April Book Haul!

So you might notice how short this haul is and I'm very proud of that! I'm finally getting a good grip on my book buying habits! Enjoy my reasonable sized book haul for this month!

 



The Silver Chair by C.S Lewis (Narnia #6)- Half Price Books- $1

Murder In The Cathedral by T.S Eliot- Library- $1

The Turn Of The Screw & In The Cage by Henry James- Library- $1

Confess by Colleen Hoover- Half Price Books- $12.80

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand- Barnes & Noble- $17.90

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows- Barnes & Nobles- $17.90

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson- Thrift Shop- $0.25

The One by Kiera Cass (The Selection #3)- Target- $15.40

The Notebook Girls by Julia Baskin, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollitt-Cohen & Courtney Toombs- Half Price Books- $1

Secret Identities by Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow & Jerry Ma (GN)- Half Price Books- $6.99

 

NOT SHOWN IN PICTURE:

Wicked by Gregory Maguire- Half Price Books- $3

Review: Fade by Lisa McMann (Dream Catchers #2)

Fade by Lisa McMann (Dream Catchers #2)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Score: ⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 248

Book #2 in the Dream Catcher trilogy

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Published: February 10, 2009

Wake by Lisa McMann Review (Dream Catcher #1)

 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! SKIP SYNOPSIS!

 

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....

Review:
PROS:
1. First off, I liked this book just a little bit more than the first book only because this one actually had more of a plot. I thought the plot of this story was interesting enough and definitely more entertaining than the first book. This book was a bit faster paced and kept me interested longer.

2. Lisa McMann is a great author and I always enjoy her writing style when I pick up one of her books. I really love her writing and I'm in no way bashing her or her talent of writing. Sadly though, those were pretty much the only things I enjoyed about this book.

CONS:
1. This trilogy just isn't a series I enjoy all that much. This first book had interesting enough characters but they just get really annoying and even frustrating in this second book in the trilogy. First off, I felt Janie was just way too dramatic and made the stupidest decisions without thinking things fully through. I also thought she was just way too unrealistic with her actions and didn't seem to care about whether she was actually making the right decisions or not. I couldn't relate to any of the characters and I frankly just didn't care what happened to them. The characters just seemed to be completely unfocused on the task at hand when people's lives were in danger and that was really frustrating.

2. Even though this book had more of a plot, I just didn't think it had enough build up. Sure it was more exciting than the first book but it wasn't exactly heart pounding either. The story just felt a little choppy once again and some events that happened just didn't flow well with the rest of the story or didn't seem to fit in at all. It was pretty dull for most of the book and picked up a little a few times but wasn't all the gripping.

3. I just thought that this book relied way too heavily on the romance aspect of the story. I thought the book could've veered away from the romance and focused a lot more on character development and story build up. The romance was sweet, don't get me wrong, but it was just way too distracting and really annoying especially since Janie and Cabel seemed to be in their own little world most of the time. I just wanted to shake both of them and tell them to focus on the issues and their mission. The story was all over the place because it was very romance- based and I didn't enjoy that one bit.

4. Lastly, the plot and events just seemed very outlandish. I would've loved to see more of a paranormal aspect other than weird dreams. The plot was just way too out there for it to be a YA Fiction novel and like I said before, things didn't flow well because the story was kind of all over the place and nothing was honed in on to keep me connected with the story. It just felt too random and unbelievable for my taste.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

CHECK OUT MY OTHER REVIEWS FOR LISA MCMANN'S BOOKS!

Crash (Visions Trilogy #1)

Bang (Visions Trilogy #2)

 

 

 

 

 



Music Matching Monday: The Selection

In honor of this beautiful book officially becoming a movie, I decided it'd be a great time to pair a song with this book! I chose a song that I think best describes the relationship between America and Aspen in both the first and second book. If you've read this book, then you know that the two lovebirds will pretty much do anything and everything for each other. They truly love each other but run into many obstacles because of America's being in the Selection. Things get even more complicated in the second book when America can't seem to gather the feelings she starts having for not only Prince Maxon, but also her feelings toward Aspen. It seemed that America was almost angry at him for seeming not so supportive of her opportunity at a better life for both her and her family and felt like she was almost being betrayed because she was happy that Aspen was able to get that same opportunity. She wanted to get over her anger towards him but couldn't help but remember all the times they shared together. Talk about complicated.

