Book Review!

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

This novel is the sequel to The Forrest of Hands and Teeth, the debut novel by the same author.  The first novel was very interesting and very depressing, but I really liked it because it was so different from other books that I've read.  I read it so long ago, that I never reviewed it on here.  Maybe I will later, but for now, know that I would recommend it.

Back to the review!  

The Dead Tossed Waves takes places years after the ending of the first novel.  The world has been overrun by Zombies whose only purpose is to infect the living.  Gabry is the daughter of the main character from the first book and is someone who likes to play it safe. Taking risks is not part of her character, but one fateful night she is convinced to do something against her better judgment as she follows her friends into an area that is off limits.  This decision sparks a series of events that seem like a whirlwind of chaos in Gabry's life.  She is pushed beyond her limit where personal safety is concerned, as she tries to make right the wrongs that were done.

For me, I liked this story better than the first.  I felt more invested in the characters.  Even though Ms. Ryan's stories seem to follow what is the most popular formula for current YA novels (girl with two boys to chose from), this felt a little more fresh to me.  Things aren't necessarily sugar coated with happy endings for the characters.  In both of the stories, the characters experience real loss and regret.  

Definitely a book to escape reality with!

Book Review!

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

First off I must say that I love the author's name.  It sounds so literary.  Not only that, I love the name she chose for her main character, Sydelle Mirabil.  Very cool.  Now on to the review.

 

Sydelle lives in a far away corner of the Kingdom, where her village has suffered from a drought for as long as she can remember.  Not a single drop of rain has fallen on the dusty earth until the day the wizard, Wayland North, arrives.   He is offered anything he could want and he chooses Sydelle.  She is angry and obstinate as she follows him far away from her village and can only think of returning home.  

 

Sydelle possesses a talent unmatched of weaving cloth, and through her skilled hands she repairs the cloaks of Wayland along their journey.   As Sydelle begins to discover bit by bit why she was chosen by the smelly, drunken wizard to join his quest, she discovers more about herself and what her talent truly is.  Together they face danger as they race to stop an unnecessary war between two kingdoms.   

This is a Young Adult novel and I would recommend it to someone as young as 10 or 11.  Perfect for an afternoon at the beach or in your hammock.  

 

I enjoyed it very much.

Markus Zusak you are a word shaker indeed.....

The title of my blog should give away the fact that I love to read.  I love it so much that sometimes I feel like I am cheating on my family.  They understand that books are as much a part of me as breathing is for life, (at least I hope so) and some of them have become infected with the need for words and language as well.  My son keeps up with me at a pretty fierce pace and is always asking me for the next suggestion. 

Sometimes I read books that would be considered silly.  Other times I read books that require more thought and time.  No matter the type of book, for me the enjoyment is usually equal.  I love thinking about the writing style and the content.  There are times when I am impressed and times when I laugh and wonder how the book ever got published.  

Recently, I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.   

I loved it.  I loved it.  I loved it. 

After finishing it, I had to sit and really think about it for a long time.  The story is set during WWII in Nazi Germany and is about a young girl who is sent to live with foster parents.  This girl, Liesel, finds her way among heartache, hunger, hatred, loss, but most importantly, love.  Sometimes this love is disguised and unrecognizable, but when she reflects back on her experience, she can see it for what it is.  The whole story is narrated by a very unlikely character, Death.  We are brought along with Death as he experiences, second hand, human emotions.  To me, he became a dear friend.    

I have read many comments of others who have read this book.  Some good, some not so good.  For me, the most fascinating thing about the book was also what was the most frustrating thing to those who did not like it.  It was the writing style Mark Zusak used. It was so new and refreshing that I followed my husband around the house reading bits and pieces hoping that he would hear the magic that was in the words.   

Here are a few examples:

Steam was rising weirdly from his clothes.  His hangover was visible.  It heaved itself to his shoulders and sat there like a bag of wet cement.....

Had he not lost his cigarettes to  Hans Hubermann, he wouldn't have despised him.  If he hadn't despised him, he might not have taken his place a few weeks later on a fairly innocuous road.  One seat, two men, a short argument and me.  It kills me sometimes, how people die......

"'My heart is so tired,'" the girl had said.  She was sitting in a chapel writing in her diary.
No, thought Liesel as she walked.  It's my heart that is tired.  A thirteen-year-old heart shouldn't feel like this......

The book thief did not retreat.  She took a few extra steps and sat down.  Her cold hands felt for her sleeves and a sentence slipped from her mouth.  "He's not dead yet."  The words landed on the table and positioned themselves in the middle.  All three people looked at them.  Half hopes didn't dare rise any higher.  He isn't dead yet.  He isn't dead yet.....

Liesel calculated that there were four more reading sessions like that with Frau Holtzapfel before the Jews were marched through Molching.  They were going to Dachau, to concentrate.....

Yes, I would recommend this book.  Maybe you will be as touched as I was.  Maybe you will have a crush on a narrator named Death like I did.  I know.  I am weird.

Book Review!

Once Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris

Summary from Goodreads: A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.

