Livinginabookwonderland

As someone who has never read The Hunger Games I can't really compare the two. Which I guess is a good thing considering I didn't already have it in my mind that THG would be better. I'm really not sure what I can possibly say about this book without there being a wave of spoilers, but I'm going to try.

This book is gory. If this makes you squeamish I really suggest you not pick this one up. The deaths are described in vivid detail. I mean one kid getting a hatchet to the face, pretty gruesome right? But that being said, I think there's a lot you can take away from this book. You can see what happens when a government gains too much power and can pretty much force a group of junior high kids to kill each other. You also really get to delve into the friendships behind these characters and just how much it will take to really discover who your true friends are, considering they may snap and end up taking you out when put under the pressure of the "game".

I honestly thought I would have a hard time keeping track of 42 different characters (just the students, not to mention the numerous other characters that were behind the program) but I was surprised when I could actually tell them apart. Sure I had my couple favorites, namely Shuya and Shogo, but I could appreciate the view points of every single character.

I really do think this book deserves to be read at least once. It's gruesome and horrifying yet there are the few characters who manage to retain hope in their situation. Don't let the blood and violence scare you off, once you get to the end you will be extremely glad you decided to take the chance.

***A NICE THOUGHT***

One was a book thief.

The other stole the sky.

-page 381

Let me start off by saying that this book made me cry. Where The Fault in Our Stars failed this one had me sobbing like a baby. From the very beginning this book gripped me and throughout the twists and turns this book took I went along for the way. It was a sad experience but one that I am glad I had.

We follow Liesel throughout the story and watch as she grows up in Nazi Germany. We get to watch as she goes from a girl who cannot read or write to one who finds the beauty of words thanks to her foster father Hans Hubermann. There is thievery involved and lots of secrets she must keep but there is also joy and happiness and what it means to truly be alive.

The characters were so realistic it was impossible not to love each and every one of them. From Liesel and Rudy to Rosa and Hans and even Max and Death himself they all come together in one way or another to weave a tale that will leave you thinking about it long after the book has been closed. Liesel is a girl who has strong beliefs and finds strength in the words she steals. She was very easy to relate to even though the circumstance she faces are much worse than the ones I find myself in. The love of books seems to be the one bridge that can tie Liesel to any book lover. Then there were Hans and Rosa, Liesel's  foster parents. I loved them both, while Rosa was hard and did what she had to do Hans was kind and gentle and I just loved everything about him. Rudy Steiner was a character that I really enjoyed. The scenes with him always had me laughing (or crying) and he always managed to find a way to do what he believed in. Then we come to Max, there really isn't much I can say about Max. He was a sweet man who despite his circumstances managed to inspire Liesel.

Finally we come to Death himself. This was definitely an interesting character. He knew everything that happened beforehand and dropped hints left and right yet still managed to give that final blow that had me reeling. The fact that Death is the one who narrates the story makes it so much more powerful.

***A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR***

I am haunted by humans.

-page 552

The ending of this book is what really got me. So much happens and in a way it would not be as powerful if it happened any other way, it still doesn't make it any less heartbreaking. If you're worried about the hype surrounding this one do not be afraid, it is worth all of the hype. Much like the last line from our narrator, I am haunted by this book.

When I saw this as a Kindle freebie and read the description I knew I had to get it. The plot sounded absolutely amazing and that something I would really enjoy. I'm really happy to say that this one did not let me down at all. The fact that the main character dreams her entire day the night before is just really cool and not something I have seen done in YA before.

The thin that really stuck out about Nara is that she really tried not to interfere with her powers except when confronted with the knowledge of a bombing at her school. The way she stood up and took action really set the tone for the way the book was going to go. It was also really interesting that Nara didn't know much about her powers at all even though she had been living with them for a long time.

The thing that I loved most about the book was that it kept me guessing. Whenever I thought I had figured everything out something else developed and I was back at the beginning. I never once had everything all figured out and I love books that take me on a thrill ride like that.

The characters definitely made the book for me. The fact that Nara was a regular girl who wasn't exactly popular really helped me to connect with her. The only difference is she had the power to see the events of the following day the night before. She's a really likeable character who really stands up when she knows someone is going to be injured. When we really got introduced to Ethan I absolutely loved him. For a while I thought something dark was going on with him, with Nara losing her powers and everything, but he really turned out to be a sweetheart. He was caring and sweet and oh so adorable.

If you're looking for a book that will keep you guessing this one is definitely for you. Don't let the fact that it's free stop you from giving it a shot. It is really worth it and the storyline and the characters will have you eagerly moving on to book two.

Orange Rhombus.
Sky blue Triangle.
Red Circle.

No clue what I'm talking about? Well the characters, Lani and Jason, think different kinds of water taste like this. Evian tastes like sky blue triangles and Poland Spring tastes like red circles. Don't believe me, check pages 98 and 99 in the paperback.

If that wasn't ridiculous enough, half of the dialogue between Jason and Lani sounds like it belongs in the seventies. Who says "Far Out" anymore? Oh and Lani talks to her shopping cart. Just saying. That's kind of weird.

