The Girl of Fire and Thorns (by Rae Carson)

This book took a bit more time than I anticipated to get through (nearly a week). It wasn’t that it was slow paced or boring or anything like that, it just seemed to take awhile.

I didn’t know anything about this book going into it other than the main character is fat at the beginning, which I thought was cool (we hardly ever see this in YA, especially YA fantasy). But as I read it I saw all the other things that draw people to it. The plot was engaging and kept me on the edge of the seat (except at a few dull points). The characters were so well developed and fleshed out that it was hard to believe this is the first book in a trilogy.

Yes, a trilogy. Honestly, I wasn’t aware there were more books until I googled it a few minutes ago. It seems, to me, to be a stand-alone novel. And this is where my issues with this novel are. This book goes through a great deal of content. The characters change as much as they normally would over the coarse of an entire series. The plot goes through many ups and downs. The book ends with a good amount of closure and finality. But, apparently, this isn’t the end. No matter how much I believe it should be.

Don’t get me wrong, this book was definitely good enough for a sequel. It just doesn’t NEED one.

So, no, I won’t be reading the others. I don’t feel the need or want to.

That being said, I’m sure the other two books are just as great. Please, someone read them and tell me if it’s something I should look more into. Until then, I’m content moving on to other books and other series.

Rate: 4/5 stars

Crossed (by Ally Condie)

Fantastic.

As I mentioned in my review of the first book, this is my second time reading this series. So you’d think parts might be a bit boring, given I would already know what is happening.

WRONG.

Obviously, I do remember a lot of major plot points and even some of the details. But there is SO MUCH that has escaped my memory since my original reading of this novel.

The middle book in a trilogy can sometimes be slow-paced and/or uneventful. But I don’t believe that is the case with this one. Looking back I can see how it could appear slow, since not too much actually did happen in it. But I feel like this book was more focused on character development and that type of thing anyways.

I really enjoyed getting some more background on Ky. While the first book is only from Cassia’s POV, this one is shared between her and Ky. I liked that a lot.

I’ve also become really obsessed with all the poetry referred to in this series. It’s cool how the author incorporates that. I’ve never really been much of poetry person (I actually used to hate it) but lately I’ve been super into it. So it’s really fun to see some of that in here.

So yeah, read this book.

Recommended To: Fans of dystopia/romance/action/adventure

Rate: 9/10 

*Side Note: I think I’m going to change my rating scale soon to 1-5. I just like that better for some reason.

The Art of Racing in the Rain (by Garth Stein)

It has been FOREVER since I posted a review (over a week!) but it’s because I’ve been catching up on tv instead of reading.

It’s also been forever since I read this book. I think around 3-4 years. I was much younger when I read it the first time, so it was really cool to understand parts of it so much better the second time around.

This book is amazing. I know I say that about every other book (more often than that actually) but this one has got to be one of my all time favorites. It’s from the point of view of a dog, which in itself is reason enough to read it. The dog, Enzo, lives with his owner, Denny, (who is 20-something when the book starts and 30-something when it ends, from what I gathered), his wife, Eve, and their daughter, Zoe.

Denny is a race car driver, and a very good one at that. He always talks to Enzo about racing (or talks at Enzo, since dogs cannot speak) and because of this Enzo has grown to be in love with the sport (is race car driving a sport??). This is where the title, The Art of Racing in the Rain, comes from (although it of course has a deeper meaning as well).

I love everything about this book. Seriously. I am sitting here trying to think of just one thing I don’t like, and I can’t do it. I love the way the author ties race car driving in with life and it’s challenges, making connections in a way so much more eloquent and brilliant than I would think is humanly possible. I love the plot. I love the subtle humor. I love the ending, and how it made me cry so much I had to stop reading until I could breathe again.

Seriously, go read this book. And then, four years down the road, read it again. Because i swear to you, it will be even more wonderful the second time.

Recommended To: Everyone. Literally everyone.

Rate: 10/10

 

Fire (by Kristin Cashore)

Despite the whopping 5 days it took me to read it (hey, I had a lot of homework this week!) this book is actually very fast-paced. Similar to Graceling and Bitterblue (the two other “Graceling Realm” books written by Cashore, both of which I have posted reviews on), we got what felt like an entire series in one book. The book, like the two others, has it’s own set of characters and plot lines separate from the others, so that they could be read without reading the other two.

