Saturday, December 14, 2013

Seasonal Reads Challenge #ReadingCram Day 4



Wow, guys. I have failed this read-a-thon. Not only have I not done any of the challenges, but I've only read 158 pages of A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. In 4 days, only 158 pages. How sad is that?
 
I'm hoping to do some real cramming the next few days, but finals are next week....so, I don't know what will happen.
 
Anyways, lets get to the challenge.
 
THE SEASONAL CHALLENGE: 
 
A book good for a snowy day:
 
 
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
 
 
 A book good for a rainy day:
 
 
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
 
A book for a beach day:
 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
 
A book for a spooky night:
 

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
 
 
 
 


Monday, December 9, 2013

#ReadingCram Read-a-Thon kick-off!



Here is my tentative TBR pile for the challenge. It's a little ambitious, I know. I thought that since I quit playing basketball, I'd have more time to read; but taking college courses in high school has really put a damper on that. So I most likely will not get through all of these, but what the heck; I'm going to try!
 

  • A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
  • The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman
  • Angelfall by Susan Ee
  • Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce
  • Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
  • The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
  • Teardrop by Lauren Kate
  • Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes


Saturday, December 7, 2013

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth: Review

 
 
Wow, it has been awhile. Here is a review of ALLEGIANT to make up for it!
 
 
 
RATING: 2/5
 
Author: Veronica Roth
Release date: October 22, 2013
Find it on Goodreads here!
 
SUMMARY:
 
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
 
REVIEW:
 
After reading this, I am not sad. At all. When I closed the book, I actually felt relieved.
 
RELIEVED I DIDN’T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS BULLSHIT ANYMORE!
 
This next part will be filled with spoilers, so read on if you dare.
 
SPOILERS AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
 
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The first one hundred pages or so are great. It drew me back into the story, and I was so glad to be around the characters again, and I was so happy.
 
Then a rebel group in the factionless, called the "Allegiant", are making plans to go outside the fence, against Evelyn's wishes. Tris, Tobias, Christina, Tori, and Uriah all join the group and manage to get outside the fence.
 
Then Tori dies. And Veronica gives her like a few sentences.
 
I know, she wasn't the biggest character in the story, but I didn't feel like she had to die. She should've at least seen her brother before she died. But seriously, it didn't add or take anything away from the story, so it wasn't really necessary.
 
Erich dies too earlier on, but I really didn't care about him. Moving on.
 
Once outside the fence, they find a group of people living outside the fence called the Bureau. Then we, the reader, find out that everything that happened in first two books doesn't even matter. Chicago with the factions was a freaking experiment done by the government, and that the have done many more with all of the other big cities in the US. Why, you may ask? because normal people are "genetically damaged", and don't function very well. Whereas, the few that have healed genes, the "Divergent", are "genetically pure".
 
This is where the book starts to get stupid.
 
A few of the scientists asks Tris and Tobias if the can look at their genes, because Tris' seem so perfect and Tobias seems to be Divergent, but not completely Divergent. So they take some tests, and find that Tris' genes are completely healed, so she is still Divergent, and Tobias is not Divergent. His genes just have a defect in them to make him seem Divergent.
 
LIKE WHAT THE HELL???
 
 
 
Tobias is so upset that he is "genetically damaged", and Tris tries to reassure him, "Oh, sweetie, you're not damaged, you are exactly the same person I fell in love with, blah blah blah." But Tobias won't have it, no; he joins up a rebel group of the "genetically damaged" and goes on a mission to steal some death serum that the "genetically pure (GP)" are going to use to kill the "genetically damaged (GD)". And a bomb goes of in an attempt to get into the weapons lab, and ends up killing Uriah.
 
Yes, Uriah, the best character ever, dies. But not at first; he's in a coma for most of the book, but he never wakes up, so they shut off his machines at the end.
 
Then Tobias finds out that the explosions he set off possibly killed Uriah, and Tris gets all in his face like, “Why didn’t you listen to me? I was right, you were wrong, as usual.” And Tobias is in a pool of guilt for almost the rest of the book.
 
