Legend by Marie Lu Book Review

I is a bad blogger *bows head in shame* Forgive me. XD Seriously, I've had this post saved as draft for like a month yet haven't posted it :p Sorry.  Anyways, here is a review (and I'm to lazy to get this book's summary SO you can go find it by yourself ;D)

(I know I placed the cover strangely, but shush. XD)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 
Review: I was extremely excited to start this book. I had heard about it pretty much everywhere. (Okay not literally, but you get my point.)
Let's just say, I wasn't let down. And apparently we might be getting a movie, so that's always an advantage ;)

First Line: "My mother thinks I'm dead."

Writing: I actually quite enjoyed the writing in this book. It was fast-moving and precise. If course, it wasn't nearly up to par with the classics, or even up to par with, say, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- yet it definitely served it's purpose and was better than the emotionless writing in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Plot: Yesh! I loved da plot. It was SO creative, and I absolutely ADORED the dystopian society, even though I'm quite jealous of June Iparis- our main character. College so early ;) Because she's a smartie like me- indeed, I understand why my great friend Beth (thats her new blog, I sorta lost the link to her old one) thought of me as June, now that I think about it.
Marie Lu actually said that she had gotten inspiration for this book by thinking of like a Les Miseralbes in a modern world and since I haven't read or seen the latter, I wouldn't know how much is taken from it, but if it's a lot- I think I'd really like Les Miseralbes.
Now as for an issue with the plot... the worldbuilding was kinda lacking... I really had no idea of how their government worked and stuff, which is especially necessary in a dystopian novel in order to make it likely that this would actually happen. Now, this was all revealed in the sequel Prodigy, yet I still think it important too make such things a bit obvious in the first book.

Characters: Okay so... I sorta have an issue here to be brutally honest :p The characters were all kinda... bland... I dunno they were like drones I feel like.
June was definitely very bold and smart so I admire her for that yet on the same token... that's ALL she was. She didn't really make any huge mistakes, or miscalculate something. And she never let  her emotions. Okay, some might say that this was just her being a strong heroine- but I disagree. I'm sorry, but she needs to be overtaken by her emotions sometimes. Take Hermione Granger- possibly the strongest heroine in literature like ever, yet she was still emotional and had freak out moments. Did that make her any less strong? No. It changed her from simply words on paper into a flesh and blood person.
As for Day... everyone seems to love him. And I...don't. I feel like he's a genuinely nice person and all, which is sweet (weird thing to say seeing as he's a criminal) but he just... seemed a bit like a typical male protagonist. I wish a bit more creativity had gone into the making of his character. A bit more depth, since he seemed to lack almost any.
The side characters I actually thought were brilliantly done. There is sorta spoiler written all over whenever I try to talk about them so I won't... but let's just say... two thumbs up for well-developed and important side characters.

Recommended to: Fans of dystopians who aren't overly picky. Or anyone who likes a fun book ;)


Have you read this book? What'd you think? 

The Fault In Our Stars- I Cried A Lot

I recently read this. I thought Allegiant was sad. I thought The Book Thief was sad. Eh... maybe not anymore.

                       

Description (From Goodreads):

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

My Review, Originally Posted On Goodreads : 

 
I just finished this book. It is 10:16 P.M. My brother and Grandma were LAUGHING at me, because I was sobbing, and that just made me cry more. I am still crying. So I drank a whole water bottle quickly, as if that could wash away the tears. Then I ran to the freezer and grabbed a tub of chocolate ice cream, trying to box myself in, to forget. But if I forgot, I would lose something. This is not something you should forget, will forget or can forget. You might want to. But you absolutely will not. And somehow, that is a good thing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Please do not look at this book and say that it is a romance. I hear the word romance, and I freak out, read a billion reviews, trying to find out if this book is actually worth reading. It puts me on edge because of... certain things. But this is not a story about two kids falling hopelessly in love. This is a story about many teenagers, struggling with their life which is far from perfect. Each and everyone of them knowing that they could just die, ANY second. This is a story about love yes, but this is not a romance. This is a story about life, death, love hate and rejection. How we can keep living when our heart and mind stop. Is that even possible? Maybe, just maybe, it is.

