Review: Heroes Are Extinct: Volume 1 by Ryoji Hido

Heroes Are Extinct: Volume 1 by Ryoji Hido

Rating: PG

Genre: Manga, Science-Fiction

Score: ❤❤❤❤

Page Count: 200

Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing

Published: July 31, 2007

A hero from a distant star arrives on Earth to pit his strength against Earth's famous superheroes! Only problem is Earth doesn't really have any superheroes. Growing up watching super-hero TV shows from Earth - think Power Rangers or Ultraman, our fearless hero decides to amass an army on his home planet and invade Earth to pit his strength against them. Only when the invasion starts, no one comes to stop him. What is an alien on Earth supposed to do with entire army and no one to fight?!?

Review:

PROS:

1. As if the synopsis couldn't get any better, I just didn't see why this book or even how it could possibly be not as entertaining. I found this one while randomly looking for something new to read and I was really happy to have found this one. I wasn't sure if it would turn out to be good or not but hey, it looked good at the time and I needed something to keep me busy. Here's my review:

2. I'm happy to say that I pretty much loved everything about this manga, especially the characters. I seriously loved how random the characters were and how different they were from each other. They're supposed to be the heroes of their world but they don't exactly get along and they aren't your typical evil/good doers either. If anything, only one of them is "professional" and even then, the only things he knows about being a hero is what he watched on television. It was a really fun cast of characters to read about and I can't wait to get more of their story!

3. I love to draw manga myself but I was envious of all the cool costumes! Anyway, I love manga because it can get really detailed and the narrations can get really interesting. I loved the art in this book because it wasn't too complicated and wasn't harsh on the eye. I think the art would be cool to see in color but the grey scale is a normal thing for a manga series. I loved all the sound effects and narrations in this book because they were just so hilarious! What with the "sparkle, sparkle" and the "depression", it was just so funny to read and I couldn't get enough of it.

4. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a fun manga to get into. It's a very fast read (I read it in 30 minutes) and you will not be bored while reading this one. I couldn't stop laughing and at least every other page I was dying from something a character said or did and I will more than likely be picking up the rest of these books! I can't wait to see what trouble these characters get into and how they'll go about being the "heroes" they are.

5. P.S. If you love the Power Rangers (what's 90's kid doesn't?) or just anything about super heroes, you'll love this book! Just saying.

The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating was simply because I wasn't feeling well while reading it. Being sick and in a reading slump? NOT a good combo!

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you guys 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: Hello, I love You by Katie M. Stout

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Rating: PG

Genre: Contemporary

Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

Stand Alone

Page Count: 304

Published: June 9, 2015

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.
She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol. 
Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

Review:

PROS:

1. So this book has been pitched as another Anna and The French Kiss what with the whole boarding school thing but it's so much more than that. I honestly really loved this book despite how harsh people are towards it. This book made me really happy after reading it and made my reading slump a little easier to get through. This book was exactly what I was in the mood for and it helps that the cover is super adorable! Here's the review!

2. Characters. First off, I really enjoyed the main character, Grace, because she was just trying to find out who she really was and got the bright idea to escape halfway across the world to do that. No big deal. I thought she was a very realistic character even though she was in a little bit of an unrelatable situation what with her father and brother being incredibly famous. She still had her issues though and didn't want to be treated like someone special. She pretty much wanted to just live a normal life where no one knew her or her family. I also fell in love with the side characters such as Grace's roommate Sophie. She was very bubbly and not shy at all really. I really enjoyed the other characters as well even though I would've loved to see more of them throughout the book. And of course, can we just talk about Jason for a second? Talk about swoon worthy!

3. The next thing I loved was the writing. It was simple and sweet and the descriptions weren't too complicated either. I really loved how everything played out and how it went so smoothly together even though Grace encounters some bumps in the road as she tries to survive her first semester in a new country thousands of miles away from everything she's ever known. I honestly thought it was just such a fun read and I can't wait to pick it up again in the future! Katie M. Stout is an author I will be keeping my eye on!

4. Overall, this was just a really sweet, funny and touching story about finding out who you really are as well as facing your demons and learning to let things and even people go. I pretty much wanted to cry once I read the last page just because I didn't want it to be over. Once again, this book may not be that great to other people but personally, it was exactly what I was in the mood for so I think that helped me to give it a higher rating. If you loved Anna and The French Kiss or Starstruck then I say give this book a go! Just don't let all the lovey dovey feels fool you! There's quit a shocking revelation that I honestly didn't even suspect. But maybe that's just me.

Already read HILY? Want to know what happens after?