 

DISASTER by JoJo 

FLASH SALE! Buy The Legend Trilogy for $2.99 each TODAY ONLY! 4/25

Hey bookworms! Marie Lu just announced that a very special sale is going on for her "Legend" trilogy TODAY ONLY for only $2.99 each! Be sure to get it on Amazon or Google Play now! Links below!!

Get Legend Trilogy on Amazon

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Music Matching Monday: What Happened To Goodbye

It was bound to happen that one of these days, I'd choose to pair a song with a Sarah Dessen novel. Did you seriously think it wouldn't happen? Anyway, this week I decided to pair a song with one of my top favorite Sarah Dessen books, "What Happened To Goodbye". I recently reread this book and feel so in love with everything about this book all over again! I wanted to choose a song that went along with the theme of the book. In this book, our main character Mclean struggles with constantly moving around from place to place with her father and also struggles to figure out who she really is by becoming a different person everywhere she goes. When she finds friends and a new place that she might actually care about, she finds it hard to keep her true self hidden and eventually, ends up showing her new friends and even her family who she really is, flaws and all. I just love how this book talks about finding out who you really are, having people there for you to help you no matter what, and finding a place where you can't imagine being away from and wanting to be with someone no matter where.
 

 RATHER BE by Pentatonix (Clean Bandit Cover)



Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Humor, YA Fiction, LGBT

Score: 3 1/2 stars

Page Count: 310

Stand Alone novel

Publisher: Dutton Books

Published: April 6, 2010

 

Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and Iives intertwine.
It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. I bought this book awhile ago and I was super excited when I finally found time to pick this book up! I'm a huge John Green fan and a growing David Levithan fan. I enjoyed this book for a few reasons so let's get on with the review!

 

2. I really loved the writing style of both authors. I'm a fan of John Green's writing because it's very witty and sarcastic and a lot of fun to read. It's very lighthearted when the story isn't all that happy. I got just that while reading this book and I was really happy about that. I also enjoyed David Levithan's writing for two reasons. I thought his writing was also a lot like John Green's writing because it was witty and sarcastic and had so many laugh out loud moments. I liked Levithan's writing also because he wrote with no caps in his sentences. I thought it was interesting to see that and an interesting way to represent the fact that his Will Grayson was suffering from a form of depression.  

 

3. I also really liked the characters, especially the fabulous Tiny Cooper. I thought that both Will Graysons' had very interesting lives and I thought it was really cool to see just how different they were from each other. I would've liked to see a little more character development in the Will Grayons' but what I got was still satisfying enough for me to get an idea of the type of person they are. One Will Grayson was just a teenage boy trying to figure out just where he stands with his friend Tiny and how he really feels about this girl he knows. The other Will Grayson is a teenage boy just trying to live and move on with his life while keeping to himself. I also thought the development for Tiny Cooper was so well done! I loved his character so much and it was awesome to see him grow and be involved in both stories. He was very lively and so funny and very fabulous as it was put.

 

4. Lastly, I thought it was great to see non-traditional elements in this book. I liked that the book talked about depression, musicals, and sexuality. This is an LGBT contemporary novel and I thought it was a fun and enjoyable read and I liked that it was different from most YA fiction literature. I definitely recommend this book for those who are fans of these two authors or for those who are looking for an inspiring book such as this one.

 

The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because I wanted to see more character development in the story. I also would've loved to see more a defined plot for this book. I felt there didn't really seem to be one aside from the high school musical Tiny Cooper planned.

 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

 

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Out Now!

 

The Disney Princess Book Tag!

Hey bookworms! Today I'm going to be doing The Disney Princess Book Tag created by the lovely lady Soudha from Of Stacks and Cups which you click the link to go to her blog and check out her original post for this tag! I LOVE Disney movies and of course, Disney Princess! From Mulan and Cinderella to Elsa and Belle, I just them all! So let's get on with the tag!