When I started reading this book, I was SO happy. I had just got back from Barnes and Noble with many precious books. I was going to eat pizza, watch a movie, read, eat ice cream, read, read, read. And the book was plain hilarious. I read aloud practically the first thirty or so pages of the book. I had found a perfect book. Right? Right?
But then, as I read, became involved in these people's (NOT CHARACTERS) life's, something started to sink in. THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT CANCER AND DEATH AND WHY THE HECK AM I LAUGHING. Events unfolded and I was getting all teary eyed in the PIZZA PLACE.

"'Well I believe in true love,' Isaac said. 'And I love her. And she promised. She promised me always.'"

My heart shattered right there. Could you pick up the pieces? And I thought I wasn't particularly fond of Isaac...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep : slowly, and then all at once."

How can you not just love that? It just drips of raw emotion, pouring out and flooding me. Because THIS is how everything should be : HAPPY, DANGIT! But John Green hates me. He sure as heck does.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cancer Is Not A Joke

No way on earth that I will ever laugh at a joke about cancer. Because maybe I have been hiding myself away. Trying to forget. Oh no, lot's of people die from a disease.
But no, everyone has a life. Things they love, things they hate. Family, friends. Hobbies. And cancer, of all things, is NOT a joke.

I find myself thinking for one second that maybe this book was to much. I couldn't bear the cursed thing. What would it be like to know that you were going to die!? How could you live? No irony intended.
BUT IF I HAD NOT READ THIS BOOK, I FEEL LIKE A PIECE OF MYSELF WOULD BE MISSING
This book changed my life. I am still crying. Stop, Layla, stop. But no. People just died. This is no longer a joke.


And so I find that I have not actually talked about the book :( This book was well-written. The characters were brilliant.
John Green, I HATE YOU. But I love you too.

Anyone handing out free hugs? I think I need one.


Have You Read The Fault In Our Stars? What did you think? Did you cry? Excited for the movie coming in June? 

P.S. My next post will not be a book review :) Something much more exciting!  

Partials Book Review, And My Problem

Hello bloglings! I am here with a book review! *claps hands wildly* I don't care that I read this book ages ago... and that I have already read numerous other books... this book just deserved a review!

Let us go!!!!!


Description (From Goodreads) :

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

My Review :
 
When I started this book, I wasn't sure what I thought of it to be honest. Intriguing premise, wide cast of characters and a unique writing style, but I... wasn't positive that this was going to be REALLY good. I felt a bit detached from the characters and the entire story, like my brain just wasn't melding with the book like I desired.

Then, I reached a certain point and suddenly I was screaming about how amazing this book was. Suddenly I would have cared if the characters died, I wanted them to succeed, I was officially attached.

Let's talk about...
The Characters :
Kira. Hm. Kira, Kira, Kira. I just can't decide what I think of you...
Okay, she was nice. She had a definite idea of what she wanted and she was determined to get that done. I can see how this could be transferred into a not-so-good type of stubbornness, but for this book at least it was an admirable trait. I loved how she didn't go with whatever the crowds did, was not afraid of standing up even if it meant that people thought of her as a lunatic.

Lets talk Marcus. He was the "necessary" love interest of almost any young adult novel nowadays. Luckily, they were not all kissy-wissy. YAY!
At first I was fond of his sarcasm and humor but it got to be a bit to much. OKAY, HAVE A SERIOUS SIDE PLEASE! He didn't have any particularly great or horrible traits, and I am hoping for some more character development in book 2.

Then... SAMM! Okay, he was THE BEST EVER. He was brave and kind and awesome... I don't care that he is *SPOILER ALERT a partial END SPOILER ALERT!*   I just plain loved him. But at least there was no love triangle, which I was afraid of at first. Nope. Kira loves Marcus. Good, because I love Samm so don't consider him for one teensy weensy second.

The World-Building :
Spectacular. I hated the world which. in this case equals love. I know, confusing, but if you have read it you will understand. I hope. Maybe I am just insane.

