I read a lot, and love to write so when my English teacher suggested I write a blog, I thought 'Why not?'! I'm going to fill this blog with a new book review hopefully every few days :) Feel free to comment if you agree/disagree!
With the main characters Luke and Leia, I can understand the confusion about how it's about love and being compared to Star Wars. As any Star Wars fan knows Luke and Leia are brother and sister, not boyfriend and girlfriend, but in this book Luke and Leia are drawn together. Luke is a freshmen in college and is taking a film studies class. Leia is also in the same film studies class and gets partnered up with Luke and they totally hit it off. Through some ups and down throughout the book Luke and Leia become closer and closer. This is a sweet book and at some points slightly odd but it is very good. I recommend it to anyone that likes a good non-traditional love story.
Tally has become something that has always been nothing but a rumor to her and everyone else, a Special. Specials are remarkably fast, strong and can focus very clearly, it's like having super powers. Pretties and Uglies may go their whole life without even seeing a Special but now Tally is one. Tally is sent to the New Smoke to turn them in once and for all. Tally has to chose whether to listen to what she was programed to do, or to do what she feels is right and save her friends. This is a great way to wrap up Tally Youngblood's story and completely worth the read!
And the story of Tris Prior continues with just as much action and adventure. With the war with Jeanine Matthews in full fledge, Tris has to continue making sacrifices to save her friends, even if it means not saving herself. Throughout the story you learn that there is some interesting about her city and why they're all there, and it is quite a battle to figure out what it is. It is important to share this information with the rest of the city but it continues to become more and more difficult. This is an incredible addition to the Divergent series.
Although this was written before Winter came out it isn't crucial that it is read before you read Winter. This book is all about Queen Levana, and I know she's not a very likable person, in fact until I read this book I didn't like her at all. Fairest is all about Levana and Channary, and everything that happens before Cinder even starts. You learn more about what Princess Channary was like and how Levana came to the thrown. Many people are skeptical of stories like this but if you are a true fan of The Lunar Chronicles you will enjoy this book. It truly gives an outlook on a misunderstood villain without giving away anything about Winter.
Part two of the thrilling story of Katniss Everdeen, with so many twists and turns to come. With the Hunger Games over Katniss finally has a chance to some what return to normal. But everything is about to change when the newest Hunger Games is announced. Instead of the normal, chose one boy and one girl from each district, and it causes a shocking twist. This continuation of the Hunger Games series is very exciting and suspenseful. If you loved the first on you'll love this one :)
Letters from Peyton is a great short story that makes a good quick read. Peyton is just a normal girl who happens to get brain cancer. Through letters to god (although this isn't a religious story) you learn about Peyton's diagnosis, and treatment. She falls in love with a boy named Cody and although it is short lived it is cute and sweet. Even though this story is short it is well developed and thought out. I am a sucker for sudden tragic endings and this has just that. If you don't like sudden or tragic endings this is not the story for you. It is a great story and a fast read. Check it out!
Tally is finally a pretty, she has everything she's always wanted, a boyfriend, a fun life, and she's pretty! Everything is awesome yet she feels like there is something wrong, with her and all of the other pretties. Her memories are slowly fading ever since she became pretty and she starts to learn why. As she learns more about what it means to be pretty and what is really going on. Tally has to make a choice of whether to succumb to her fading memories and the life of being pretty, or to fight for her life and fight against the government. This is a thrilling continuation of Tally's story.
High School can be pretty tough, as many of you may know, especially if you don't have many friends. When Melinda was at a party one summer she ended up calling the cops when it got out of hand, this caused her friends to unfriend her and everyone else at school to hate her. Something bad happened to her at that party that continues to haunt her throughout the book. Spiraling into depression Melinda continues to try to keep the truth buried but it slowly seeps it way out. I recommend this to someone who likes sad, struggling books. It really is hauntingly beautiful and truly makes you think.
