Origin Review

Origin Review (The Lux #4)
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
INCLUDES SPOILERS FROM OBSIDIAN, ONYX, AND OPAL

Summary from Goodreads
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.


All Katy can do is survive.


Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?


Together, they can face anything. 


But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? 


And will they even be together?

My Review

So far, out of the first four Lux books that I've read, this one has been my favorite by far. So much happens in Origin and so much madness ensues. We end Opal with Katy being captured by Daedalus and the end of that book was so insane and heartbreaking on its own, and Daemon was crushed by her capture. This book picks up afters the events of breaking Beth out of Mount Whether. Daemon is obviously furious and heartbroken about Katy being taken and, as the reader, we know he's not just going to sit around and wait for her to be released. The events that occur are pure insanity and make for an extremely edge-of-your-seat read. I think that overall this is my favorite book in the series so far.

A new feature in this book is the addition of Daemon's point of view. I really enjoyed the new point of view, and I think this added a new depth to both the story and their romance. This addition was especially important in the beginning of the book when Daemon and Katy were completely separated from each other, and I hope this carries through to the next book because I think it will provide extremely important information based upon the ending of this book.

Another amazing thing about this book is Archer. I really liked Archer and I don't exactly know why. He was just the only one I semi-trusted while Katy was trapped. Archer was pretty mysterious throughout the book, which added some depth to his character and always kept me guessing to an extent. Luc's role was also more prominent in this book, which I liked. Luc always kind of freaked me out because he's a strange and super powerful kid who could probably kill me with the blink of an eye. At the same time, he intrigued me and I always wanted to know more about him and I would seriously hate making an enemy out of Luc.

The end of this book was absolute insanity. I don't want to give away too much, because, spoilers. What I can say is that I don't know if I've ever been as on the edge of my seat within the last 20-30 pages of a book than in this one. The entire book is absolutely incredible and really knows how to completely capture your attention.

Overall, I loved this book and I think it was the best in the series so far. I have Origin 5 out of 5 stars.

1984 Review

1984 Review by George Orwell

Summary from Goodreads
The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of "negative utopia" -a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions -a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. 

My Review

I'm not entirely sure how necessary the summary was from Goodreads, but I included it anyway because I always do. First, let me state that this was required reading for me just recently, as I’m sure it was for many people, and I can safely say this is one of my all-time favorite required reads, ever. 1984 is a classic for very obvious reasons, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to love it, but I'm so glad that I can say I did love it. 1984 paints a terrifying and shocking image in the reader's mind of what the future could be like. Even if this future may have already passed, it doesn't entirely rule out the possibility of it still happening. There is also the fear that this future may happen or may be happening right under noses. It makes for a very thought provoking read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The relationship between Winston and Julia was also extremely strange. Actually, all of Winston's relationships were very strange, between him and O'Brien, and even between him and his mother. Winston was very guarded and didn't really trust anyone, so that made forming relationships with other people kind of difficult. Winston's odd relationships were a huge part of the book and also may have made for the biggest turning point in the book.

My favorite section of the book was definitely Book 3. Book 3 was gruesome at some points, (minor spoilers ahead, if anyone cares) but seeing the inner workings of the Ministry of Love and the thinking of the Party was extremely interesting to me. The minds and ideologies of the Party were so twisted and corrupted that their thoughts could be highly disturbing at some points. The Party's ways for dealing with people who disagree with their beliefs is so brutal and unrelenting that I sometimes wanted to look away, but at the same time, I had to know what was happening to Winston.

Overall, as so many before me have, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and, if you haven't read it yet, I would highly suggest doing so. I gave 1984 5 out of 5 stars.

The TBR Book Tag

I was tagged by Clary at Paper Castles to do the TBR Book Tag. Thanks Clary! :)

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

Goodreads, that's just most convenient for me.

Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?

Print, I don't read many e-books, and my library has a lot larger selection of YA in print than e-book.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

I mostly choose based on whatever mood I'm in.

A book that has been on your TBR list the longest?

Paper Towns, according to Goodreads, and I think that's mostly accurate. That book has been on my TBR since I think I read The Fault in Our Stars maybe three years ago. I almost read it, but then I saw the movie first and I lost my motivation. Oops?

A book you recently added to your TBR?

I recently added Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff to my Goodreads shelf, and I added Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor to my personal collection of TBR books on my shelf.

A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?

The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove, if you haven't seen it, it's one of the beautiful ones with two layers showing and a semi-transparent jacket. It is very pretty and it has a gorgeous map.

A book on your TBR you never plan on reading?

Just One Year by Gayle Forman... I wouldn't say never because I liked Just One Day, but I probably won't read it any time in the foreseeable future.

An unpublished book on your TBR that you're excited for?

Winter by Marissa Meyer, I just love the Lunar Chronicles beyond words.

A book on your TBR that everyone had read but you?

Either City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare or The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan, two final books I am very ashamed of not having read yet.

A book on your TBR that you're dying to read?

Never Never by Brianna Shrum, because Peter Pan, whom I love dearly.