Anyways, neat book, though I can see some people getting lost in the LONG paragraphs, they drag the book on a lot. But I was fine with it.

One Issue : Kira was 16. LIKE EVERY YOUNG ADULT NOVEL ANYWHERE.  Bit it didn't make me not like the book or anything, it was just annoying.

4 out of 5 stars! 


end book review! 

Now, onto Layla's problem.
I HAVE SO MANY BOOKS I WANT TO BUY AND HARDLY ANY MONEY!!!!!!!!!!! I have posted a poll on the side of my blog concerning this, PLEASE GO VOTE. I will tell you what I end up buying, because even if some don't get a lot of votes, I have my eye on a few. So please just go vote!
Good-bye!

Have you read Partials? What did you think? What books have you bought recently?

The Raven Boys Book Review and What Does The Cover Say link-up

Hello, bloglings! Good to see you again. I am back- and it has only been two days! I am currently reading Partials by Dan Wells and absolutely adoring it.
I am here to review The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

(I like that cover a lot more than my cover, by the way...)

Decription (from Goodreads)

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.
My Review: 

I was extremely excited to pick up this book, having adored another book by the author and hearing great things about it from my blogger/Goodreads friends.   And, let us just adore that description. *adores* It sounds great!

Then, I started reading. The first sentence drew me in. And I absolutely adore Maggie Stiefvater's writing. It is just so poetic and beautiful, how she brilliantly ties everything together.

The Good : 
 The whole book... oh wait...

The Characters: Oh, I love them!
Blue Sargent was the nicest thing on Earth. She just wanted everything and everyone to be okay, but you see, she also needed to understand why and how everything happened, which is just like me. In fact, she is a bit reminiscent of me. *big smiles*
Gansey... I LOVED HIM!!!!!!!!! Um, yes. He was just kinda rude and condescending but he really was nice deep down inside and he felt things.
Ronan annoyed me. To death, you hear? Ew. Hate him. (Sorry all ye Ronan lovers.)
Adam and Noah were perfect. They fit the story well and, well, NOAH *cries* Adam is not my favorite, obviously, Gansey is, but he was still quiet nice.

I have already talked about the astounding writing, so I will pass that one up.

The Plot : 
Psychics. Ghosts. Welsh Mythology. Those equal the best combination in the history of mankind. The plot moved along at a swift pace and I was like "WHATONEARTHISGOINGON" throughout the whole book which is a very good thing.
The psychic stuff was plain awesome. "I am a psychic, mwhahahaha." pretty much sums up Blue's family.  ;)
And welsh Mythology? I hardly even knew that that existed. But it is great. Times 1000000000000000000.

The Bad : 
Um..hmm... the bad...? Oh! I wish that there was not so much swearing. This was the main reason i disliked Ronan- I felt like the only words he knew were curses. But, it wasn't constant or anything, so that as good.

Rating : 5 billion out of 5 stars!
I NEED BOOK 2! 



Part 2 of this post :   I am linking up!!!!!! right here


linkup rules:
1. Pick 5 to 10 book covers and give a funny/sarcastic/ingenious interpretation of what they could be saying. IMPORTANT: don't be mean! 
2. Add the blog button (above) to your post or leave a link to THIS post.
3. Add your direct URL to the linkup below (so we can all enjoy your funniness).
4. Be unconditionally awesome.

Being unconditionally awesome is so easy for me!  This will be fun!

Book #1 (try not to roll your eyes ;) )

                     

"Help, I'm a holey doughnut!!!!"

Book #2 :
                    

   
           "'Could you let go of my hand, freak?' 'No, I really can't!'"           

*oh dear, i am so bad this is embarrassing* 

Book #3 :

                               
               "And people used to think having 6 fingers was weird..."

 Book #4 :
               
                "Why is it that people are always attracted to my nose?"

Book #5:

                   
                     "' Get. Off. My. Dress. Or. You. Are. Dead.'"