The talk of Fate throughout this book really got on my nerves. They live in a small town, where as children they would probably run into each other and just because that happened, they were "meant to be together" or because they like the same thing it's "Fate". It got to the point, where I didn't want to even finish the book. If I never hear the word Fate again in my entire life it will be too soon.

The characters were just so unlikeable. Erin was vain and self centered, everything in the entire world revolved around her. Lani had too much of an obsession with Fate and took everything to extremes. And Jason, he was just plain annoying. The conversations the characters had throughout the novel were unrealistic and extremely weird.

The only two characters who had potential were Connor and Blake and there just wasn't enough of them in the story, if there had been maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. They seemed like they were only there to move the main character along and when they weren't needed they disappeared.

So overall, this book was a bust for me. The premise of the book sounded like it could be interesting, but it just never delivered.

This review can also be found here.

I love this book. Seriously, everything about it is just amazing. From the characters to the plot to the fact that it revolves around Greek Mythology, this book had me hooked from the first page. I had first read this book before I became a blogger, but decided I wanted to re-read it because I finally purchased the rest of the series and I loved it just as much the second time around and I still found myself engaged in the story even though I already knew what happens.

The storyline in this book is just fantastic. It's full of adventure and action with a lot of friendship and thrown right in. I've always been interested in mythology and this book really captured my attention. The myths that were used in the book just added to the overall excitement of the story for me. From the Minotaur to chimaera, Rick Riordan really nailed the right amount of suspense, action and information.

I love almost all of the characters as well. Percy is the underdog and I found myself rooting for him to succeed because the kids in middle school and he's thrown into a world where the stories he's been studying turn out to be real instead of just myths and he goes in fighting and he's prepared to die to save what's important to him. Then there's Grover. He's just so funny and awkward and the story just wouldn't be the same without him. Annabeth is one of my favorites as well. She's smart and strong and she doesn't need a man to swoop in and save her. The girl knows how to kick butt and she does.

If you're a fan of mythology and middle grade stories that combine action and adventure with characters who don't give up no matter what, then I definitely think you should give this book a chance. It's a quick read that will have you flipping pages just to find out what happens to Percy and his friends.

This review can also be found here.

I was really looking forward to this book. Once I read the description I thought this book was going to be amazing. However, I was extremely wrong. What I was expecting was a book full of action and adventure. What I got was a book that had adventure but it was slow and seemed to drag on a lot.

If this book had been cut down some and a lot of the slow parts were taken out, maybe the book would have been more interesting and exciting. The book definitely had potential, it was the way it was done that really took away from the story. It seemed at times that things were being told to you and not shown and that really took away a lot of my enjoyment during the story.

I wasn't really that invested in the characters either. The only character I really liked was Will Draper, and he wasn't even one of the three siblings who started out the adventure. However, half way through the story I began to not even like Will. He made a lot of sexist remarks about men's minds being superior to women's and things like that and I was not a fan of that at all.

I will not be finishing this series. I have no emotional investment in the characters and I have no urge to really find out what happens to them in the end since I really didn't like them to begin with. However, you may like this story. I just went into it expecting a fast-paced story full of action.

This review can also be found here.

This was my first Holly Black book and it won't be my last. As soon as I heard about this one I was really excited about it. I love Middle Grade and throw in a creepy doll and ghost story and you have me hooked. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I hoped to but it was a good read anyway.

The thing that really bugged me the most about this book was the fact that the beginning was kind of slow. For a while it seemed like nothing was happening but once the children begin their adventure the pace picks up drastically.

I liked Zach and Alice. They were my two favorites. They both seemed pretty level-headed for middle schoolers and they looked out for each other. Poppy however tended to get on my nerves. She was constantly on Zach's case about him not wanting to play their game anymore and she did some things that would have had me hating her if she was my friend.

As far as the whole creepy aspect goes, it was okay for a Middle Grade novel. Nothing too scary but there were times when I got freaked out by the doll. If you were considering this book I definitely think you should go for it. It was a quick read and it had a great adventure and just the right amount of creepiness for the age the book was targeted towards.

This review can also be found here.

When I started this book I was kind of afraid that I wasn't going to love it as much as everybody else seems to, especially with all of the hype surrounding it. I'm glad to say that I absolutely adored this book.

I loved the world that Cassandra Clare created, her storytelling is magical and really drew me in. The plot was exciting and full of action and I found myself rooting for the characters and their struggles really played on my emotions.

The characters were so well developed and they all had a unique voice. I loved Jace. He was so witty and sarcastic, his lines had me cracking up and more than once I randomly started laughing out loud. He seemed hardened on the outside but once you got past his walls you could see that he was really quite vulnerable. I really liked Clary, she was strong and even though she knew nothing about the shadowhunters and their world she still threw herself into their problems and really cared about them.

I will definitely be continuing on with this series. Especially after the ending in this book, how could I not? It left me wondering what was going to happen next and I am excited to find out what adventures Jace, Clary and the group get into next.