Dash and Lily's Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Dash and Lily's Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Rating: PG

Score: 4 stars

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Comedy

So begins the latest whirlwind romance. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Review:

Pros:

1. First thing's first. This book is full of funny moments and exciting scenes as well as a love story that seems both crazy and sweet at the same time. I loved so much about this book and had a hard time finding anything I didn't like about this story!

2. I really liked that the story was written in duel points of view, Dash and Lily. I felt like I really got to know both characters really well and got to see what was going on in each of the their minds. Sometimes I don't think duel POV's work with a story, but this one was an exception.

3. The book is laugh out loud funny and there was not a single chapter where I didn't find myself laughing or smiling. I loved how witty and sarcastic the characters were and I loved how charming each chapter was. 

4. I loved the writing for this book as well. The point of view for Lily was written in a way that really shows off the kind of character she is, fun, wild, and yet still trying to find herself in the chaos of her family. Dash's point of view was also written in the same way, showing off his care free and daring character and written in a way that reminded me so much of John Green's writing which I enjoyed very much!

5. The characters were so sweet and funny and crazy weird at times, resembling your own set of friends. I loved the chemistry between all the characters and how goofy and care free they were also. Overall, this book was a favorite of mine.

Cons:

1. Even though I loved the story, I did feel like the ending, however, was a bit rushed and I would have loved to see a bit more romance between Dash and Lily.

Age Recommendation: 13+

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any more 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!

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The Kidnapping Of Christina Lattimore by Joan Lowry Nixon

The Kidnapping Of Christina Lattimore by Joan Lowry Nixon

Rating: PG

Score: 4 stars

Genre: Mystery, Crime

Christina spots a man in the dark, lonely parking lot- but too late. She's grabbed, drugged, and whisked off to a dingy basement, where she struggles to stay alive. When her family pays the kidnappers' ransom, Christina thinks her ordeal is over . . . but then discovers that her family thinks she orchestrated her own kidnapping! Christina is desperate. How far will she go to prove her innocence?

 Review:

Pros:

1. This mystery crime fiction is honestly a classic. Somewhere between Nancy Drew and Clue. I really liked a lot of things about this book for that reason. It's not a newer book at all but it still has a few perks that I still found satisfying.

 2. I really liked all the characters in the book. They weren't necessarily my favorite group of book characters but I still liked them. They were all pretty smart about investigating the true mastermind behind the kidnapping scheme as well as very observant and motivated. Even the kidnappers themselves were pretty interesting characters.

3. It was also very clean with nothing inappropriate for the younger readers. I don't usually read books that maybe the younger readers would enjoy, considering I love YA, but I still enjoyed the cleanliness of it, since it didn't distract me from the story.

Cons:

1. Even though I did enjoy the book overall, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The book promises a "thrilling suspense story that's fast-paced and exciting!" That didn't happen for me. It might have been all those things in the 70's but it isn't anymore. It was pretty steady from the beginning to the end without much suspense at all.

2. Another thing was that the story was somewhat predictable throughout. In about the middle of the book, I was already pretty sure on how the story would end, who the true mastermind was, and how they went about doing so. I don't know if it's because of the amount of mystery books I've read or if it was just the fact that the story itself was just that predictable, but it was very easy to put the pieces together and conclude the mystery.

Age Recommendation: 11+

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September Wrap Up

Hey bookworms! This month I decided to do a September Wrap Up and show you guys all the books I read this month! I read quite a few as you can see from the picture below! I don't own all of the books I read this month but I'll list those for ya:
1. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
2. The Eye Of Minds by James Dashner
3. Chopsticks
4. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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September Book Haul

What up, bookworms! Here is my September Book Haul for you! All the books here were either bought at Half Price Books or at my library!

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green

Rating: PG-13

Score: 4 stars

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Coming Of Age

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew . . .

Review:

Pros:

1. One of the reasons why I love this book is because it has many elements that really give the story a lot of depth. It has a little bit of romance as well as a ton of mystery and humor throughout the story. I really loved all of them together and just thought it created a very interesting story overall.

2. Once again, I loved the characters. I had my favorites but still loved the side characters as well! I loved how they all grew closer together through everything that was currently happening and how they each had their own personality that grew through the book.

3. I also totally loved all of the laugh out loud moments in this book! I found myself literally laughing out loud and looking like a maniac. The jokes were funny and gave the story a very lighthearted feel even though the story is a bit deep. 

4. I really loved the ending of this book as well. Don't worry! No spoilers here! But the ending might be sad in a sense but I thought of it as more of a hopeful one. It made me smile and taught a very good lesson about life and coming of age in a big world. Definitely an amazing book!

Cons:

1. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it got a bit slow at times. I know it's rare to find a book the doesn't do that but unfortunately, this book wasn't one of them.

Age Recommendation: 14+ 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any more 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!

