Tag Archives: YA Review

Beta by Rachel Cohn

21 Jan

10382215

Book One in the Annex Series

Rating: Four out of Five Stars

Beta is like the teenage girl version of iRobot. But instead of robots they are clones (ahh epic sci-fi-ness!) And as my nerd girl status reaches “ninja master”, that basically means LITERARY GOLD in my mind.

Beta reminds me a lot of Glitch. And by a lot I mean pretty much exactly. Sure the characters have a different quirks and different worlds, but the premise of the book is the same: you shouldn’t feel emotions, but you do so now you somehow have to deal with it and if you let people know, you will be deactivated. But since you are a badass, you are gunna stick it to the man and survive with your boymanlover. Yup, pretty sure I could be talking about either one of those books with that description!

Lucky for moi, I loved Glitch so it’s only normal that I would enjoy Beta too. BUT OMG THAT ENDING. I think this is the WORST CLIFFHANGER I have ever experienced.

Seriously, this was me reading the last three paragraphs:

JDKIn

C0pUt

k78zS

And then it ended and I realized book two DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A RELEASE DATE YET

D1nx1

Heartbreaking… seriously. Probably one of the most intense endings I have read in awhile. It’s not even the intriguing ending like Crossed by Allie Condie was. At least she left me with something I could think about, mull over, and let fester in my brain until Reached came out. Oh no, not Rachel. She created this whole world for you and then WHAMBAM thank-you-ma’am turned everything inside out.

I  really enjoyed this book. I flew through it and was bugged eyed the whole time. It’s not a fast paced book but is does have a lot of twists that hold your interest and keeps you engaged in the story.

For the first book in the novel, it’s a great start to an awesome series. It’s dramatic, fast paced, sexy, and intense. But unless you want to be tortured like me for a year, wait until the second book comes out..

Tags: , , , , , ,

Pure by Julianna Baggott

17 Jan

9680114

Book One in the Pure Series

Rating: Three out of Five Stars

Oh my. Where’s my teddy bear?I am going to be completely honest here and say that this book terrified me. It gave me the internal creep crawlies, collywobbles, dithers, whatever you want to call them. 140 pages in I updated my status to

“This book gives me the heebie jeebies. It’s weird and creepy and I don’t think I like it very much because some of this shit is just freaky. Oh well.. power through until the middle and then I will reevaluate.”

In the end, I can’t pinpoint how I feel about Pure. It’s just… gruesome? The whole book is based on violence and horrible human tragedy. It has gag inducing descriptions in a world where I would cry myself to sleep every night. I was just so… uncomfortable.
That being said, and me having a few weeks to process this book (and read must more lighthearted dystopias), as much as the imagery in this book made me want to curl up in the corner and rock back and forth, it was amazing. It was tangible. It was real. It was imaginative. All the underlying YA Dystopia 101’s were there, boy meets girl, girl from wrong side of track, they work together to solve problem. Blahdeblah. But it was sick and twisted and a very probable world they lived. That is what makes me dislike this book, this shit could really happen guys! It was like an even darker version of the Unwind series, which is pretty impressive.

I wish Baggot would have spent less time describing the effed up effects the nukes had on people and spent more time on the story. Now that we’ve spent almost an entire book getting the shivers, I hope Fuse, Book Two will be more about the people and the story and the meat of the issues. She has some interesting characters and personalities to play with and really focusing on developing the dynamics between them could make an extremely interesting plot. I have connections with each narrator and although she bounces through what, five? view points, you really get an understanding of each of their unique minds and personalities. You know their fears, understand their decision making. It’s a beautifully crafted piece of writing, even if it does creep me out.

Pure gave me nightmares yes, but damn, Fuse could really turn out to be a badass book. And I will read it.

And then watch Disney movies before I go to bed…

P.S. Rumor has it the rights have been bought to make this book into a movie. Shit could get real crazy up in hurr if that was to ever come to fruition.

Tags: , , , ,

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima – the most amazing book I have ever read.

11 Jan

The Crimson Crown

Fourth Book in the Seven Realms Series

Rating: Five out of Five Stars

After finishing this book, I am attempting to write my final review for this series. This is almost painful for me because I am so passion about this book, these characters, this author, I want to do them justice. I feel like I need to hone and perfect my writing skills purely to try to make this review captures just how incredible this book is.

I have been a high fantasy lover all my life. I grew up with Harry Potter throughout childhood and went through high school with Eragon. Wizards, witches, and dragons were my mind’s companion and I adore my author’s imaginary worlds more than the bleak, sometimes colorless and cruel world we live in. This book though, has introduced my mind and soul to a completely different delicious culture of imagery.