This is a darling, I just need something to match my carefree mood kind of a book.  The cover says "part comedy, part love story, part everything but the kitchen sink" and it is all true!  It's geared toward the middle grade reader and  I would say ages 9 and up would find something to love about it.  Jean Ferris keeps her humor light hearted and fun and the love story innocent and fresh.  She creates situations that feel uncomfortable and funny at the same time, all the while giving us a glimpse into the mind of a boy who falls in love for the first time.  If you are young at heart you will love this!

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Summary from Goodreads: In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them.


Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.   In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.
  
The premise of this book is very disturbing, but brilliant.  This story of three kids who are trying to keep things together, literally, will give you much to think about.  I felt horrified at times and had to walk away from the book here and there, just to wrap my brain around what the world had come to in this story.  I felt disgusted by the parents who would dispose of their children in such a horrible way, but then I realized that we hear about this in the news all of the time.  The people we hear about may not be getting rid of their children for "parts", but they ignore, abuse, mistreat and take for granted the possibility of what their children can be.  Just this week we had a 4 year old boy who was tortured and murdered by his mom and step father.  While watching the news story all I could think was "Why?".  Why did that sweet boy have to be a child of monsters.  The thing about this novel by Mr. Shusterman is that it made me ask these same questions.  The only difference is that the "parents" weren't viewed as monsters.  It was just the way things were done.  Life is not something to be taken for granted and this book serves as a reminder of that. 

Book Review!

You can probably tell what I have been doing with my time by my recent plethora of Book Reviews, but I like to think of it as homework!

Jessica Day George, in my opinion, nailed it once again with her novel Princess Of The Midnight Ball.    

First off the cover is georgeous!  Now, let's get to the heart of the matter.  It is a Young Adult novel. (I have been reading a lot of those lately, but it seems that when I find one, another gets recommended.  I kind of get stuck in a genre for a while.)   

The story is a retelling of the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses.  We begin with the story being told by a young man named Galen who is returning from a 12 year war.  Along the way he meets an old woman who, because of his kindness, gives him some gifts to help him once he is in the palace.  He thinks the old woman must be very confused because he has no family of consequence and can't imagine how or why he would ever be inside the palace.

We follow him along his adventure as he seeks out his only living relatives and a way to earn a living.  His only skills are knitting (I laughed at first, but he had to take care of himself during the war and learned the skill to keep himself in socks and hats) and soldiering, since he had grown up the son of a soldier and spent most of his life in the war.  I won't say any more because I don't want to give it all away, but I will say that once again the author's words paint a beautiful picture.   The story is not a masterpiece by any means, just a well thought out story and the perfect length to escape on a lazy afternoon.   

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Book Review!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book.  I'd read so many raving reviews that I knew it was going to be a hit.

Synopsis from Goodreads:  For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever. 

I didn't like it.  I tried to, I really did, but I had to push myself to finish it. 

First off the parents, where were they?  Yes, there are parents out there who just let their kids run a muck, but they usually seem to have some issue going on like drugs, alcohol, emotional problems etc.  I have a hard time believing that normal, law abiding, loving, educated people would be so completely oblivious to their daughter.  The author did show us how self centered they were, even still, how can they not notice a boy living in their own house for a few weeks?  There was one scene where her mom finally woke up to the situation and tried to forbid her daughter from seeing Sam anymore, but in one sentence Grace convinced her mom otherwise.  Yeah, I am not buying it, it was just too convenient.  

I also hated/liked the changing point of view.  One chapter would put us in Sam's head and then we would be in Grace's head.  I did like knowing what Sam was thinking, but it changed so much that I would sometimes have to look at the chapter heading again to remember which head I was supposed to be in.  It was a good idea, but I felt confused.

Olivia and Rachel were boring.  These supposed best friends were with Grace in the beginning and just disappeared until they made a cameo appearance here and there.  If they are her best friends why weren't they knocking down her door to find her when she was so absent.  If my best friend ever fell off the face of the earth either emotionally or physically, you can bet your life that I would be putting my nose where it doesn't belong just to find her.  Same thing goes if she shows up with a mysterious boyfriend.  I would be digging very hard to get answers.  Where were the phone calls?  The unannounced drop ins?  Olivia was just grumpy and Rachel was overly giddy, but we were never shown a real relationship.  They could have just as easily not been in the book.

I wasn't really convinced about the love between Sam and Grace.  Yes, she had been infatuated with him as a wolf for 6 years, but she didn't know him as a person at all.  Sam admitted that as a wolf he doesn't think about things the same way as a human.  As a wolf he didn't have emotions like a human, it was more of an instinct.  He also said that as a wolf he doesn't remember the human things or people.  If this was the case how were they so in love with each other from the moment he was in human form?  They needed time to find out about each other and develop a relationship.   I couldn't stand that all they thought about was kissing or touching.  Teens do have raging hormones, but I don't want to read about it on every page.

Out of curiosity I will probably read the second book, but if it is much the same I don't think I will give a third a chance.

Book Review!

Yesterday I sat down and read Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. 

I loved it!  

