Book Review: The Fault in our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars
John Green
Contemporary YA
Published: January 10th, 2012
4/5

                Diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumour in her lungs… for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends, and post-normalcy. Even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means) Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. Enter Agustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly, to her interested in Hazel. Being with Agustus is both an unexpected destination and a long needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and healthy, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

                The Fault in our Stars by John Green has been raved about for what seems like eons now. As I’ve grown a bit older from when looking for Alaska was originally released (and that’s the year I first read it) I’ve found some of his other work has left me wanting. I find his characters have been replayed over again. The soft spoken geeky boy just trying to fall in love with the girl of his dreams. What I enjoyed in terms of fiction then and what I enjoy now has greatly changed, HOWEVER, the fault in our stars re-sparked my joy in reading John Green’s work.
                The Fault in our Stars is funny, honest, brutally harsh, and brilliantly heartbreaking. It wasn’t a cliché love story, it wasn’t a cliché anything really. It just was. I could spend time telling you what I’ve liked about the book, however if you’re reading this and you’ve already read it, stop here this review isn’t for you.
                This book review is for all the people who too scared to take the leap, this review is for the people who scoff at the very idea of reading something so trendy and so young. The Fault in our stars is a great work because it can be read by everyone and most everyone will be touched. It’s not a happy story, it will rip out your heartstrings and then stomp on them. This is a story about second chances, appreciating the time you do have and the people that are around you.
               I am a strong believer that people are put into our lives to shape and mold it, to change who we are and to help us grow and see our own potential by pushing us through all the battles of heartbreak, love, sorrow and joy.
                The Fault in our stars isn’t just a story about cancer, or just a story about a boy and a girl. The Fault in our Stars is about accepting what we cannot change, and how we move on from tragedy and grow.

Book Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Holly Black
YA Horror, Vampire
Published: 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
4/5

                Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. Once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.
                One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
                The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly black.

                                                                                                ­­­_______________

                The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is one of the best young adult vampire fiction novels that I’ve ever read. Original and free-spirited, Holly Black weaves a believable world, with engaging and fascinating creatures and characters.
                The Vampires and Humans in this book are cruel, twisted and make sense. They’re not here for the greater good and none of the Vampires see Humans as anything beyond a tasty snack or a form of entertainment. Holly Black stays true to the true nature of Vampires and does not fluff them up, or make them seem as though they are vulnerable. They are dark, nasty and they will kill you if they’re given the opportunity. There disregard for the life of humanity is right on the spot and leaves you with your bones chilled straight through.
                I thought Tana made a good lead character, I wouldn’t say that she was great as I found some of her actions to be a little too risky for someone that has lived in the constant shadow and fear of a race of Humans that are entirely something else once they’ve been turned and quite honestly even before they’ve been turned. I did however; find it refreshing to have a strong main character, one that wasn’t completely dependent on anyone but herself. She has her own horror stories that leak out into her character and because of that some of her reactions seem a little to forced and not quite believable, however I still found her engaging, lively and interesting enough to keep the novel interesting.
                There wasn’t a whole lot of world building however that’s expected when you have a stand-alone novel. I’m extremely thankful as well that this is a standalone novel as the ending was quite open and you get to draw your own conclusions and ideas in regards to what happens to everyone who is still alive (Or undead) next. In all honesty I haven’t read a standalone novel in so long that left me feeling satisfied, however it does seem to me that if she were wanting to write a second novel in regards to this one she easily could and part of me wonders if that is perhaps why she left the ending so devastatingly open.
                I’ve enjoyed Holly Black’s writing for a long time, since I was a teenager really. She’s definitely worth the read if you’re looking for something fresh and original. If you like Vampire stories that aren’t fluffed up like Twilight, I very much believe you would love this one. Definitely go check it out, already eagerly looking forward to her next novel.
                If you’ve read ‘The Coldest Girl in Coldtown’ what did you think of it? What did you like and not like about the novel?

Young Adult Series I Don’t Get Why People Are Crazy About!

                All these series are not living up to the hype for me. They lack the spark that makes me want to stay up all night breathing in the fumes from the ink on the pages!  Also this is obviously not meant to insult anyone who likes these books, I am totally okay with other people liking them…just not what I fancy in a novel is all.

1. The Delirium Trilogy – Lauren Oliver
                   I really wanted to like this series, people are crazy over it and I’ve liked everything else that I’ve read by Lauren Oliver so I gave it a shot…regretted it massively and now own the whole series and have no idea what I’m going to do… obviously I have to read them right? Maybe it will get better for me?
                   There were just too many plot holes for me to enjoy this series and the longer time has gone by since I’ve read Delirium the more I don’t like it…Just wasn’t my cup of tea I suppose.