I wish I could explain just how amazing Cinda Williams Chima‘s work is, but unlike her I lack the language to articulate the emotions she creates in me while I read. Her gorgeous world building, incredible prose, tangible character had me so invested in this series. I laughed, I cried, I hurt with Han and I was desperate with Raisa. I hated and loved right along with everyone in the book. Han and Raisa are more than just characters to me. They are living and breathing friends in my mind. They are the most wonderful, passionate, fierce people I know. They have fears, insecurities, unwavering faith in each other, and a true epic romance.

The pure brilliance of this writing literally has me wonderstruck. I am gagging on my praise because I just can’t focus my mind on one thing long enough to get out all of my swooning. I love that there is heartbreak and deaths because that what really happens in the world. People have awful things happen to them, but this fantasy novel shows that you can overcome even the most insurmountable obstacles if you trust your instincts, believe in your friends, and rely on love to power all.

Basically what I am trying to say, is this is the best series I have ever read. It’s the most beautiful, real, tragically wonderful (although it does have the best ending!) book/series of all time. Sorry, JK, your HP books have been usurped.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Promised by Caragh M. O’Brien

3 Jan

13010211

Book Three in the Birthmarked Series

Rating: Three out of Five Stars

I enjoyed this book, but overall I think it’s the weakest in the series. Still, the ties and emotional connections I had to the characters from the previous books makes me want to bump my rating to 3 stars.

Here is my criticism: Why oh why do authors think it will be boring if people have normal emotions? Fo reals. I understand the need for drama and foreshadowing and plot twists blah blah blah. But heavens above! I could not keep up Gaia’s epiphanies or Leon’s brooding love-sick control freak-ness. Gaia seemed to change direction in each chapter and I was so flustered by her mood swings I almost stopped reading. Now I understand men when they deal with PMSing women! For a character who was so steadfast and determined, solid and stubborn in the first two books, she sure does a lot of roller-coasting in this one. And I find it hard to believe that she would just get up after that tragedy happens, shrug and move on. I wish O’Brien would have spent more time focusing on her emotions during that realization. And Leon, oh brother. Just the same old same Cassandra Clare type love interest. All passionate brooding but nothing I could really sink my teeth into until the final chapter.

With my love loss for Gaia and Leon, it was hard to truly adore this book the way I did the others. I was infatuated with Gaia’s bravery in book one and two but her heroism in these books stretched by WSOD a tad too far. I couldn’t connect that way I wanted to. Thank goodness the story was technically well-written or I would have set this down. I would have also enjoyed a quick recap from the first books. I hadn’t read the other two books in awhile and it took me a quarter of the book to play catch up before I remembered everything.

If you have read the first two books (and the bridge), you should definitely read the third to complete the series. The story itself is still captivating, even if its pushed to be unrealistic. Just go into with the notion that the characters are not the same they were when you met them.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

27 Dec

12394100

First Book in the Seraphina Series

Rating: Three out of Five Stars (I’m stretching the three stars status)

Seraphina came to me as a recommendation. And the fact that Christopher Paolini endorsed it by having a quote from him placed on the cover I was like “yeah buddy! Score zone!”

And then I started reading and I was all:

EnNx1sdfsdf

My issue with this book was that the world wasn’t explained enough in the beginning so I felt like my mind was whirling around plot points without actually getting a hold of them. I like the concept, I can grasp the concept, but it was too much too soon. Where was the meat and potatoes of the world building in the first chapter? I was thrust into the world, that’s very surreal and different from my own, and wasn’t given the chance to acclimate. My WSOD was accosted.

The only time I was completely on board and ingrained in this story is when the characters were having conversations. The dialogue is fantastically written. Those scenes felt less like reading and more like watching a movie. So engaging! I just wish that the rest of the book was as fascinating and griping.

With the character’s being mediocre (although Seraphina finally grows some ladyballs in the end) I was really disappointed in this book. Maybe I put it on too high of a pedestal to begin with? I don’t know. I just wanted so much more from this book. I wanted action, romance, adventure! I wanted all the amazing things in Eragon that I loved so much but it never developed into anything. It was just fluttering on the edge decent. Sad day 😦

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

19 Dec

9409469

 

Third Book in the Seven Realms Series

Rating: Five out of Five Stars

I can’t even put into words how much I feel for Cinda Williams Chima.  I am hovering around “obsessive love” and “complete infatuation”.

Be glad you aren’t in the room while I am writing this, otherwise you would hear my awful voice breaking out into heartfelt aria. Much like my previous reviews of the Seven Realms books (The Demon King, Book One and The Exiled Queen, Book 2) this is will be a lovesick gush fest about Chima.