Based on a Norwegian fairy tale, it has some reminders of Beauty and the Beast.  Considering I read it in an afternoon, it is an easy read, but the words are beautiful!  I loved the description, I loved the personalities, the tragedies, and the strength and determination.  The main character remains nameless through most of the book because she was unwanted by her mother who refused to give her a name.  She is referred to as "pika" which means small child by everyone.  When she rescues an enchanted deer she is finally given a name and the ability to speak to animals as thanks for her help.  She keeps her name and new talent to herself on the advice of her oldest brother, but word soon spreads that she has a way with animals.  The character goes on an adventure of a lifetime when an enchanted bear arrives at her cottage and asks that she live with him for one year.  I won't say any more because I don't want to give it all away! 


A very sweet story.

Book Review!

This weekend I read Need by Carrie Jones.  I would probably rate it somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. 


Synopsis from good reads website: Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you"d have to fear.

I had heard that people were comparing this novel to Twilight and I can see where they were coming from, a girl moves away from her mom to a small town in a cold place, this girl meets a mysterious boy and is intrigued by him.  There are definitely similarities. 

*spoiler alert!*

I had some issues with the book though. First, it was choppy.  The language and the story were all over the place.  When the characters would have any sort of conversation it was always short sentences if even that.  I had to go back and reread several times just to figure out exactly what they were talking about.  There were a lot of words between the characters, they just never really said much of anything.   

The story was confusing sometimes as well.   Nick who is a "were" can smell the pixies as they approach Zara's home but he can't smell the ones standing right next to him at school?  Huh.  That didn't make any sense to me.  I also thought it was strange that Nick also had to discover on his own about the existence of the pixies.  He is supposedly the protector of the area and his shape shifting abilities are passed down from parent to child through generations, so did his parents really never clue him in?  They were probably the same age as Zara's dad so they would have been around when he had his troubles with the pixies.   


Another story line issue I had came when Zara's mom made her escape from the pixies.  I don't believe for one second that if she was being held captive for the pixie King no one noticed she was making her escape!   If she was so important to the King, someone would have been on her at all times.  When they finally did notice she was leaving, they all just watched and announced to the King that she was escaping.  The King just sat there like a bump on a log and did nothing.  Really?  No one tried to grab her?  

The best friend Issi?  She was annoying.  


I did like the premise of the story and I wish that the book had been longer so the author could have worked out some of the scenes with more depth.  A few more pages here and there would have given us an opportunity to really get to know the characters and what to expect from them.    


Would I recommend this to someone to read?  Yes, but I wouldn't buy it, even with all of the issues I had with it I would say give it a try.  But I would also say not to have your expectations too high.  I haven't decided if I will read the 2nd book yet, I'll let you know. 

Book Review!

 

I just finished reading the Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry.  It was a very quick read that falls in the Young Adult category.

Huh.  

Not quite sure how to start here because I have mixed emotions about this one.  I looked on a few sights and so many readers gave it rave reviews with very few negative ones, so I am confused.  I am wondering if I read the same book they did. Yet, I didn't hate it.  I am somewhere in the middle on this one.  Let me break it down.

First, I would not put it in the Young Adult category, it would fit in more of a fifth and sixth grade area.  

Things I liked:

• A creative retelling of a Cinderella story
• Lucinda, the heroine, although whiney here and there, wasn't afraid to take charge of her situation.
• Peter, the thief, was interesting and added some witty banter to the story.

Things I didn't like:

• The heroine falls completely in love after one small encounter with the prince.  It felt like she just decided one minute to be in love.  There wasn't any relationship development.  It just felt flat.
• Beryl, the woman from another world, was a great opportunity lost.  She could have added a huge dimension to the story and it wasn't really played out very well.  
• The traveling back and forth between the worlds wasn't thought out very well.  Beryl says she is trapped, yet, with the heroines help she returns to her world, then comes back again to help the heroine.  I thought there wasn't any way for them to go back and forth.  It was confusing.
• The protagonist was flat. Why was he banished?  Where was the person who was banished with him?  If he knew who and what Beryl was when he first met her, why didn't she know about him?  
• The prince.  We don't really get a chance to meet him, yet he and Lucinda are so in love with each other he decides she needs to stay away so he can fulfill his duty.  Who is this guy?  What is it she loves about him?  What made him fall in love with a commoner and a thief for that matter?

I don't mean to sound like I am tearing this book apart.  It was a fun, easy, cute read.  But, like I mentioned earlier, more for the preteen crowd.  I would recommend it to a 10 year old girl in a heartbeat!  

Book Review!

 If you have a teenage daughter at home or if you are still a teenager at heart, I highly recommend It's A Mall World After All by Janette Rallison.  I just read this book yesterday afternoon and laughed, sniggered, swooned and blushed the whole way through! 

It was very clean in content, which for me is a definite plus.  It is not a literary masterpiece if that is what you are looking for, but rather, it is a fun, escape your day with something light kind of a read.  

I love that the main character, Charlotte, turns her nose up at all things snobbish, but then in turn realizes that she herself has been a bit of a snob all along.


Let me know what you think!


Happy reading!