2. Unwind Trilogy – Neal Shusterman
                   This is another the longer I think about it the more I just want to kick myself for giving it an okay rating because I really am not feeling it and 100% will not be continuing on with this series unless somehow they end up in my hands…like fall out of the sky end up in my hands kind of thing.
                   Just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, I was really unhappy with what unwinding is and what it does and how just… it’s too unbelievable, I can honestly see people removing the emotion of ‘love’ before they go around ‘unwinding’ 12 year olds.
                  
3. The Mortal Instruments Series – Cassandra Clare
                   I am fairly certain I first heard about Cassandra Clare when she wrote Harry Potter Fan fiction and that was a LONG time ago so I was looking forward to City of Bones when it was first released. I bought it and never even finished it. It lacked something for me and I thought that the characters took some weird turns that my younger self wasn’t prepared for and was overly disappointed.  I don’t even remember what it was exactly but something happened that I was like ‘wtfudgesickles’ and didn’t want to finish it.

4. Infernal Devices Trilogy – Cassandra Clare
                   I bought the first book in this trilogy while I was standing in a chapters because it had a beautiful cover mostly and I didn’t hate Cassandra Clare’s writing style so I thought I would give her spin-off trilogy a chance and it was on sale for like 5 dollars or something…perhaps even less I cannot remember that was a long time ago. I never picked it up until recently. I have ben hearing people go on and on about how good Clockwork Princess is and how much they LOVE the series and I hated it you guys, I started it and never finished it I just hated it. I don’t even have words to express how weirdly annoyed I felt while reading it… so weird right? Because the premise totally sounds like something I would like!

5. Caster Chronicles – Margret Stohl & Kami Garcia
                   I really like the idea of this series and perhaps one day I’ll get around to reading it fully (doubtful) but as it stands I’m definitely not a big fan. I bought ‘Beautiful Creatures’ last January or December and started reading it but I couldn’t really get into it. I do know that I don’t usually like books told from a Males perspective (If they’re written by woman) because I always feel like the author doesn’t do a great job making the ‘male’ character seem believable. I suppose this would be okay if it wasn’t told in first person. I’m not a huge fan of first person anyways but I really struggle with it when the lead character is a male and I feel like they’re being to ‘feminine’ if that makes any sense to you?
                   I found that most of the characters lacked something for me as well, I wasn’t able to connect with them in a way that I liked too…I also found this book terribly slow, I am pretty sure I was at least 200 pages in and I felt like absolutely nothing was happening. Perhaps I’ll give it a shot again one day… Perhaps I won’t!
   We will have to see

                   what books or Series do you think are over rated and why? I would love to know! So I can be fully warned in the future! ❤ Hope you’re all having a great, fantastic week!