Han – let’s get married and have babies. Raisa – let’s hang out and be BFFs. Please let there be a crack in reality so I can crawl into this world. I adore this book so much. I can’t write a review that can urge you enough to pick it up. If you like high fantasy AT ALL you need, must, are REQUIRED to read this series. Its beautifully written with a world so real that it the scenery has its own story and personality. I am having such a swoonfest over Han it’s embarrassing. He has become my new Mr. Darcy. And much like with Elizabeth, I want Raisa and Han to work out sooo bad my emotions are going haywire. Chima just taunts us and teases us with their relationship and makes it so tantalizing real, I feel like I am part of them.

I can even begin to explain my love for this series. It’s on par with Harry Potter by the infamous JK and the Graceling series by Kristin Cashore. Just amazingly written with characters that are so alive you forget that they are in a book.

Just do yourselves a favor and read it. For real. Read it. Please, for my sake. It will make your life so much better.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

To-Read Tuesday – Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

18 Dec

13253276

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Series: Under the Never Sky Book Two

Previous Rating(s): Under the Never Sky, Book One: Four out of Five Stars

Release Date: January 8, 2013

Why I am Excited: I just finished reading Under the Never Sky last week (working on getting my review posted) and I am super pumped by the ending of this book. It was heart achingly lovely the way Rossi decided to finish up book one and made you crave the second book immediately. I’m super pumped I only have to wait a couple weeks for this one to be released, that NEVER happens! The reason why I am looking forward to this release is because by the end of book one, I was attached to both characters. I felt with them, I cried with them, I laughed with them. They are my friends and I miss my friends and want them back. Now.

What I Hope to See: *Contains Spoilers* If you haven’t read the previous books, LOOK AWAY! This is hard for me because like I said, I recently finished this book and haven’t had a whole lot of time to start speculating yet. At the end, Perry and Aria about to be reunited. I really hope is a steamy reunion! I want the passion that they had started to feel in Never Sky to really bloom in Ever Night. But I really hope that Rossi doesn’t make their romance the whole book. She has some really amazing independent characters and an insanely well built world. It’s real and tangible to me and I don’t want mushy love to distract from the basic foundation of the plot. Perry and Aria’s romance should be developed and main plot line of course, I just don’t want it to be the ONLY plot line.

My Predictions: In the final few chapters, there are a lot of twists and a lot plot developments thrown at us. Rossi almost gave us too much information at the end of the book, but I’ll discuss that when I get around to posting my review for Under the Never Sky. So, here we go:

  1. Obvi, Perry and Aria are ooey gooey in love. I think in book two though, they are really going to struggle with balancing their own internal desires and wants with love for each other. They come from extremely different backgrounds and their ultimate goals do not compliment each other. I think that Aria is going to end up leaving Perry and The Tides to fulfill her promise and get revenge for her mother’s death.
  2. That being said, I think Perry will struggle a lot. The synopsis hints at this but I think it will be a main plot line in the book. I think when Aria decides to leave, Perry will have to make the ultimate decision of Tides vs Aria. And I think he will choose Aria right when she doesn’t choose him.
  3. Roar and Liv have their own bridge story. (I can’t wait to read it!) So I think they HAVE to become an important piece in book two. Going off of the synopsis, I think Roar and Liv will be the untrustworthy friends and royally mess up Perry, Aria and the Tides relationship.

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Eve by Anna Carey

14 Dec

9297774

Book One in the Eve Series

Rating: Two out of Five Stars (really more like 1.5 but I like to round up)

It has taken me awhile to actually write this review, mainly because I have such a hate-hate relationship with this book. But even though it made me want to stab myself in the eyeball, my addiction to reading and need to give second chances will most likely end up with me reading the rest of the series. Painful, but probable.

In short, I am not a fan. It was half formed ideas smeared together with mediocre writing. It makes me sad to give bad reviews because I hate/loathe/want-to-punch book bashers who write nasty reviews but I cannot say I would recommended this book to anyone. I am going to speak my peace, which is MY opinion, and then suggest things I wish I would have seen.

Here are a few of my main concerns:

1.) I disliked the main character, Eve, which is a recipe for disaster. Especially near the end when she showed how utterly weak and thoughtless she is, I was about to throw my poor baby Kindle through the wall. Eve is inconsistent, selfish, and fickle.I kept hoping for Eve to become self sufficient, I wanted Carey to make us hate Eve for her naivete and then journey with her through self discovery and we would come to love her because we understood the growth she went through, but it never happened. It fell completely flat.

2.) Insta-love has never been so extreme. Eve is TERRIFIED of men and three chapters later she’s hiding and cuddling with tons of dudes? And then BAM! “Omg I love you ever so much random boy! You give me a feeling no one ever has before and I cannot live without you!” Well, considering that you are not a lesbian, no shit the first boy you meet gives you the butterflies you dumb twat! Carey made the progression between the extremes so sudden which equals 100% unbelievable. The good ole quote “If you stand for nothing you’ll fall for everything” works well here. If you refuse to give your character morals and ideas, she becomes sloppy and unrelatable which leads to poorly written plots. It seems as though Carey didn’t spend enough time building her heroine so she needed to toss in a boy to stir things up.