Step into the world of Beatrice Prior and explore an interesting take on post-apocalyptic life. Beatrice lives in a place full of factions, they are made to keep order and separate differences. There is Erudite, the faction with the brains; Dauntless, who serve to protect but also participate in reckless things; Candor, all about the truth and nothing but; Amity, the faction about peace and happiness; finally there's Abnegation, which is the faction that believes in selflessness and living a plain life. Beatrice is apart of Abnegation but not for long. At age 16 you get to decide whether you want to stay in the faction you're born in or if you want to transfer into another faction. Divergent is all about Beatrice's transfer and the government starting to fall apart. I recommend this to people who like a good 'in the future' story. It also has plenty of action and even a little romance.
A new character is introduced to the adventure of Cinder and her friends. Cress is a shell who was castoff to a shuttle a little off of Luna, her job is to hide Lunar ships that go to Earth and anything else that Queen Lavana needs. Cress manages to contact Cinder and her friends and they develop a rescue plan. Because things would be boring if everything went as planned, their rescue plan goes terribly wrong. Cress's shuttle crashes into earth smack in the middle of the desert. This is a must read if you've read Cinder and Scarlet. Continue the adventure of Cinder and her friends.
In Tally Youngblood's world there are the Uglies and the Pretties. At age 16 you get a surgery that turns you 'pretty', you move to New Prettytown and have a life of parties and fun. Tally's best friend turned 16 before her, leaving her in Uglyville on her own. All Tally's life she's wanted to become a Pretty but when she meets Shay her idea of life is changed. This book is filled with question and adventure. Tally's point of view changes and she learns new things about society and her life. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a little mystery and adventure.
Shadowspell is the book that comes after Glimmerglass. Dana's security is as heavy as ever when her mother comes to visit, adding a whole new set of complications and problems in Dana's life. With dates that are heavily guarded it is hard for Dana to do anything on her own, which really frustrates her. She captures the interest of a group of evil Knights called the Wild Hunt, which of course worries her father, creating an even stronger set of guards and rules. Dana finds a way to meet up with the Wild Hunt's leader, the Erlking, to find out what he want. He has some odd conditions for her safety from him and any other person after her and she practically 'sells her soul to the devil'. The action really starts to pick up in this book and it's super awesome!
"May the odds ever be in your favor..." as is the motto of the annual Hunger Games of Panem. Sadly, the odds aren't in Katniss Everdeen's favor when her younger sister Primrose gets chosen to be in the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers in place of her sister, to save her life. Out of all 12 districts in Panem there are two children chosen to go to the Capitol and fight to the death in an arena, while being broadcasted on live television. By volunteering for her sister Katniss has to go to the Hunger Games. The book describes the events leading to the Games, what happens in the Games, and after. It is action packed, and completely suspenseful. I would not recommend this book to anyone who doesn't like violence, especially with kids.
This book is the second book in the exciting Lunar Chronicles, and it is just as amazing and breathtaking! With Cinder on the run a new character is introduced, Scarlet. Mirrored after Little Red Ridding hood, Scarlet works on a farm with her grandmother until she goes missing. Scarlet meets a mysterious man named Wolf and starts to investigate where her grandmother is. Wolf and Scarlet travel looking and run into Cinder. The adventure continues from there. This book is very good and a must read especially if you've read the first one. :)
If I Stay is written by the same author as I Was Here, and as I said in the review of I Was Here this book is also very beautiful and sad. Most of it takes place in the memories of a comatose girl, Mia. Mia and her family were in a tragic accident, Mia is in a coma but talks about seeing everything going on around her at the accident site and at the hospital. During the book she flashes from telling a memory from her life and talking about what's going on in the hospital. This book made me cry, and from what I've heard from others who have read it, it's hard not to cry. You get to read all about how she's feeling but also get to know more about her life before the crash. I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading sad books. There is romance, and tragedy but I don't recommend this to anyone who doesn't like to cry or just doesn't like sad books.
So, I decided to give this author another try. Jo Knowles is also the author of Lessons from a Dead Girl which wasn't very great. Jumping Swings was better than Lessons from a Dead Girl. It moved slowly and didn't have much action like the other book but I think the story was pretty good. It's all about a girl who gets pregnant but can't tell her mom so she talks to her friends and her friend's mom. Throughout the story these four friends go through a tough time and it never really resolves in the end. I could never bring myself to hate a book so I wouldn't say I hate it, I just wouldn't read it again.