Why I Read/Like Young Adult Fiction

                 It’s because I’m a teenager living in an adult body… no I’m totally kidding. Truthfully I started reading YA because it is cheaper… at least where I live and I know that’s a horrible reason to read anything but it’s the truth. YA Novels run about 10$ each, while a novel of the same size in ‘adult’ fiction is almost double that, basically it’s 17 dollars for a novel of the same size, same amount of words, and it’s all based on the fact that one is aimed at teenagers and others are aimed at adults.
                I also fall in this weird category, the ‘in-between’ group. Teenagers  are usually the main characters in YA fiction and 30+ are running around as main characters in regular fiction. So often times, as a woman who is only freshly married and not a mother yet, dealing with things like divorce, children, critical illness due to aging, etc is a little more difficult for me to comprehend.  I know one couple that has gotten divorced and most of my friends aren’t even married yet themselves, let alone starting families (and I’m not saying you have to be married to have babies just in case anyone cares enough to yell at me through the internet).
                Don’t take this the wrong way however, I love adult fiction. My favorite authors are adult writers, and you better believe I’ll shell out the money for a copy of their newest book in hardcover the second it’s on the shelf and I can get my hands on it. I have read adult fiction throughout my teenage years and I even read a few adult novels as a child (my parents should have known better than to leave something hanging around that they didn’t want me reading…opps) but I have found in these last six months to a year,  I am craving adventure, surprise and intrigue and I oddly enough have found what I was looking for in Young Adult fiction.
                I read a lot of Science fiction, thriller, paranormal and dystopian Young Adult fiction. I very rarely read things like “Anna and the French Kiss” in the young adult genre and though I hear great things about it I don’t think I’m likely to pick it up because that part of Young Adult fiction that does not often resonate with me.
                There is a lot to be said for the Young adult Genre, it exists in a way that I don’t think it had existed before. The stories are complex, they are not simple, they can be very dark and edgy all the while not being offensive and I like that. Sometimes I feel like adult fiction writers feel like they have so much to prove, they have the write the scenes filled with the most gore, the most explicit sex and most explosive relationships, both romantic and personal.  Adult fiction tends to be more intellectually deep as well and while I really enjoy that sometimes it can be a bit harder to immerse yourself into the story line.
                I don’t feel ashamed that lately I’ve amassed a huge collection of young adult books or that sometimes you find me stalking the young adult section at book stores and libraries. It’s what I read and what I read does not define who I am as literature junkie. Don’t let it define you either, or ever let anyone tell you that you’re too ‘old’ to read YA. Sometimes, I’ll even read books meant for Children… my favorite children’s book? Harry Potter and anything by Roald Dahl (Matilida for the win).
                I personally think that at the end of the day you should be reading only for yourself anyways so don’t try to live up to others expectations, don’t let book ‘snobs’ tell you what to read or what is important to read. Read what you enjoy and only what you enjoy. Life is too short to spend time reading books we hate just because we feel that’s what we’re ‘supposed’ to be reading, Also never feel ashamed for not liking an over hyped book, despite high ratings not all books are meant for everyone.
                Here are a few of my favorite adult books
                * White Oleander by Janet Fitch
                * Prozac Nation by Eliabeth Wurtzel
                * The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
                * The Shinning by Stephan King
                * Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick
                *The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
                * The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent
                * The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
                * The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason
                * Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
                * Room  by Emma Donoghue
                * Granny Dan – by Danielle Steele

                These are all fantastic books and I’ve read all of them more than 3 times each. Some books just stick to your bones like good food on a cold day. Sometimes people write things that resonate with you and you’ll never forget the way it made you feel and react and you’re never wrong for feeling that way despite the intended ‘age’ bracket.  
                Why Do you Read YA or why don’t you read YA. If you don’t read YA what do you think about adults reading YA? Really interested in discussing this fun topic!

Book Review: My Soul to Save

My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2)
Rachel Vincent
Published: 2010
Young Adult Paranormal
4/5 (Spoilers below)

                 Usually when Kaylee screams someone dies but when Kaylee and her new boyfriend witness the death of pop star Eden onstage at a concert Kaylee doesn’t scream…
                Kaylee knows she needs to find out what is going on, but living with her dad means she has a  new strict curfew and someone who is constantly watching her every move. Finding out so many teen pop stars and performers are trading in their souls for fortune and fame has put Kaylee on high alert and she cannot and will not let it continue even if it means putting her own soul at risk to save someone else.
                This is another fantastic addition to the Soul Screamers series; I enjoyed this novel just as much as the first one. My Soul to Save had a lot more world building involved which broadens your experience to a very enjoyable level.  You get to explore the netherworld with the main characters in detail so you learn  a lot about how the netherworld works, like  how all the different casts of creatures work together to make a working and believable ‘unseen’ world.
                I really enjoyed watching Kaylee and Nash’s relationship unfold throughout these pages; I loved seeing how protective Nash was of Kaylee and how he would do anything to make sure she was safe. I thought the protectiveness of her father in regards to Nash was pretty spot on, very believable.  You can tell that her father really does want to make up for lost time and that he’s kind of surprised that his daughter is now so grown up…kind of cute really ha ha.
                Pretty much the only thing that actually really bothered me about this book was how her best friend Emma was kind of just pushed to the side. You barely hear from her at all and when you do she very obviously is annoyed with Kaylee herself for being pushed to the side. Let’s get personal here for a moment you guys, I’m going tell you one of my biggest pet peeves… *Drum roll* girls who dump their friends the moment they get a boyfriend… seriously what is it? I mean obviously when you first start dating you’re going to be obsessed but after a week or two… it’s probably time to wise up and let your friends know that you still love them… because heaven forbid the relationship doesn’t work out and you find yourself friendless. I cannot imagine that would be anywhere near as easy to get through without a good friend or two by your side handing you tissues.
                Again this book held great character and plot development; I am eagerly awaiting my birthday on Sunday because I’m pretty sure my fantastic, amazing husband bought me the next two books in the series and I cannot wait to jump on board with that! I hope you all had a great week! Let me know what you’re reading this weekend! I’m super curious! ❤