Epilogue

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FANGIRL MOMENT:

Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Rating: PG-13 (Some Language)

Genre: Contemporary

Score: 4.5 stars

Page Count: 337

Book #2 of the To All The Boys I've Loved Before duology

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books

Published: May 26, 2015

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

Review:

PROS:

1. Now a quick disclaimer is that I too didn't LOVE the first book in this duology however at the time, I still really enjoyed it because it was what I was in the mood for. True, it wasn't exactly a masterpiece but I gave it a four star rating because despite how annoying some of the characters (one, to be more specific) I still really liked it and I was really excited when the news came out that this book would get a sequel. I've been wanting to read it ever since I bought it and now I finally got around to doing so. I was in a reading slump when I started reading this so that might've affected mt rating on this book. Now that we have that portion out of the way, here's the review!

2. The first thing I want to talk about is the characters for a few reasons. (1) Lara Jean wasn't exactly the most mature teenage girl in the world but then again is any teenage girl? Be honest! I loved that as her character develops in this sequel, you can really see how much she's grown up and matured from the previous book. She's less winy and doesn't want any drama in her life. Sure, she's still not perfect but I really love her character in this book a lot more. (2) The other characters such as Kitty, Peter, Margot even and Lara Jean's dad all really go through some amazing development as well. I feel like Kitty just got a lot sassier and really became her own person, and made me wish she was my little sister! Obviously we all know that Peter isn't exactly the most humble of characters but I still loved seeing him grow up a little too. In the first book, he's somewhat of a jerk, not going to lie about that, but in the book, you really see that he's still a good guy. And I'm not one to like the jerks just so you know. Even Margot moves on with her life in college and just wants to focus on what the future holds instead of crying over a boy. Their dad, I feel, got a little more spotlight as he became a little aware that his dating life isn't exactly the best but hey, he's learning!

3. The story line played out wonderfully in this book as well! I was really impressed when I first saw the reviews for this book on Goodreads and how amazing they were. Most of the reviews for the first book consisted of one to five star reviews, nothing amazing. But for this one, most of the reviews I saw were all four to five stars. People were raving about how much better it was than the first and how it took a complete and surprising turn. Needless to say, I was more determined to get to this book faster than I first intended. The story really did impress me in a way that it went from a fun, light-hearted read to a more serious and even a bit of a melancholic one. Lara Jean definitely had to go through some ups and downs and had to deal with bullying, gossip and losing and making friends and why being in love for the first time- no matter how complicated- is so amazing. I think this book was more of a relatable story and I would so love to pick up this book again!

4. Overall, I think if you liked the first book, you'll more than likely love this sequel! Some even loved it more and that was my case. Even if you didn't really care for To All The Boys I've Loved Before, I would still recommend this book, but of course that's my opinion. I was satisfied with how everything ended between the characters and how the book wrapped up and I honestly kind of want a third book. Also, this book was a lot funnier. Multiple times I burst out laughing and couldn't stop. If you're not afraid of looking like a weirdo by laughing at a book like me, then have fun with this one! I even tabbed my favorites!

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Most Anticipated August YA Releases!

I'm fully aware that I did in fact skip telling you guys which books I was excited for in July but it was quite a slow month for new releases that I was excited about, I only ended up finding two that caught my attention. But I'm back with five new releases for the month of August that I just have to check out and put on my bookshelves! Here are my most anticipated August releases!

Title: Trouble Is A Friend Of Mine

Author: Stephanie Tromly

Release Date: August 4

Genre: Mystery, Romance

Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: Preparing to survive a typical day of being Digbys friend wasn't that different from preparing to survive the apocalypse.

Her first day not in school (because she cut) in her new hometown that will soon be her old hometown (because she's getting out of Dodge as fast as she can) Zoe meets Digby. Or rather, Digby decides he's going to meet Zoe and get her to help him find missing teenager. Zoe isn't sure how, but Digby—the odd and brilliant and somehow…attractive?—Digby always gets what he wants, including her help on several illegal ventures. Before she knows it, Zoe has vandalized an office complex with fake snow, pretended to buy drugs alongside a handsome football player dressed like the Hulk, had a throw-down with a possible cult, and, oh yeah, saved her new hometown (which might be worth making her permanent hometown after all.)

A mystery where catching the crook isn't the only hook, a romance where the leading man is decidedly unromantic, a story about friendship where they aren't even sure they like each other—Trouble is a Friend of Mine is a YA debut you won’t soon forget.

Title: Reawakened (The Reawakened #1)

Author: Colleen Houck

Release Date: August 11

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.

Title: Court Of Fives (Court Of Fives #1)

Author: Kate Elliott

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: August 18

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott begins a new trilogy with her debut young adult novel, weaving an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

Jessamy's life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom's best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes's family apart, she'll have to test Kal's loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys 

Author: Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, April Genevieve Tucholke, Cat Winters

Genre: Horror

Release Date: August 18

Publisher: Dial Books

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror 

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors.

Title: Mechanica

Author: Betsy Cornwell

Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk

Release Date: August 25

Publisher: Clarion Books

Add It To Your Shelf!