This is the last book in the Across the Universe series, and if you've read the other ones you probably won't be able to resist reading this one too! Amy and Elder finally land on their new home, it is breathtakingly beautiful and terrifying(as most new places are). Amy finally gets what she's wanted the whole time, to wake up her parents, but it's not exactly what either of them expected. Orion's warnings held true and what 'the frozens' were told before they left Earth wasn't everything they needed. This book is definitely more suspenseful and has much more adventure. It's easy to run into more adventure when you are no longer confined by the walls of Godspeed. I think that this is a must read if you've read the other two, it really wraps everything up and has a great ending. If you haven't read the other two books, Across the Universe and A Million Suns, and love a good adventure you should consider reading them!
This book is by far one of my favorites. This is the first book of four in the Lunar Chronicles. Cinder is about a cyborg girl who lives with her step mother and step sisters(similar to Cinderella). Cinder is a mechanic that got the opportunity to fix the Prince's android, this lead to a new and interesting relationship between them. Unfortunately, Cinder's town of New Beijing is ridden with a plague. Cyborgs are volunteered for testing for an antidote and Cinder was volunteered. Being adopted Cinder doesn't know much about herself or where she came from but when in the lab being tested she makes some shocking discoveries about herself. I love that you can see the similarities between Cinder and Cinderella, this was clearly thought out and This book is filled with mystery, romance, drama and adventure!
This book is very hard to talk about, at least for me. Wintergirls is filled with a very deep topic that can be hard to talk about. It is about a girl who is struggling with anorexia and self-image. Lia's best friend, Cassie, recently died from her anorexia and it hit Lia pretty hard. Being in and out of the hospital and putting weights in her robe pockets when being weighed lead her to a hotel room in the middle of a snow storm needing help. This story is all about Lia struggling to be the weight she wants to be and her parents wanting her to be healthy. Finally, with the help of the adoration of her younger sister, she asked for help just before it was too late. This book is sad, and deep but oddly beautiful. I'd recommend this book for someone who likes these kind of big and deep concepts. It is truly a wonderful book. I strongly recommend you read this :)
Little Talks is a short story about a girl and a boy. Nina is your average teenage girl bugged by a teenage boy named Cooper. Each chapter is a conversation between them that she wrote down on something random, like a napkin or an envelope. Throughout the story Nina slowly falls for him and it's very sweet. I recommend this for someone who just wants a quick read with a good story. It is written and thought out really well. Nina and Cooper's story is sweet and quirky.
It is very rare when I read a book and don't like it. Granted not all books I've read have knocked my socks off but I've never really read a book I haven't liked. This book is different, it was one of those books where I finished it only because I wanted it to get better and know how it ends. It is fairly well written but the story goes no where. Leah was best friends with Laine and when she committed suicide Laine couldn't help but feel responsible. Throughout this book Laine tells stories about her and Leah growing up and the events leading up to her death. The end of the book leaves you with lose ends and doesn't really have a point. I guess I recommend this to someone who just likes to read for fun and not necessarily for the story. If you want check it out.
This is the sequel to Across the Universe, and it's just as amazing, if not more so, as the first one. It is completely action packed, and lots of things are discovered. Amy and Elder's relationship grows and they finally find the planet they have been searching for. They follow clues left by Orion and figure out their planet they've been traveling to is not everything they seem. This book is very mysterious and a perfect continuation of Godspeed's adventure. It is a must read if you've read Across the Universe!
This book is nothing like Thirteen Reasons Why, it is just as much beautifully written. This book is about two best friends who find a CD rom that has Facebook on it except this book takes place before Facebook was created. Josh and Emma find their own Facebook pages from the future and Emma tries to change her future because she doesn't like it. While handling their discovery of Facebook and their life outside of the internet Josh and Emma this book is filled with so much! I completely recommend this book to anyone!