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you?

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

How many books are on your Goodreads TBR shelf?

140 books.

I nominate Kirsty at Kirsty's Bookshelf and anyone else who wants to do the tag :)

Rebel Belle Review

Rebel Belle Review
By Rachel Hawkins

Summary from Goodreads

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

My Review

With this being my fourth Rachel Hawkins book (I previously read and loved the Hex Hall trilogy), I have found that her books are best read quickly, within a couple of days, possibly a week tops. That being said, this book took me around a month to read. Between school and homework and obligations and such, I didn't have much time to read and I just couldn't justify spending time reading, so then I didn't and this book just sat half-read, staring at me guiltily on my desk. I flew through probably about 200 pages of this really quickly, and I probably could have flown through the rest of it too, if I'd tried. It was overall a very quick read and a really fun time.

Rachel Hawkins writes very sassy female main characters. They don't take crap from anyone and they know who they are and that they can kick-butt. Harper, our main character, was no different. Harper was super sassy and had some great lines, and her interactions with other characters were always thoroughly entertaining. However, in the beginning, Harper bothered me a little. While she was a really fun POV to follow, she also just irked me a little. She came off as little shallow and stuck-up at times, and it just bothered me. She did grow on me as the book went on, though, and I ended up liking her.

"Brandon's hair was a few shades darker than Bee's, more gold than blond, and while I guess he was attractive in a clean-cut jock kind of way, I'd never go for his type. Too many muscles, too few brain cells." (p. 70)

One thing that kind of bothered me was the situation with Harper's sister. I won't go into depth on the situation, because spoilers (I think?), but it just didn't really feel fleshed out. It was mentioned in the beginning, so maybe it's just because I read the beginning so long ago, but the situation felt a little brushed over to me and almost a little unnecessary at points, and it was kind of dropped once there was more drama in Harper's life. This is why I should have finished the book sooner.

"David's grin slowly faded and his fingers fiddled with the edge of his T-shirt, pulling it up and over his bicep a little. Since when did David Stark have biceps? How did you get any muscle tome when all you did was type and be annoying?" (p. 187) 

I really quite like David Stark very much. He balanced Harper out and brought her down to earth. David was so many things that Harper wasn't, but at the same time, they were very similar. David was kind of a dork (in the best way possible) and I loved every time he talked to Harper. David would always tease and kind of poke fun at Harper, which was such a change from Ryan, who just kind of annoyed me.Yeah, I'd take David over Ryan any day. Ryan is more or less your stereotypical, one-dimensional jock/homecoming king/boyfriend of the captain of the cheerleading squad. Okay, maybe he is slightly more than one dimension, but I still like David more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I wish I had been able to read it faster, because I think that would have improved my reading experience. I will be picking up the sequel, eventually but I don't know how soon I will be reading because at this point I'm just not super inclined to read it. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Top Five Book Series You Wish Had More Books | Top Five Wednesday

Top Five Wednesday is a Goodreads created by Lainey, at GingerReadsLainey. Every Wednesday, there is different top five topic to complete.
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This weeks topic is the top five series that you wish were longer and had more books.

5 The Heroes of Olympus

I wish the Heroes of Olympus, or Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan, had more books. Either would work, but I just want more Percy in my life, and Leo and Annabeth and everybody else, too. They were good characters. This is low on my list, though, because there are already ten books in the two series, so it's not a necessity in my life.







4 The Hunger Games

I would kind of like the Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins, to be longer. I feel like the series did end well, but it was so good, and it would always be nice to have more. It would be cool to see Panem recovering and trying to get back on its feet, but that's still not a top priority and not at the top of my list.






3 The Lunar Chronicles

The Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer, was originally going to be at number 2, but I think that may be a bit of a premature judgement. The series isn't even finished yet, but I can already tell that I'm going to want more as soon as I finish Winter. I love this series, the characters, and the world, so I would always accept more. 







2 The Legend Trilogy

The Legend trilogy, by Marie Lu, was one of my favorite trilogies of all time. I read this a couple of years ago, but I loved it and I was obsessed with it. I could always have more Day and June in my life, and I just remembered how it ended, and, oh, would I have loved to see more of the trilogy after that ending. For those who have read it, you know what I'm talking about, if not, you should really go read that trilogy, it's so good. I should really go reread Legend now.





1 Harry Potter

How can I not say Harry Potter? This is a constant conversation on all social media platforms and all over the internet, and everybody will always want more Harry Potter in their lives, including me. I don't think I need to elaborate further. 

Top Five Tropes You Hate | Top Five Wednesday

Top Five Wednesday is a Goodreads created by Lainey, at GingerReadsLainey. Every Wednesday, there is different top five topic to complete.
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This weeks topic is the top five tropes you hate. A trope is basically an overused plot device or a cliche of sorts. I should preface this by saying, I'm talking about all these tropes I don't like, but I still read and sometimes really enjoy books that include these tropes. I don't hate a lot of tropes, so this is just a kind of dislike list.  