Synopsis: Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. 

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

Review: The Adventures Of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks

The Adventures Of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks

Rating: PG

Genre: Graphic Novel

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 112

Stand Alone

Publisher: Dark Horse Books

Published: February 26, 2013

 

What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores, and have a weakness for kittens, and a snarky comment from Skeptical Guy can ruin a whole afternoon? Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks brings her skills in character design and sharp, charming humor to the trials and tribulations of a young, superhero battling monsters both supernatural and mundane in an all-too-ordinary world.  

 

Review:

PROS:

1. So this is yet another graphic novel that I stumbled upon while perusing the shelves at my library and I honestly picked this one up because of the author. I absolutely loved Faith Erin Hicks' Friends With Boys so when I saw this cute book, I couldn't just leave it there! Anyway, here's my review:

 

2. This time, I'll be starting with the characters to change things up a bit for you. I really loved all the characters in this book! I thought they were all really entertaining and goofy and witty. They had me laughing out loud and I really loved that. I also really loved our main character of course, Superhero Girl. I thought she was a fun character that had to struggle with being in a town with the lamest super villains you could imagine. She wanted so badly to be a great superhero but didn't exactly have it easy. What with her very own brother stealing the spotlight from her, she didn't exactly live up to her own fantasies of being the best superhero the city's ever had. The characters were just a lot of fun and I really enjoyed them.

 

 

3.Now I'm getting into the art! As always. I really loved the art in this book for many reasons. One was that it had a really fun color pallet with bright colors and fun hues. It wasn't too much for the eye to handle which I very much appreciated. Second was that it was really simple art just like in Faith's previous graphic novel that I talked about and I really liked that as well. I liked all the detail with this graphic novel as well and I also loved the varying character signatures such as this gal's green hair and Superhero Girl's mask. Obviously, you could easily tell them apart from each other.

 

4. Last but not least, I just thought it was a really fun and quick read that you could pick up in one sitting or if you need to kill some time, this one took me a little less than an hour to finish. I definitely recommend this book if you want a fun read or if you're looking for some new graphic novels to check out! This one I really loved and I kind of wish there was a sequel.

 

 

 

 

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: Airhead by Meg Cabot

Airhead by Meg Cabot (Airhead #1)

Rating: PG

Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi, Drama, Comedy, Chick Lit

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 337

Book #1 of the Airhead series

Publisher: Point

Published: June 1, 2008

 

EM WATTS IS GONE.
Emerson Watts didn’t even want to go to the new SoHo Stark Megastore grand opening. But someone needed to look out for her sister, Frida, whose crush, British heartthrob Gabriel Luna, would be singing and signing autographs there—along with the newly appointed Face of Stark, teen supermodel sensation Nikki Howard.
How was Em to know that disaster would strike, changing her—and life as she’d known it—forever? One bizarre accident later, and Em Watts, always the tomboy, never the party princess, is no longer herself. Literally.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. I'd seen this book many times over the years but for some reason just never picked it up. A friend recommended this book to me at the bookstore one day and seeing as it was on sale for one whole dollar, I decided it couldn't hurt to check it out. I finally picked it up about a week ago and I ended up really liking it! I hadn't read a Meg Cabot book before even though I've seen all the Princess Diaries movies so I'm definitely going to be picking up more books by her soon. Here's the review:

 

2. The characters in the book I pretty much fell in love with from the first page, which is often the case with a Meg Cabot novel from what I've heard. I really loved Emerson because she wasn't the typical high school girl. She was tomboy who didn't get the whole celeb and teen gossip magazines and especially didn't get the whole fashion appeal that so many girls get hooked on. I loved her friends and her family, especially her little sister Frida, and I really loved the character development of all of them. Em slowly becomes more confident in her own skin- well, almost her own skin- and she also learns what it truly means to lose someone you love as well as makes new friends and realizes that not everything and everyone is as they seem.

 

3. The writing in this book was so humorous and lighthearted while still having a bit of a serious topic. It's more mysterious and a little darker than what Meg Cabot usually writes but it was just as great. I loved how easy it was to read without the story being so detailed to the point of it being boring and slow going. It was fast-paced and kept it consistent to the end. 

 

4. Finally, overall, I was satisfied with the book. It was funny, interesting and had a sci-fi aspect that was a bit weird at first to me, considering that this book is a chick lit but it ended up blending well with the rest of the story. I loved that it was funny, kept me hooked to what was happening and had the perfect amount of romance that wasn't too much for everything else that was going on. It was a really sweet read about family and friends and I highly recommend it!

 

The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because I just didn't enjoy it as much as I would've loved. I can't quite put my finger on the reason why but it might've just been because of the fact that it took me so long to read it since my schedule has been pretty busy lately. It took me almost a full week to finish this book and I'm sure the time period just altered my overall thoughts on this book. 

 

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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!


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!