 

1. Snow White-Name your favorite classic.

 

I really love Black Beauty because of so many reasons! For one, it was the first chapter book I ever read by myself when I was 5 years old. I fell in love with the characters and most of all, Black Beauty himself. I was just fully immersed while reading this book and must've read it twice a week, I'm not even kidding about that! This classic story about a girl and her horse is a timeless story about friendship and devotion amongst a pair of friends who's only differences are a snout and hands and feet.


2. Cinderella- Name a book that kept you reading well past your bedtime.

I couldn't put this third book in the Lunar Chronicles down to save my life! This book, Cress by Marissa Meyer, had me reading well past the time I normally go to sleep because I just had to marathon the last 200+ pages to find out what happened and how it ended! Before I knew it, it was almost one in the morning when I finally finished the last page of this glorious book. Needless to say, it was worth it!



3. Aurora- Name your favorite classic romance.

 I have to make a confession, I've yet to read a Jane Austin novel. I know, I know, shame on me! But, so far, Jane Eyre has to be my favorite classic romance of the moment. It's only one of a handful of classic romances I've read but I still count it as my favorite so far. I just loved the characters and the classic romantic elements in this book so much. Sometimes, you need a little bit of more conflict and struggle in a romance novel and this one was just that!


4. Ariel- Name a book that's about making sacrifices and fighting for your dreams.

I chose The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen because this book is about a small town girl who has such a bright future ahead of her and everything she could ever want. Her parents want so much more for her than what she already has but when things start falling apart for her, she discovers that everything she has might not be everything she wants after all. It's a great story about making sacrifices and finding your adventure and most importantly, realizing who you really want to be.


5. Belle- Name a book with a smart and independent female character:

I chose Violet Baudelaire from the Series Of Unfortunate Events series because even though she struggles to protect her siblings from the evil Count Olaf, she's also very smart and ready to take charge whenever she's called to it. She's also determined and very inventive and I just think she's such an awesome female protagonist. I loved her throughout this series and I'm super excited to see her character come to life in the TV series!


6. Jasmine- Name a book with a character who challenged the social conventions of his or her world.

I chose Johnny Ross for this one! On Beale Street by Ronald Kidd is about a young boy growing up in the 1940's-50's when the country was still divided by race. Johnny befriends an up-and-coming singer named Elvis and with his other friends, he fights to unite people by music or more specifically, rock and roll. I think this is a very touching and a very moving story that will forever be one of my favorite books!


7. Pocahontas- Name a book whose ending was a roller-coaster of emotions.

Not only is this book a roller-coaster of emotions from the first page but it has one of the most beautiful endings I've ever read. The ending is so hopeful, heartbreaking, beautiful, witty and just wants to make you cry tears of both joy and sadness. I seriously love this book so much and the ending was just everything.





8. Mulan- Name a book with a kick-ass female character.
I just had to choose Tris for this category! I loved her character in Divergent because I thought she was a girl who seemed weak and fragile but decided to prove everyone including herself that she's capable of a lot more than they thought. She just becomes this very strong and almost fearless character that didn't shy away from danger.


9. Tiana- Name a book featuring a hardworking, self-made character.


I think Kestrel from The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski falls into this category very well. Kestrel is a very independent young woman that struggles to be the daughter her father wants her to be while also staying to stay true to herself and help to lead her country in the war. She's a very hard working character and I think she also puts her family and friends first when making decisions and sacrifices.


10. Rapunzel- Name a book that features an artist.

I chose Karou for this one! She's a very talented artist who draws the most beautiful pictures of these fantastical creatures people think she thinks up herself. She's a very unique character who has a secret part of her life she hides from everyone she knows and takes her sketchbook wherever she goes. Needless to say, I want to be her!


11. Merida- Name a book that features a mother-daughter relationship.

I chose to go with All Fall Down by Ally Carter because our main character, Grace, is on a mission to catch her mother's murderer. This book touches on the type of relationship Grace had with her mother and it shows sweet memories, a very close and sweet relationship between Grace and her mother and she'll do anything to catch the man who killed her mother and bring him to justice. It's a very exciting and fast-paced book that I think matches the excitement of Merida.