Book #6 :

               
               "Your secrets aren't secret anymore *maniacal laugh*" 

And that would be it! I am SO EMBARASSED by my inability to come up with anything and actually considering not doing this!!!!!!!!! But.. I guess... maybe you can get a "that is so stupid" laugh out of it at least!

Please COMMENT! Talk to you later!

Which are your favorite? Least favorite? Have you read The Raven  Boys? Do any of you use BookSneeze?

I Love Controversy... A Very Bookish Post!

Please don't be scared away from the title. This post may be controversial, but not in a bad way :) So I say...
Anyways, I hope you all are doing good! Ian is visiting from  college, so i may be absent for longer than usual! And Christmas... 4 days!!!!!!!!
Soooooo...
         TO THE CONTROVERSY:

I READ HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND... LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!! AND... THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT!!!!!   

So, DO NOT KILL ME. I realize Harry potter is supposed to support "witchcraft." Or "encourage children to practice magic." IT DOESN'T! First things first, i will explain why everyone should read these, then explain how THEY ARE NOT BAD NOR DO THEY SUPPORT WITCHCRAFT.

               THE GREATNESS: 

                            


Oh wait...

                     THE GREATNESS: 

CHARACTERS: 
Harry Potter are some of the best-peopled books i have read- EVER.
They are greatly varied, realistic, three dimensional, well-developed and every other compliment you can think to heap on them.

HARRY POTTER:
eh, is it a crime to say, i am not particularly fond of Harry.  There was nothing about him that stood out to me. He is also very well-developed; though. He definitely went through a change in The Order of the Phoenix, and i wanted to hit him over the head half of the book, but it keeps up these books sense of realistic-ness.

HERMIONE GRANGER:
*does a little happy dance*
Hermione is my absolute favorite. She is very smart, sassy, and, well, i  like her even more since i took a quiz and i was her. i must like myself... ;)
However, in book 4 specifically, i wanted to scream  at her; "OH MY GOODNESS HERMIONE, STAY AWAY FROM VIKTOR KRUM- HE IS RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!! GO TO RON!!!!!!!!! YOU KNOW, YOUR FRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Er, yeah... but Hermione us still the absolute best :) :) :) Just like me : )

RON WEASLEY: Yes, moi like Ron. He has a very, um, humorous sense of humor (don't ask) and is just very awesome. And his rat... I love how he like hates Hermione at first. :) But RON, WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING!!!!! JUST TRYING TO MAKE HERMIONE ANGRY, WERE YOU???? LAVENDER IS PLAIN STUPID!!!!!!! See, I have serious issues with these characters... but they are still over-all awesome.

MINOR CHARACTERS: i love them all! From Fred and George, to Dumbledore, to Dobby, to Luna (Loony) Lovegood, to ginny, to Mrs. Weasley, to Sirius black... they are all amazing.

THE WRITING: Rowling writes very elegantly. And very accurately. And very awesomely. And it is FUNNY.

THE PLOT: Magic. In a literal and figurative way. How on earth these books could have been plotted out- I don't know... but I love it. There is something special. How Harry and Hermione are friends. They are more free together than Ron and Hermione. How every little plot end is weaved seamlessly into this tapestry. I almost cried in the last book, by the way. There is a reason these books are bestsellers. Not just like *shudders* Twilight, these books will live on. And honestly, though I rarely use this term, they are modern classics.

SOOOOOOO, HOW THESE BOOKS ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF WITCHCRAFT, NOR DO THEY DESCRIBE IT:

Just because there is time travel in a book, not scientifically explained, does that make people think that time travel is possible?  I DON'T THINK SO. Harry Potter lives in a world of magic. but the magic is just there. They say a few random words and move their wands. OH NO. BIG DEAL.
MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, a six year old might think it actually works. MAYBE. I doubt it.
These books have less magic than most fantasy books I have read. no joke.
And by the way, the rumor that the author actually practiced witchcraft- is just that, a rumor. Whoever created it probably wanted a reason to tell their kids they couldn't read these books because they didn't think their children were wise enough.
THESE BOOKS DO NOT SUPPORT WITCHCRAFT IN ANY WAY- THEY ARE CLEAN, AND NOT BAD. END OF STORY.