The Great Gatsby is about a man name Jay Gatsby. It is told by Nick Caraway who recently moved to West Egg right next store to Gatsby. Gatsby is a mysterious man that few know anything about. He has this one dream and that is to once again be with the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. After a long string of events everything and everyone scatters. There is drama, excitement, big parties, love, heartbreak, and has a tragic ending. It is a classic and if you haven't read it yet you totally should! It's short but dense and filled with symbols.
Noah and Leigh is a beautifully written story about a romance filled with notes and secret glances. Noah has watched Leigh from across the library and falls for her without even meeting her. He starts by leaving her notes in her seat when she gets up. She doesn't know who they're from but she writes back anyway. This is a short story and not written by any famous, well-known, author but is written as such. Noah and Leigh's romance is adorable and the kind you dream about. I recommend this to someone who doesn't read much but still likes to read. It is sweet and a quick read.
Thirteen Reasons Why is amazingly creative and well thought out. Hannah Baker is a girl who committed suicide but before she does she makes 13 cassette tapes explaining what lead her to doing what she did, 13 "reasons". Each chapter is split up by cassette tape side and includes Hannah's voice but also the person hearing the tapes. I absolutely love the story line of this and how the pieces all fit together. A major must read!! I recommend it to anyone who likes those sad and slightly mysterious kind of stories!
Across the Universe truly takes you out of this world. Amy was frozen with her parents and put on a ship destined to travel to a new planet. She was supposed to wake up in 300 years, once they got to the new planet, but she accidentally got woken up early. It was an adjustment to get used to the life already on the ship but she made some friends, and started to discover that everything she thought was a lie. This book was hard to put down, I just wanted to keep reading! I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes space and travel. This book also has some romance and adventure.
A normal teen with an alcoholic mom who just wants to be a kid. Dana loves her mother but she's spent her whole life having to be the responsible one, so she decides to fly out to Avalon and live with her dad. It is nothing like she expected and there is a lot of obstacles she has to go through. This book has it all, fantasy, adventure, and romance. Dana gets kidnapped, develops a crush, makes new friends, and learns more and more things about herself and her heritage. I strongly recommend this book to fantasy lovers. It is a quick but totally exciting read.
If you've read If I Stay you'd expect nothing less then another hauntingly sad, and touching book, which is exactly what this book is like. Meg, Cody's best friend, killed herself after going to college and throughout the book Cody tries to discover why. Cody thought her and Meg told each other everything, but Meg kept something very important from her and it adds to the mystery of figuring out why Meg killed herself. This book has sadness, confusion, and even love and adventure. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good story that starts out sad and has a happy ending. This book is worth the read.
This book is categorized under mystery but really it's not much of a mystery, which doesn't make it a bad book I just wanted to say this right off. Don't go reading this book because you expect it to be a mystery. This is a very classic 'about my life' story. Lula, "Weird Girl", and her best friend Rory, "What's His Name", are two high schoolers in love with the X-Files. They even write their own version of fan-fiction. Lula lives with her grandparents because her mom was young when she had her and hadn't started her life yet. In the book Lula finds out that her best friend was sleeping with his boss and she is heartbroken so she runs away to find her mom. I found this story simple in a way but also still kept me interested. If you don't like a lot of deep heavy action or just want something nice and simple to read then I recommend you this book. Check it out!
I've read a lot of wonderful books throughout my life, especially in the past year, but this is one of the best ones; this book blew my mind. It was confusing, slightly suspenseful, and beautiful. The three main characters, Wink, Poppy, and Midnight are all so different but somehow all fit in the same story. Poppy is a bully that strings boys along, including Midnight, but has a hidden story of who she truly loves. Wink is a red-headed ball of energy and stories, to her life is a fairy tale. Midnight is quiet and kind, he just wants to get over Poppy and have a happy life. This story may be simply written but it was clearly deeply thought out. There are many subtle symbols that hold so much meaning and make the book crawl even deeper under your skin. The ending was perfect and left me breathless. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a short but fun read, it is totally worth the read! Go check it out!