12. Anna and Elsa-Name a book that features a great relationship between siblings.

I chose the Chronicles of Narnia series because the Pevensie siblings have an unbreakable relationship with each other. They make sacrifices for each other and think about each other when problems arise. I just love how their able to band together and never abandon each other when things get rough as they have to fight wars, battles and take down their enemies.


And that's it for the Disney Princess Book tag! If you want to do this tag, please feel free to do it and make sure to credit Soudha if you do this! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Dream Casting: The Carter House Girls by Melody Carlson

Dream Casting: The Carter House Girls by Melody Carlson

 

Recently I was thinking about so many books I've been wanting to dream cast just for fun. I decided to dream cast one of my favorite books from one of my favorite series' with the help of one of my very good friends to pick out the perfect dream cast for the first book in The Carter House Girls series, Mixed Bags by Melody Carlson! Here's our dream cast!

 

1. DJ- Ksenia Solo or Emmy Rossum



My choice for this very important character was Ksenia Solo from shows such as Life Unexpected and Lost Girl. I loved her performance in those shows and I thought she'd be a good choice for DJ seeing as DJ isn't the typical girly-girl. She'd much rather chill in her favorite Basketball jersey than put on a pair of heels. I thought Ksenia would fit the role because she plays a good "tough girl" and is a great actress and in my opinion, has the look of DJ. I would personally love to see Ksenia bring this character to life and think she'd do a fantastic job!





Another choice we had for DJ was the amazing Emmy Rossum from movies such as The Phantom Of The Opera and Beautiful Creatures and shows such as Shameless. I think this talented young lady has a very innocent look that DJ has, seeing as she's just a teen girl who really doesn't want to be trapped under one roof with five other teen girls who only worry about Kate Spade and the newest heartthrob. I think Emmy could do a great job bringing DJ to life and I think it would be a fun casting!





2. Eliza- Janel Parish or Selena Gomez


The first choice that was made for Eliza, the somewhat wild one, was Janel Parish from movies such as Bratz and Triple Dog and shows such as Pretty Little Liars. Not only is this young lady an amazing singer but I also think she's a great actress and to me, has the look that Eliza would have if she were an actual person. Janel plays the edgy and wild characters very well and I think that she would do a great job bringing Eliza to life for just that reason.



Another option for Eliza was Selena Gomez who's been in way too many films to mention such as Hotel Transylvania, Spring Breakers and Monte Carlo. And of course, she's a recording pop artist who's pretty popular among young girls. I think Selena definitely has the look Eliza would have, a little edgy and fun but also sassy. I think it's be interesting to see this girl play Eliza.


3. Taylor- Mandy Moore or Cassandra Scerbo

Taylor is definitely an unforgettable character in this book series and one option that came up for her part was the beautiful and talented Mandy Moore who's a beautiful singer and who's been in films such as A Walk To Remember and Tangled. I think Mandy is such a great actress and I would so love to see her play Taylor because her character is a little wild, daring but loveable and a very dynamic character at that.


Another option for Taylor was Cassandra Scerbo from movies such as Teen Spirit and Sharknado and shows such as Make It Or Break It. I think Cassie would be a great choice for Taylor because she has a knack for playing the "mean girl" and the "wild child" but also can play the nice girl at any given time. I think she totally has the right look for Taylor and I would love to see her play this very entertaining part!



4. Kriti- Victoria Justice



The only option we had for Kriti was Victoria Justice because we couldn't imagine anyone else playing this part! This beautiful and talented young lady has been in movies such The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, Fun Size and book-to-movie adaptation Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List as well as shows such as Victorious and her new show Eye Candy. I think Victoria has the look for Kriti down to a T and seems like a very sweet and kind person just like the character in the book. If the shoe fits, right?



5. Rhiannon- Lacey Chabert
Once again, there was only actress we cast for this character because we couldn't imagine anyone else playing this part! We chose the amazing Lacey Chabert from movies such as Mean Girls, Hello Sister Goodbye Life and shows such as Baby Daddy and even played young Cosette on Broadway's production of Les Misérables. I think Lacey is a great actress and would love to see her playing the kind, quiet and good-natured Rhiannon. I think her personality matches perfectly with Lacey's and think she'd a perfect match!