My Soul to take #1

March Book Haul 2013

March Book Haul

1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly close – Jonathan Safran Foer
2. Uninvited – Amanda Marrone
3. Just Listen – Sarah Dessen
4. Generation Dead – Daniel Waters
5. Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
6. The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) – Julie Kagawa
7. The Dead Tossed Waves – Carrie Ryan
8. Leviathan (Leviathan, #1) – Scott Westerfeld
9. The Girl who played with Fire (Millennium, #2) – Stieg Larsson
10. The Girl who kicked the Hornet’s Nest(Millennium, #3) – Stieg Larsson
11. This Lullaby – Sarah Dessen
12. Choker – Elizabeth Woods
13.  Easy- Tammara Webber
14. Such a Rush- Jennifer Echols
15. The Madman’s Daughter – Megan Shepherd
16. Dust & Decay
17. Discovery of Witches
18. Waiting for you – Susane Consanti

                I am going to be slowing down on by book buying quite a bit in April I think. I have quite a few books to read right now and I really want to tackle that plus I am expecting a few books from Publishers and as prizes… plus it’s my birthday this month too so I probably wont end up buying any cause I’ll be getting a lot (Possibly anyways) HOWEVER
                What books did you get in March? Have you read any of the books in my Haul? If so what did you think of them?

___On another note____
 I’m going to attempt to post every day this month! I mostly just want to see if I can. Hopefully this does not bother anyone who does follow me.

Book Review: Before I fall

Before I fall
Lauren Oliver
Young Adult
Published: 2010
5/5

                On February 12^th all Samantha Kingston is worried about is how she looks, what others think of her and of course losing her virginity to her incredibly hot boyfriend that she is sometimes still surprised wants her.  However, not everything goes as planned after consuming too much alcohol Samantha and her friends leave the party and end up in a terrible accident.
                The next morning Samantha wakes up in her bed, but it’s not Saturday like it should be, in fact it’s still February 12^th and she’s late for school. Going through her day bewildered and confused she tries to unravel what happened on the night she thought she had already lived and died in. During the next seven Days Sam wakes up each morning, each day becoming closer to figuring out why she died, if she was supposed to die and trying desperately to figure out what is going on.
                This is an epic adventure that really draws you in and grabs your attention. You cannot help but be horrified by Samantha Kingston and her friends as you read the book but the closer you get to the end of the book you learn more about each of them and why people aren’t always what they seem no matter how perfect they appear.
                Samantha and many of the characters really develop quite a bit, Samantha of course developing the most as she’s the only one that’s re lived February 12^th seven times and knows about it. She goes from being insecure and selfish to figuring out what is important and figuring out who she is and who she really was meant to be.
                There are a whole host of Characters in this book that are directly affected both in good ways and bad ways by Samantha’s actions. There’s a very bad, bad, bad teacher, a girl who losing her spot in a competition because Samantha ends up making her late, there are new secrets spilt each day and Samantha kind of figures out who she really should be with and shares a passionate kiss with someone you least expect (a few times with a few different people)
                It’s sad, it’s heartbreaking and it’s everything it should be. It’s a tale of self-discovery that you can’t help but feel in your own heart and in your own soul. It’s a world inside a world and it makes you question what really does happen when we die and what if we die when we’re not supposed too.
                It for sure makes you want to live your life to the fullest. Don’t do what you think you should do, or what you think others want you to do. You are your own person and honestly, despite the 7day rerun in this story, you’re only going to live once. There is only one chance to do everything you want to and be who you want to be so go out there people and live your lives.
                This story inspired me to travel, to try reading good books and maybe even try finishing the bad and it made me appreciate my Husband, my Family and my Friends a whole lot more.  I didn’t get as emotional with this story as I’ve heard others have but it still touched me to the core of my being. I For sure recommend this book to anyone who thinks maybe they need to challenge their live and maybe they need something to inspire them to do so.

Book Review: Such a Rush

Such a Rush
Jennifer Echols
Young adult contemporary romance
Published: 2012
5/5 Stars