ANY COMMENTS WOULD BE MORE THAN APPRECIATED!

 

Hello, Books and ALLEGIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for being absent for so long, life has been all a muddle with Ian a state away in College and stuff like that. But, there is a reason I am here to post this. This reason made me laugh, sob, and want to die twenty times over. This reason is Allegiant by veronica Roth, the third book in the divergent trilogy.

 

I first grabbed Divergent on my 11th birthday, while I was at Barnes and Noble. I LOVED it. I even sacrificed an episode of Monk to read the book. I even didn't eat desert because of it. and my, it was worthwhile. The characters are strong and likeable, even lovable (FOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and the plot was complex and intriguing.Tris wasn't whiny or headstrong like many heroines in YA dystopians, she had a brain and she was agile. The secondary characters are much more important than most, I absolutely love Uriah, for an example. It was an amazing (life-changing...) book, needless to say.
I picked up the sequel, Insurgent, just as eagerly. It was just as brilliant, if a bit weak near the middle. The characters didn't develop a ton, but they did enough, enough to keep the book realistic. Four and Tris are perfect, even if that means four's not going to love me too much...

Then came the day. October 22nd. ALLEGIANT WAS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Grandma decided to be really, really nice and buy me a copy at Barnes and noble with (wait for it) exclusive bonus content! Score!
Then I read. And read. And read. OH MY SOUL AND MY MIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM  GOING TO EXPLODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Character development abounds, Four is there, my life still exists. Things are revealed, great secrets, until my jaw is hanging open like it will never close again. We also get chapters written from the POV of Four (!!!!!!!!!) and that just adds to the awesomeness. I was laughing, loving, enjoying.
Then, along came nightfall. People went to bed, but i just sat down and kept on reading through the dark of the night. But then things started happening. Sad things. Now, I have to clarify something for you. I DO NOT CRY WHILE I AM READING. Not at The Book Thief, not at A Tale of Two Cities. I am an impregnable fortress, who stands strong through even the greatest tragedies. but then something happened. I didn't cry. I got choked up and had to force myself to keep reading. I was cracked, but I wasn't broken. Then I kept reading, wiped my eyes, moved on. the book is at its climax. Action exists, peril exists, but everything is going to be ALRIGHT. And then...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! You just broke every rule of books, you just, you just...
I broke. Tears came out. In my eyes, rolling down my face. Muffled sobs since it was late at night. I blinked away the tears, trying to keep reading, but the tears kept coming. nothing was working. I could not live. So I sat for a few minutes. I thought about it. And I kept reading. To tell you that i am getting unbearably sad as I write this is enough to explain my grief. more tears came, though not in the same large doses. The book was over. I had laughed cried and my heart had died. I sat for five minutes, not doing anything at all. Wiping my eyes, reflecting upon life. Do I hate this or do I love it? The answer is love. Because THIS is realistic. This is what would really happen. All the characters who mean nothing don't just die, but all the characters we love live, JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE THE IMPORTANT ONES. This is one of the most amazing books i have ever read. If I ever meet Veronica Roth, I might thank her for making my life so much better, even though she also made it worse. 
So, do I think many people will receive this well? No, I don't. I think it's going to be called depressing and a ruin to the series. But to me, it is the opposite. To me it is the perfect portrayal of life and hope, while staying in the bounds of reality. This book is packed full of emotion, and I like that. It is wonderful. So, do I feel like smiling right now and being an entire fool. No. I feel like curling up in a ball and crying till all my tears are gone. But I also feel like this is something I want everyone else to experience, with my point of view, and appreciate it for what I think it was truly meant to be.



I guess this was my first book review. FUN!
Have you read this book? Did you like it? If your comment has spoilers in it, be sure to warn everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!! An exciting post coming up tomorrow!  Tell me what you think!

P. S.
Veronica Roth's official website: http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/
Divergent Teaser trailer: http://www.mtv.com/videos/movies/949128/vma-2013-exclusive-divergent-first-look.jhtml