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The Maze Runner: Movie Review

The Maze Runner

Rating: PG-13

Score: 5/10 stars

To start off with this movie review, there was a lot that I loved about the movie that I just couldn't keep my excitement about contained! I was highly anticipated about today and I almost had a heart attack just waiting for the movie to begin. The previews looked iffy from a book nerd's perspective but pretty good from a movie buff's point of view as well. Be warned, there are some SPOILERS that I had to include in order to give an informal review for the movie! So, without further a due, here is my review:

Pros: 

1. First off, the casting. I loved how well they cast the characters and how each actor really portrayed the epic roles of the characters from the book and really brought them to life. My favorite castings were for Minho, Chuck and of course, Thomas. The other characters were so well matched with the other actors that I just couldn't imagine any other actor to play their roles. 

2. The maze. The whole reason the story even exists. I was so incredibly pleased with how epic the maze itself was designed. With incredibly tall solid stone walls covered in vines and really creepy creatures lurking inside them, I really felt that the maze couldn't have been done better than it was! 

3. It wouldn't be The Maze Runner without action, am I right? I loved all the action scenes, even if they were changed just a bit, and I also loved how each of those scenes was so action packed that you tense up just watching with your eyes glued to the screen. Truly epic!

4. The Grievers. We all know and love the creatures despite their violent attacks and blood thirsty actions. I really loved the design for the Grievers, from their slimy bodies to their robotic legs and tails just waiting to take another victim into the maze. Their pretty much dead on to how they're described in the book and for that, I applaud them.

5. I really loved the ending scene where Chuck evidently is killed (we all know it had to happen) despite the fact that it was a bit different from the book. It was very touching and extremely emotional and I just loved how Thomas reacted to losing his friend. Tear jerker moment!

Cons:

1. One major thing I just could not get used to was Theresa's whole involvement in the movie. For at least half of the book, she's in a coma and she doesn't really have much else to do with the story until later on. First off, she doesn't come into the glade until three days later (unlike in the book) and she announces Thomas's name as soon as she wakes up in the box before passing out again, only to wake up a day later and help out the other gladers find a way to escape. It was all really badly done in my mind and I wish it could be changed.

2. Yes, the movie was action packed but one scene that I was really looking forward to seeing was when Thomas and Minho basically drop-kick four Grievers into a huge pit after being trapped in the maze for the night. That scene was cut out which I felt could have really made the movie in a way.

3. Another thing I didn't like was how Thomas comes to learn about WICKED and his connection to them. He finds out about it through dreams that he has, which in the book, happens after he gets stung by a Griever. In the movie, however, he has those dreams on the very first night in the glade. He also eventually remembers his involvement with WICKED in a very rushed and somewhat lame way, not at all as portrayed in the book.

4. I also wasn't a fan of how Alby's death plays out in the movie. In the book, he rushes into a head-on attack with a Griever to create a distraction for the other gladers to get by. In the movie, however, he gets taken by a Griever when the maze doors don't close and the gladers hide in the house. I felt like his death could have stayed the same since there was really no need to change it.

5. I also didn't really like how the gladers find themselves in the lab once they successfully escape the maze. I wish they could have played the scene out the same as in the book, when the doctors explain everything about the maze, what it was for, and why they survived. It was almost completely different from the book and not a favorite scene of mine.

6. Lastly, we all know the epic catch phrase of Newt's, "Great, we're all bloody inspired now." Guess what?It was cut out too. You may now form a mob with pitchforks and fire.

Overall, from a movie point of view, it's definitely one to go see, with action and suspense, it's just a movie that's pretty cool to watch. From a book fan's point of view, it wasn't exactly one of the best book-to-movie adaptions of the year. Either way, I still want to see The Scorch Trials on the big screen.

I hope you guys enjoyed this movie review! If you have any more 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!

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Four by Veronica Roth

Four by Veronica Roth

Rating: PG

Score: 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Sci-fi Fantasy

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen year old son of Abnegation's faction leader did the same. Tobias's transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child. Newly christened "Four," he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future- and the future of the entire faction system. Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

Review: 

Pros:

1. One thing I love about this prequel to the Divergent trilogy is that it follows the course of two years of a very powerful and memorable character in the series. Four is already somewhat of a vague character in the series but this prequel takes the reader into his past and not only reveals secrets we didn't know, but also goes deeper into the ones we already knew.

2. The main character in the book of course is Four but I fell in love all over again with not only his character, but the others as well. I loved how they all kind of complemented each other in different ways such as being loose and goofy at times in a dark and scary environment. 

3. I loved Four's character in the Divergent trilogy but wished that I could've gotten to know more about his past and his story. This book delivered perfectly! The story starts out with Tobias getting ready for his Choosing Ceremony, at the time living with his abusive father, Marcus Eaton. It follows him through that time, through the ceremony and documents his journey after joining the Dauntless faction. I loved seeing his character grow from a scared and battered person to a much stronger and braver character that still struggles with his fears and his past. 

4. The story kept me hooked from beginning to end which isn't always easy with a book, especially when it's a part of a series told from a different point of view. Luckily the story was very powerful with emotions of fear and pain and I loved reading further into the book as Four grows stronger not only physically but mentally and emotionally too. It wasn't as action packed as Divergent but still kept me on the edge of my seat as secrets were exposed and enemies were made.

Age Recommendation: 12+

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

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