6. Casey- Emily Osment or Bridget Mendler

One option that came up first for Casey, was the talented and gorgeous Emily Osment whom you may know from movies such as Cyberbully and Kiss Me and shows such as Hannah Montana and her new show Young and Hungry. I think Emily would be a great choice for Casey since her character in the book is very edgy and fearless. It would be awesome to see Emily Osment break into the "wild child" role and see her on the big screen again! It's been awhile and I think she's such a great actress.


Another option that came up, was the amazingly talented Bridgit Mendler! Not only is she an amazing singer, but she's been in movies such as The Clique and Lemonade Mouth and shows such as Good Luck Charlie and Updateable. I could totally see Bridgit Mendler playing the part of Casey since they're both funky and have a bit of edge both personality and fashion wise!


7. Connor- Shane Harper

Quick disclaimer: I HAD NO IDEA BRIDGIT MENDlER WAS DATING SHANE HARPER UNTIL 1O MINUTES AGO!!! (OMG, I'm gonna cry!!)
Anyway, the only option we had for Connor was Shane Harper from the movies such as God's Not Dead and shows such as Good Luck Charlie and Awkward. I think Connor is a very smart and sweet gentleman and I think that Shane Harper would be the perfect actor for that role! It also helps that he's a pretty talented actor and singer! Be still my heart . . .




8. Katherine- Lisa Howard or Sierra Boggess


One of the options for Katherine Carter was Lisa Howard from shows such as Earth: Final Conflict and Days of Our Lives. I've never seen anything with this actress before but I think she has a very sweet and caring look just like Katherine Carter in the book, seeing as she's more of a mother figure for the girls. I think Lisa would be a great pick for that part and I think she'd do a great job.


Another option that came up was the very talented Sierra Boggess who's been in Broadway productions such as The Little Mermaid in 2008 and The Phantom Of The Opera in 2011. I think Sierra would be a great match to play Katherine because she seems like a very sweet and funny person and she's a very talented actress and I think she has the look for Katherine as well!


If you want to see more dream casts, please leave your suggestions in the comments!! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Review: Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Mystery

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 313

Book #1 of the Asylum series

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: August 20, 2013

 

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.
As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. First off, this book is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. This book had some really cool elements in it and I honestly picked this book up a few months ago because I was still on a Peregrine kick. I finally decided it was time to read this creepy story and I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. Here's the review!

 

2. I really loved the characters in this book. I thought that Dan was a nice protagonist because he was socially awkward and had interests in very complicated school subjects that he signed up for just for fun. He was smart, different in a sense that he was also a foster kid and had foster parents that supported him and he also had some mental health issues that he had to struggle with. I thought he was a very complex character and I really loved reading from his perspective. I also adored his friends, Abby and Jordan. Abby is an artsy character, majoring in art, and I thought she was a very upbeat person with a courageous personality. Jordan was just too loveable and I thought he was very confidant in his own skin and didn't care what people thought about him. He was funny, sarcastic and freaked out in hilarious ways. I thought it was also interesting that he was an LGBT character which is something that I thought added more variety amongst the characters in this book.

 

3. The pictures in this book were also very creepy and sometimes even a bit disturbing, which I enjoyed. I love creepy things such as books, movies, pictures, etc. This book had pictures strewn throughout the book and made a really cool collection of creepy and haunting photos that were found from real asylums which was a cool factor. Like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, this book had a collection of creepy pictures that had a story written around them. I thought the story and pictures flowed really well together and I thought the pictures were just too entertaining to look at. From a picture of a dark and eerie hallway to a haunting and disturbing yet heartbreaking picture of a little girl who was a recovering patient of a lobotomy, each image had a story behind it.

 

4. Overall, I really loved this book and I think it's the perfect read for when you're craving something dark and creepy or if you want to save a certain book for Halloween season reading. I loved the twists and turns and the plot twists and even the somewhat graphic scenes of the things that some of the patients did before coming to this once-upon-a-time psychiatric ward. I loved how you didn't know who to trust, what was happening to Dan when he experienced some very realistic feeling nightmares and if in fact, Dan was the insane or ingenious one. It was a thrilling ride and definitely one you have to read for yourself to understand.