                Leah Jones has always been moved around a lot by her mom and they always somehow ended up in a rundown trailer park next to an airport. While her mom and everyone else would complain about the noise Leah found herself drawn to them and so when she’s fourteen she goes over to the airport and gets herself a job.
                Leah works hard, saving up money to get a flying lesson from Mr. Hall; she manages to get just enough to get one lesson and forges her mother’s permission on a slip in order to get the lesson. Fast forward a few years later and her life gets a whole lot more complicated after Mr. Hall dies and his twin sons Alec and Grayson take over the company.
                Such a rush is packed full of a sharp emotional charge. From the deaths of Mr. Hall and the twin’s older brother to the abuse of neglect Leah suffers from her mother and the hurt of stereo typing. Leah is a strong, independent girl who may have a few things wrong but for the most part has her head screwed on tightly and though she wants to be accepted in love she knows what she is most passionate about is flying and at times it seems she would do almost anything to be able to continue doing so.
                Her love interest is perfect for her, he’s what she needs and she is clearly who he needs. From the start of their character interaction you know that they are just meant to be and their romance is hot, heavy and fully loaded with all kinds of drama, cute scenes and deep emotion.
                I loved the airplane, the airport and the passion that most of the characters shared for flying. I loved the symbolism behind flying and what it meant to Leah and how much freedom she felt when she was in the air. I really enjoyed that each character had their own voices, they’re own sense of style and all had unique backgrounds. They really did seem quite real and sometimes it’s hard to find that in romance novels. There was just so much depth and heart to this story.
                If you`re looking to be swept of your feet with cuteness, have you heart hurt and feel like you’re friends with the characters this is a book for you; You’ll be so involved that maybe you’ll even stay up ‘til 3am like me instead of sleeping! Honestly such a great heartwarming story I loved it so much, was the perfect way to kill my reading slump ❤

Reading Slump – Help me!!

                I am currently in the grips of a maddening reading slump! And it is one of the most terrible things ever! I want it to go away…and never come back…ever. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a reading slump before, I can’t remember ever having one anyways, I mean I have had writers block but a reading slump?
                I have picked up at least 10 books and haven’t really gotten anywhere. If you follow me on Good reads you may have noticed this. I have three books on there that are all started and I’ve had books on there that I’ve started and taken off my currently reading list. I’ve just stopped updating what I’m reading at this point because I’m not getting anywhere.
                So, I have some questions for you all who may read this. Have you ever been in a reading slump? If so how did you cure it and what are you tips for overcoming a reading slump?
                Looking forward to hearing some tips! I’m in desperate need of them ❤

Book Review: Ascend

Ascend (Trylle #3)
Amanda Hocking
YA Paranormal Romance
5/5
-This review will contain some spoilers-you have been warned : )

 

 

                Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable fore but how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them?
                The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about the make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life-and now all their lives might be coming to an end.
                Everything has been leading to this moment. The Future of her entire world rests in her hands-if she’s ready to fight for it.

 

_____Book Review____

                so long selfish Wendy, hello complete badass. Her character development finally and obviously comes to a head in this book and she matures into a fantastic ruler and young woman, as her mother falls ill and her world crumbles around her. She clings to what she can and does what she has to.
                Wendy Marries and divorces Trove, becomes Queen, defeats the king, falls in love for real and discovers what to means to sacrifice everything to save everyone.
                So if you’ve read the book (If you haven’t stop here…well you probably shouldn’t have read anything before either…HA!) you know that Wendy ends up choosing Loki. So many complaints! I don’t understand why it makes sense (Also why are people complaining she didn’t stay married to Trove? He’s gay) that she would end up with Loki, he fights for her. Actually fights for her, whereas Finn just accepts life for what it is and for what he is and does not even try or attempt to change it.
                I thought the rest of the development went well and was good, well written and thought out. I really enjoyed it a whole lot. I am pretty sad that this has come to end (Though had a bonus story at the end of the book which was so cute! So I had an extra bit of fun) but I was really happy that there was a happy ending for everyone.
                I actually really, really, recommend this series! I know there are a lot of mixed reviews out there, and I know it’s not overly original but there is just something about this characters that draw you too them and they get under your skin. You find yourself up way past midnight when you really should be asleep reading because you need and want to find out what happens to them so badly. You want to know who Wendy ends up with, who lives, what the ending is, if Elora is as mean as she seems. You crave them like…like… air? Like… cupcakes? I don’t know like something that you like and you become so invested into their lives that you just want everyone to be happy. Except for that Nasty old King anyways.
                Thought this one was very bittersweet, very gripping and definitely addicting. The ending was predictable but I certainly wasn’t reading these books because I wasn’t something that was going to end badly, I read these books because I knew they would be hopeful and that my favorite characters in the story would have a chance to become something more than we originally were told they were.
                Hands down one of the best series I’ve read in a while, one of the best endings and one of the most likely to leave you feeling happy. At least that’s how I felt.
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                Hope you all have had a fantastic weekend, a beautiful February and looking forward to a beautiful March and hopefully my book reading slump will end a.s.a.p. which I will talk to you about tomorrow! ❤