So many people say that Tobias has to put of with Tris, but I really think its Tris that has to put up with Tobias. I mean, Tris is almost always right. But does Tobias ever listen? You’d think that by the third book he would have learned by now.
 
Then we find out Amar, Tobias’ mentor or something when he was first an initiate, is gay, and in a relationship with Tori’s brother. I’m sorry, but all of these gay people popping up in YA books out of nowhere is getting annoying. I feel like they’re just putting it in there to put it there. There’s really no meaning behind it.
 
Now the real plan of the people outside the fence comes about: is erupting in violence, so they plan to use memory serum to erase everyone’s memory so all of the people can start over. Because that will solve all the problems; erase everyone’s memory so they can start over again for a while, then erupt in violence again in a few years, and then use the serum again to help them.
 
Then Tobias, Tris, and the rest of them formulate a plan to stop them, which I can’t remember all of the details of, but it involves Caleb going into the control room, through the death serum, to press a button that will release the memory serum in the compound, and Tobias and a bunch of other people going inside the fence to get Uriah’s family so they can say goodbye.
 
Now, I’m a little fuzzy on this next part, so if I get something wrong, I apologize.
 
Before they do their little plan, Tris and Tobias have sex. I think. But it is so metaphorical, I have no idea what happened. It was just…weird. I didn’t like it.
 
The people going inside the fence leave and Caleb is prepared to die to die as he goes through the death serum and presses the button to release the memory serum into the compound, but Tris doesn’t let him do it. She thinks because she’s resistant to some other serum, she is also resistant to the death serum and has a greater chance of surviving. So she goes in Caleb’s place. And she survives the death serum! Yay! So she goes into the control room, and is shot by David. Multiple times. And dies after she presses the button to release the memory serum.
 
Yep, you read that right. Tris dies. And it just pissed me off so much.
 
 
 
It was so unnecessary. Couldn’t she have released the memory serum and survived? Is that too much to ask?
 
Meanwhile, Tobias formed a plan of his own to erase either his mother’s or father’s memory so he can actually have a parent for once in his life. He chooses his mother, and he doesn’t even have to use the serum on her. She has a complete change of heart, and decides to be with him and negotiate a peace agreement with the city. And Tobias gives the memory serum to Peter, which he takes so he can become a better person, which is probably the best part of the book.
 
Then Tobias comes back to find that Tris has been shot by David and he falls apart. Tris is gone. While you were out getting your mom back, Tris died. But he gets over it a few years later, and goes down the zip line for the first time and lets her ashes go on the way down. And that’s the end.
I did not like so many things about this book. Tobias was whiny, Tris was stupid, and the ending just pissed me off even more. Why couldn’t they have just gotten their memories reset? They could work with that, and eventually be all happy and normal again. But no. Tris had to die.
 
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END SPOILERS!
 
All in all, I did not like this book very much at all. You can start the series if you want to, the first two books were very good, but this one was such a letdown. But other people have loved it, so maybe it’s just me. Anyways, it’s your choice.
 
CONTENT: A very weird sex scene, not really described; other than that, everything is pretty much the same as the other books.
 
PS: I apologize for the bad grammar and possible run-on sentences. I just don't have it in me to correct it right now. 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu: Review

 
RATING: 5/5
 
 
Author: Marie Lu
Release date: November 5, 2013
Find it on Goodreads here!
 
SUMMARY (From Goodreads):
 
The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.
 
REVIEW:
 
This book was everything I hoped it to be and more. Oh, so perfect. This is the kind of ending every trilogy needs.

While some trilogy endings have disappointed me lately *cough* ALLEGIANT *cough*, CHAMPION totally surpassed my expectations. The ending to June and Day's story was exactly what I felt it needed to be. Not completely sunshine and rainbows, but not insanely tragic either. It was just perfect.

If you haven't started this trilogy yet, I highly recommend you do so now. You will not regret it!