 

The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because I felt like the book could've had a little more of a creep factor. I thought some of the story building could've been made a little more suspenseful when it came to building up a plot twist or climax in the story. Don't get me wrong, this book was exciting and suspenseful already, but I would've loved to see just a little more suspenseful build up.

 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

Catacomb by Madeliene Roux (Asylum #3)

Out September 1, 2015

Music Matching Monday: Cinder

So this pairing is dedicated not just to the book, but to the fact that I seriously ship Cinder and Prince Kai to the point of obsession of them being so perfect for each other that it hurts! I love how the romance between the two characters just continues to grow throughout the series and I love the chemistry between them in Cress, the third book in this series. I could honestly talk about how much I love Cinder and Kai together for hours but thought it'd be wise to just choose a song that describes them in my mind. It's so obvious how much they like and care about each other and as Iko says, they're totally in love with each other! Okay, enough fangirling. Here's the song!

 

SHINE SUPERNOVA by Cody Simpson



Review: Save The Enemy by Arin Greenwood

Save The Enemy by Arin Greenwood

Rating: PG

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, YA Fiction

Score: 2 1/2 stars

Page Count: 245

Stand Alone Novel

Publisher: Soho Teen

Published: November 12, 2013

 

Everything has been downhill since Zoey Trask’s mother was murdered in a random mugging. Her younger brother, Ben, is on the autistic spectrum and needs constant supervision. It’s senior year, and she’s the new girl at a weird private school in Old Town Alexandria, VA, full of kids who seem too nice to be true—including a very cute boy named Pete. Aside from half-forgotten martial arts and survivalist skills that her widowed father insisted on teaching her (because that is excellent for her social life), Zoey has nothing to offer Pete or anyone else. 
  Then Dad is kidnapped. Zoey suddenly finds herself sole caretaker of a younger brother she barely understands. Worse, Ben seems to hold the key to their father’s disappearance in his Dream Diary, a bizarre journal of names and places Ben claims that their mother shares from beyond the grave. And as if Zoey doesn’t have enough on her plate, there’s Pete, who stubbornly refuses to leave her side.
Relying on the skills she never wanted to learn—Dad might have had his reasons after all—Zoey is plunged into a lethal battle to rescue her father, protect her brother, and determine the identity of her family’s true enemy.  

 

Review:

PROS:

1. I was originally attracted to this book because to be honest, it was a cover buy. The cover intrigued me and I got a mysterious and dark vibe just from that. It sounded like an interesting story and I was eager to read this one. Here's the review!

 

2. One thing that really stood out to me was the fact that the characters were really interesting and different from what I've read in a while. Considering one of the characters is a genius and seems to get messages from his dead mother in his dreams. Our main character, Zoey, isn't in a great position since she has to watch over her family and take on the role of being "mom". The well being of her family fell completely onto her shoulders and I thought that made her character more interesting.

 

CONS:

1. Unfortunately, that's the only thing I liked about this book. Even though the characters were interesting in a sense, I had so much trouble relating to them and found it hard to even want to keep reading the book because of that. I didn't think any of the characters had enough personality and had very little development. They were all a little flat and in the end, I didn't really care what happened to them. I forced myself to keep reading though but it was not a fun experience.

 

2. Like the characters, the story didn't hook me at all. From the first page it was hard to get into and immerse myself in the book. The events that take place in the book felt really random and choppy and didn't flow well with the rest of the story. It felt very random and didn't fit together. It was also very slow and nothing exciting really happens. It lacked the suspense that I would've loved to see because of the story and the potential it had but it fell short of that.

 

3. Lastly, it almost didn't feel like it had a plot. Because the events felt random, the plot seemed to be a little fuzzy for me and it was hard to sometimes even keep track of what was happening. There were some confusing factors in the book that could've been built up a little better but felt forced into the rest of the story. It seemed to even derail from what was happening and it got to be really confusing and a little annoying.

 

4. Overall, this isn't a book I'd pick up again and it will more than likely be forgotten and maybe even removed from my bookshelf and dropped into the donate pile.