3.) The post-apocalyptic theme was stretched. A lot. Like Stretch Armstrong craziness. I couldn’t grasp the dramatic plague concept. It wasn’t developed enough at the beginning and although it gets cleared up more toward the middle of the book, by then I had already made up my mind about it being too far fetched. Once again, I think Carey had good bones of the world, but didn’t spend enough time creating the world that we could live in. It felt more like a 5th grade clay diagram displayed in a shoe box.

I refuse to give this book One Star purely based on the fact that I can see potential in the next books. Because while I disliked almost everything about this book, I have strange desire to read the second one. And reading other reviews about Eve, most people feel the same way. Crazy huh? I hope Eve stops being a self-centered hoe-face and gets royally slapped by reality. If Carey can build more on her foundation, create a more realistic world and characters, she won’t have to rely on the YA Writing 101 basics. Because if you have a great character and a real world, you won’t need insane love stories to make your book awesome.

Tags: , , , ,

Outpost by Ann Aguirre

13 Dec

10193062

Book Two in the Razorland Series

Rating: Three out of Five Stars

Oh Ann, why do you have to leave off on such cliffhangers?! And now we have to wait and wait and wait until Book 3 comes out. In the words of Stephanie Tanner “How Rude!”

Alright, not really rude. I would much rather be aching for more than have a bad ending and not caring when the next book is released. My feelings about this book are muddled. I truly love the story and characters but the first half was so slow for me. It wasn’t BANG BANG outta the gate like Enclave. I understand the transition needed to be made but there was a lot of thinking and not as much action as I wanted in the beginning. That being said, the second half of Outpost gave me everything I enjoyed about Enclave. It was action packed with the right amount of emotions sprinkled in so you weren’t overwhelmed. And the dynamics between the characters flourished which brought me deeper into the story.

About the characters…I like Deuce, but sometimes I get a titch bit frustrated with her. Give me a badass heroine who is not afraid to be herself and I am in! Unfortunately, Deuce’s guilt annoyed me at times. Part of me wanted to be like “Oh well, get over Stalker already!” But I did reign in some of my antics because Aguirre does a nice job of explaining how Deuce just doesn’t understand emotions the way we do today. As for Stalker and Fade, I plainly don’t understand Fade’s appeal. I am the type of person who usually crushes on the protag’s love interest but I can’t get into Fade. Perhaps because Aguirre makes him a little TOO emotionally distant at times and then a little TOO emotional at others? It could be. Hopefully book three will explain it more.

Overall it was an excellent follow up to Enclave. Nicely done not changing Deuce into a frilly-pants but not keeping her uncivilized either. The internal conflict was amazing to read.

BTW… please please please include Stone and Thimble and Robin in Hoarde! While the first bridge story was very mediocre, Endurance (Razorland 1.5) still makes me want to see them in the next book. The writing was meh but the bonus to the story was bomb! K thanks!

Oh and I am super stoked to read the second bridge book Foundation (Razorland o.5)!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

10 Dec

9593911

Book Two of Delirium Series

Rating: Four out of Five Stars

First thought: I enjoyed this much more than Delirium.

Second thought: WICKED ENDING! I love the bitch slap life gives Lena at the end of the book. It’s amazing. Lauren Oliver sure does know how to leave her readers on a cliff hanger. Damn you!

Overall thoughts: This was a fun read for me. I was hooked on the ending of Delirium and could not wait to see what happened. Did he really die? Is she going to go back? WHAT WILL HAPPEN! DUN DUN DUN!!!!!! It was a mediocre book with a bombass ending so I didn’t know what to expect with Pandemonium. Survey says? Your high note kept playing through this book Lauren.

The reason why I loved this book so much is because we get to see a different character. Lena is a typical naive sap of a girl in Delirium but now that she is out in the real world she truly becomes a hardcore woman. I loooove that she went through waves of emotions trying to settle on an outlook that she could cope with. She has a grip of shit to deal with and *sigh* I was so emotionally involved with her this time. Oliver didn’t bring too much of one feeling in but let it linger just enough. Bravo!

The past and future shifts in narration really add a unique twist to the story that is just beautiful and artistically done. As soon as I was fully engulfed in the past, it would switch to the present and suck me in, then switch again! It kept me on my toes.

And the ending, AH.MAZE.ING. I cannot WAIT to read the third book of this series!

Tags: , , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →

Straight Mommin’ Bro

Straight Mommin’ Bro

a bookish peach

Cuddlebuggery Book Blog

Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience

Just another WordPress.com site