CONTENT: Kissing, two characters have sex, but it isn't very detailed; swearing and violence is pretty much the same as the first two books.


Saturday, October 12, 2013

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill: Review


RATING: 5/5
Author: Cristin Terrill
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Find it on Goodreads here!

 
SUMMARY(from goodreads):
 

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.


REVIEW:

I feel like my feelings for this book would be best described in gifs.

In the beginning:



A little farther into it:



Halfway through:



James...



FINN!!



The ending:



This book just brought on the feels. But it was so worth it. This is definitely a must-read.

SO GOOD!



CONTENT: Kissing, mild swearing, and moderate violence.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Top Ten Best Sequels Ever


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
 
This week I'm talking about my top ten best sequels ever!
 
1. Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo
 
 
I devoured this book in five hours. SO GOOD!
 
2. Crown of Midngiht (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
 

So much love for this.
 
3. Origin (Lux #4) by Jenifer L. Armentrout
 

This. Book.
 
4. Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu
 

So many feelings. So many.
 
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

How can this not be on my list?
 
6. Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

I sobbed throughout this whole book. I loved it so much.
 
7. Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins
 

My favorite out of the trilogy.
 
8. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
 

I need Allegiant. NOW.
 
9. Unwholly (Unwind #2) by Neal Shusterman
 

So creepy and disturbing. Hardly a day goes by without me thinking about it.
 
10. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
 
 
It's Lord of the Rings. 'Nuff said.
 
What is your Top Ten?





 



 



Sunday, September 22, 2013

Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight by Saah J. Maas: Dual review


 
RATING: 10/5
(Yeah, they were that good)
 
 
SUMMARY (Throne of Glass):
 
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
 
REVIEW:
 
I went into this series with no expectations. I had bought THRONE OF GLASS when it first came out, but it sat on my shelf until the beginning of August. I picked it up on a whim, and I am so glad I did.
 
 
 
I absolutely loved it. Like, so much. It had such a nice fantasy feel to it, and it was very well developed. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
 
Caleana was especially awesome. She was so arrogant, but her arrogance made her lovable. She was so strong, and she would not take crap from anyone.
 
The supporting characters were great as well. Dorian was so sweet, but it was Chaol that stole my heart. Oh, Chaol. You don't see much of him in book one, but book two makes up for it. He and Calaena are so cute together. I definitely ship them.
 
For the world, I have only two words:
 
 
So beautifully crafted and well put together.
 
The only complaint I have is with the second half of CROWN OF MIDNIGHT:
 
WHY?!
 
 
Sarah J. Maas, you ripped my heart out and stomped on it. How could you do this? To Me? To the characters?? I thought you loved us!!
 
I have so many feelings. So many.
 
 
 
Overall, THRONE OF GLASS  and CROWN OF MIDNIGHT are not ones to miss. I highly recommend them!!
 
CONTENT: (ToG) Kissing, mild swearing, and lots of violence between the assassins. (CoM): Implied sex scenes, kissing, mild swearing, and lots more violence. 




Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Review


RATING: 5/5
 
SUMMARY:
 
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?
 
REVIEW:
 
I haven't yet reviewed Onyx and Opal, which were amazing, but I don't think I'm going to because both of those books seem harmless compared to this one.
 
Oh, I am so pissed.
 
 
HOW CAN YOU END A BOOK LIKE THAT, MISS ARMENTROUT? AFTER EVERYTHING THEY WENT THOUGH?
 
 
 
 
 
The book was still amazing, but that ending made me want to do this.
 
 
 
You have been warned. Still read this book, but be prepared.  
 
CONTENT: Multiple sex scenes, but none are very detailed. Swearing and violence is the same as in other books.
 


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Top Ten Books that I Wish were Taught in School


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly even hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
 
This week I'm talking about my top ten books that I wish were taught in school!
 
1. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
 
 
3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
 


4. Pivot Point by Kasie West
 

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
 
 
6. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
 

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
 


8. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
 

9. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
 

10. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
 


What is your top ten?