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Review: The One by Kiera Cass (The Selection #3)

The One by Kiera Cass (The Selection #3)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Dystopian, Romance, YA Fiction

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 323

Book #3 of The Selection series

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: May 4, 2014

 

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. Since this is in fact the third book of a series, there might be some spoilers that could come up in this review but I will give some fair warning just in case that happens! I was super excited to finally pick this book up and was happy that I was just in time to read it before the next book in the series is released next month. Here's the review!

 

2. The character development throughout the books was really getting interesting and by this third book, I was just so in love with the characters. In the first book, The Selection, our female protagonist America Singer is entered into a competition along with 34 other girls to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon and become the next princess that will one day be queen (click above for review). Just to keep this section short, I adored her character for how stubborn, annoyed and humored she was by the entire Selection process. In the second book, however, her character became frustrating to follow and became more dramatic and not at all like she was in the previous book. In this third book, her mind is clear and she has a better understanding of what she really wants and knows just what she feels for Prince Maxon. I loved how her character ended up turning out to be and I thought she was a lot stronger and more willing to stand up for what she believed was right no matter the consequences.

I loved seeing the other characters grow as well and I loved how much they continued to strengthen bonds of friendship, romance and became more of a team despite their differences. It was refreshing and I'm sad to think some of those characters won't appear in the next book.

 

3. I thought it was really cool to see a little more action in this book. The previous two didn't really have a lot of excitement other than watching 35 girls pretty much attack each other for a crown. Who doesn't love a little drama, right? I'm really happy that this third book got a lot more action and even had a few bullets flying. Okay, more than a few. I liked the excitement of a couple of big conflicts go awry and sometime it got a little graphic though not too much as to take away from the story. I would've loved to see a lot more action from the previous two books but I think holding off until this third book might've been a good move, seeing as so far, in my opinion, this book is the best yet in the series.

 

4. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book because of the character development, storyline, and how well this book wrapped up. I was mostly satisfied with how the story came about and I'm really excited to see what happens next in the next installment though I'm a little sad to know my very loved group of characters will not be the center of attention. I really enjoyed reading this and I have to say, the ending was also straight to the point and was very lovely indeed.

 

CONS:

1. The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because I didn't really love the world this book was set in. I would've loved a lot more dystopian elements other than divided countries, telephones and guns. All three books gave a dystopian feel but didn't really deliver in my opinion on the build up of a dystopian world. The castes were inventive, though not that original, and there was lots of conflict between them and other kingdoms. I just wanted to see more of the dystopian elements you see in other book of this genre.

 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

The Heir by Kiera Cass (The Selection #4)

Out May 5, 2015

 

 

Music Matching Monday: Eleanor and Park

This book is one my favorite contemporaries for many reasons. Not only do I love the characters and storyline but also the feel of the whole book. I love that it's set in the 80's with a few Pop culture references for that decade. It's a really sweet and funny throwback to the 80's but it also has a bit of a modern twist to appeal to young readers who might not know a lot about that time where comic books and Walkman's were all the rage. I'm a 90's kid but I've watched enough 80's movies to know the references in the book. I wanted to choose a song that was fun but had a modern twist on the music style that was popular back then. You know, Donna Summers? The Bee Gees? Anybody heard of them? Anyway, I wanted to pair this book with the perfect song that reminded me of the characters and theme of the book. I struck gold when I stumbled upon the absolute perfect song for this book and ever since I first heard it a few days ago, I can't stop think about this book every time I hear it!

 

DISCO LOVE by The Saturdays



March Wrap-Up and April TBR!

Hello my lovelies! I'm not going to lie, I had an awesome reading month this time around just like the past couple of months! I read a total of 10 books and I'm super happy about that! Check out my wrap-up and my TBR for April down below!

WRAP-UP

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2) (reread)
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #1)
Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Divergent #3) (reread)
Fairest by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games #1)
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Trilogy #1)
Wake by Lisa McMann (Dream Catcher #1)

Not Shown In Picture:
The Anybodies by N.E Bode
Cress by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #3)
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

APRIL TBR!


Save The Enemy by Arin Greenwood
Asylum by Madeline Roux (Asylum #1)
October Baby by Eric Wilson and Theresa Preston
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
What Happened To Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (reread)
TBR Draw

What are you guys reading this month? Let me know in the comments down below! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!