Simple Overview Taken From Back of Book: It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. Young King Nash clings to the throne, while rebel lords, the the north and south, build armies to unseat him. War is coming. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose startling appearance is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her. Everyone…except Prince Brigan.

 

My Thoughts: I loved nearly every aspect of the novel, especially the strong supporting characters like Clara and Musa that improved and evolved the main characters and the plotlines. There were a few dull moments despite the quick pace, but the majority of it was action-packed and drama-filled. I also really like how the characters were shown to have real issues (unplanned pregnancies, injuries, and even periods, or “monthly bleedings”). It even seemed as though Fire was a bit (or a lot) depressed at times, something that added to her character development a great deal as we saw her overcome this.

Recommended To: Those who like fantasy/adventure/romance. And of course, to everyone who has read Graceling or Bitterblue.

Rate: 8.5/10

 

 

Cinder (by Marissa Meyer)

I’ve been thinking about reading this book for awhile now. A few years, in fact. I guess I just never got around to it.

If this is you, let me tell you. GET AROUND TO IT! Because this book is wonderful!

What’s it about: As evident from the title, it’s based on the classic fairytale Cinderella. The main character “Cinder” is basically a slave to her step mother and step sisters, just like in Cinderella (except one of the sisters is kind to her). But the similarities pretty much end there. Cinder is a cyborg, meaning she has some mechanical parts, externally and internally. The book is set in the future in what is now called “New Beijing.” In this fictionalized world, there is a colony on the moon called “Lunars,” who look down on Earth, essentially plotting a war against them.

What I disliked: Honestly, I have no real complaints. Some things could have been better I guess, but nothing really stands out.

What I liked: I really enjoyed Cinder as a character, as well as Prince Kai. I think the new take on a classic tale is a really cool base for a novel, and I’m very impressed with how well Meyer executed that. There weren’t any dull moments in the book, which made it a really quick read. I guess that should be considered a con, since I’m sad I finished it so soon. Thankfully, there’s 3 more in the series!

Recommended for: People who like fantasy/sci-fi/romance

Rate: 9/10

 

Carry On (by Rainbow Rowell)

Alrighty. So. For starters, I did not like the beginning of this book. For organization purposes, I’ll just list the main reasons why:

-it starts out very, very slow (in my opinion)

-there was nothing special about it (keep in mind, I mean IN THE BEGINNING!!!)

-it was WAY too similar to Harry Potter (I get that it was no doubt based off of the Harry Potter series, as well as other books about magic, since the author says pretty much those exact words in the author’s note at the end. I just got very tired very quickly from reading a line and thinking “oh, so that character is basically the Hagrid of this book.”)

Now that I’ve given my mini rant, I’ll talk about everything I ADORED about this book:

-Simon and Baz’s relationship (of course!)

-Baz as a character (I always do love the sarcastic and blunt male characters)

-The many POV’S (you’d think having, like, 7 POV’s might get annoying/overwhelming, but it didn’t! I swear! It was actually really smooth)

-The plot (I came into the book thinking it would be super predictable, and some parts were. But some twists in the plot I didn’t see coming)

Ok, so what’s my overall impression? I LOVED IT. Really my only complaints are at the beginning. It took me a few days to get through the first 80-ish pages because I just wasn’t engaged and I didn’t really care about what happened next. Once Baz’s POV came into the book, though, things started picking up really quickly. I have to say, the whole Harry Potter similarity thing remained an issue for me throughout the novel, but not a big one. It’s actually kind of cool.

I finally see why everyone has been loving this book. It’s exciting, it’s funny, and it’s definitely a must-read!

Rate: 9/10

 

 

Red Queen (by Victoria Aveyard)

This book reminded me of many books I’ve read before. The Hunger Games and The Young Elites, to name a couple. But it was still wonderfully original and splendid in its own way.

