole picture.

Although I understand the point of the ending, it left me a little unsatisfied. I am wondering if there is a sequel in the works??

Ratings: 

Plot: 4/5

Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 3/5

Characters: 3.5/5

Memorable Quotes:

“when in doubt spit it out” Micah

“it was like the superheroes had abandoned gotham, and we the citizens were supposed to pop a pill and forget all about it.” Micah