What’s it about? Well, in summary, it’s about a teenage girl (every book I read is, if I’m being honest) living in a world where people are classified as either Red or Silver, according to their blood (I know! Silver blood! Cool, huh). The Silvers are these elitists with special abilities (like mind reading, super strength, that sort of thing) who basically treat the Reds like shit, forcing them to be their slaves and laborers. The main character, a Red with the abilities of a Silver, is forced by the King and Queen to pretend she’s a long-lost Silver princess, all while planning a rebellion against the crown.

What’d I think of it? I really, really liked. Maybe not loved, but for sure immensely liked. Some parts, I must admit, seemed a bit dull in my eyes. But overall, it was pretty damn good. I especially liked the betrayal at the end (I won’t spoilt it, don’t worry!!) I wasn’t entirely surprised by it, but it still was wonderfully entertaining. Another thing I really liked was the romance aspects. The main character is given, essentially, 3 love interests, although it is safe to say who she will undoubtedly end up with at the end of the series (if I’m right, which I really, really hope I am). Oh, did I say series! Yes, it is a series! Exciting, right? I have no idea how many there will, maybe only two. The second one just came out (today in fact, which I just found out when I tried to find a release date for it). Of course, immediately after finding out the second book is, in fact, out, I went to the library website to put it on hold (I’m not about to spend $12 on my Kindle for it) only to find that there was already 54 hold requests. Crazy! So, sadly, it might be awhile before I read the sequel.

Rate: 8.5/10

Identical (by Ellen Hopkins)

Wow. I mean, where to start. This book was just….AHHH

Ok, I’m sorry. There’s no way I can put to words how I feel about this book. I don’t think there was one single part I didn’t completely love. I loved the format (I believe it’s called verse writing?). I loved the rawness of it. I loved the parts that made me uncomfortable. I loved the parts that made me cry. I loved the parts that made me smile. But most of all, I think I loved then BRILLIANT PLOT.

In short, the book is about 16 year old identical twin sisters who both have their fair share of issues. One is being sexually abused by their father (whom they call “daddy,” which is so cleverly disgusting of the author, since, you know, it accentuates their innocence and all that jazz). The other, jealous that she isn’t “daddy’s favorite,” uses a multitude of coping mechanisms (drugs, sex, purging) to deal with her pain. Needles to say, there are some parts that will make you cringe, and it is definitely not for the easily disturbed. But if you can stomach all the dark parts (which is 99% of the book), I highly, HIGHLY recommend giving it a whirl.

PSA: If you know what happens at the end 1)don’t spoil it for others 2)don’t use that as an excuse not to read it. I figured out the ending about 60 pages in and I still (clearly) LOVED it.

Rate: 10/10

(IKR 10/10. Damn)

Uninvited (by Sophie Jordan)

Brief Summary (in convenient bullets)

-Set in VERY NEAR (we’re talking the year 2021) future where people are tested for HTS (homicidal tendency syndrome) and, if they are carriers, thus deemed dangerous

-The main character (17 year old Davy) tests positive for HTS (also called the “kill gene) and her life basically falls apart after that

-The society becomes more and more dangerous as the novel goes on, causing all carriers of HTS to either be sent to a camp (WWII concentration camp basically) or to a special training camp (where Davy is sent)

That’s basically the gist. So now… What did I think of it?

Well, I really like the idea of having a dystopian society that has to do with genetic profiling and stuff like that. I think that’s pretty cool and interesting. And the author executed her message very well, in my opinion. I also really like how she kept finding creative ways to make us (the readers) think about the fact that some of these people with HTS (Davy, for example) are forced to become dangerous due to their label, whereas if they hadn’t ever been tested, and continued living their lives normally, they wouldn’t be a danger to society in the slightest.

However, there were some things I didn’t care for. The predictability of the main character’s relationship with Sean (her love interest), for example. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve gotten to the point in my reading life where I’ve surpassed the amount of cliche romance subplots in Young Adult Fiction I can reasonably tolerate. Who knows. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE romance. Love it. But if I can continue to love it, I need to read romance subplots that don’t follow the exact same structure as every other book. I need something fresh. I need a whirlwind of emotions. I need to it to be dragged out, in a way that can only be described as agonizingly blissful. And this book did not have that.

Really though, this book was pretty ok. Not amazing, by any means. But average. Good enough for me to want to read the next book in the series (although I haven’t rushed to get it yet, so I’m clearly in no hurry).

Rate: 7/10