5 The Only Thing Special About a Character is Their Power

I couldn't think of a shorter title for the trope, so just go with it. I hate it when a character is treated as ordinary and unimportant, until they learn they have some secret power and then that just becomes their defining trait or characteristic. I feel like a character can be special and important in their own way before they learn about this extra special part of them.

4 Female Main Character

This may be a specifically YA problem, and I mainly read YA, so I don't know if this is as prevalent in other genres, but there are mainly female main characters in YA. I don't exactly hate this, because I enjoy those books I read with a female POV, but I do feel like there need to be more male POV's in YA. Out of all the books I've read this year, I have only read one YA book from a male POV.

3 Instalove

Nobody likes instalove. Nobody that I know of at least. The best part of a relationship in books is many times the build-up and the tension between the characters, and a lot of that is lost with instalove. Also, instalove just feels fake and kind of like a cop-out. A good romance isn't just love at first sight. That just doesn't really happen, and if it does, then that doesn't last.

2 When All Characters Are Perfectly Paired Off

Again, I couldn't think of a shorter title for this, so just work with me. You know that moment in a book, when every character just ends up with some other significant character, and everything just wraps up nicely, almost too nicely. Yeah, I don't like that. Not every person, especially in high school, is going to be in a relationship. Some people remain happily single. It just strikes me as off when at the end of a book everything just works out too perfectly.

1 Unnecessary Romance

Like the last trope, not everyone is always in a happy relationship at all times, especially as a teenager. This is kind of a combination of the last two on the list. I just don't like it when the author doesn't want a character to be alone, so they give the character a relationship that is completely unnecessary and unneeded for the plot. I appreciate platonic friendships, I actually really like them. A character can have a friend that doesn't end in a relationship, it's okay, these things do happen, the world will not end, I promise.

Note: I enjoy romance and relationships in books way too much for the top three tropes I don't like to all be romance based. Oops.

Top 10 Auto-Buy Authors | Top Ten Tuesday

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly series created by The Broke and Bookish, and has weekly top 10 topics.

This weeks topic is the top 10 authors that you automatically buy books. Whether you didn't bother reading the summary or it's a genre new to you or the author, you will still buy it.

10 Stephanie Perkins
I will read anything Stephanie Perkins writes, but I don't know if I would always buy everything she writes. I would still probably be happy getting her books from the library.

9 Morgan Matson
I have only actually read one of Morgan Matson's books, and that was Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, but I do own all of her books, and I kind of bought them before I even read one of her books, so...

8 Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo's writing is so beautiful and descriptive, and I love the characters that she created in Shadow and Bone, so I would definitely be willing to read and buy more of her books.

7 Sarah J. Maas
The Throne of Glass series is a wonderful series, and Celaena is so awesome, and so are the side characters. I haven't read A Court of Thorns and Roses, yet, though, so I feel kind of like a cheater for putting her on this list, because I don't even own ACOTAR. I do have it checked out from the library, so I'm just going to count that.

6 Jenny Han
I have yet to come across a Jenny Han book that I haven't enjoyed. Jenny Han writes great contemporaries, and if that's what I want to read, Jenny Han will be one of the first authors I look at.

5 Alexandra Bracken
I loved The Darkest Minds trilogy so much, and Alexandra Bracken's next book, Passenger, sounds really interesting. Based on the synopsis and the fact that Alexandra Bracken wrote it, I will definitely be buying her next few books.

4 Rick Riordan
I have been reading Rick Riordan's books since third, maybe fourth, grade. I own almost all of his books, which is rare for me, because I use the library a lot more than I buy books. I have always bought every book he's written, but that might to slow down since there is no more Percy Jackson. I will still read Rick Riordan's books, though.

3 Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover writes some really entertaining books. I always enjoy her books and I've read most of them. I always know that I'm going to enjoy her books and they all cover such different and interesting situations. If I want to read New Adult, I go straight to Colleen Hoover. 

2 Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favorite series, ever. I absolutely adore that series, and that series alone is enough to convince me to buy all of Marissa Meyer's books.

1 Rainbow Rowell 
I love Rainbow Rowell's books. Fangirl is one of my all time favorite contemporaries and just overall books. Whether it's a YA contemporary or an adult book (a genre I almost never read) or a YA fantasy (I'm very excited for Carry On), I will read it if Rainbow Rowell wrote it. 

Onyx Review

Onyx Review
By Jennifer L. Armentrout

CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS FOR OBSIDIAN

Summary from Goodreads

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

My Review

This book was really good, and I think I may have liked it more than Obsidian. I read the two in the bind-up edition, so it just kind of felt like one book, and the way they weave together, I think they are best read back to back. Onyx, I think, may have been better, just because I found it more surprising and shocking, and it was just completely captivating.

In this book, there was more of a mystery. I felt like I couldn't trust anybody, and it was exciting having no idea what was going to happen. I was so shocked when certain events in the book happened and I didn't expect it at all. The whole book was just a whirlwind of emotion and shock and surprise, and I loved all of it. So much happened in this book, and I have no idea where the next book is going to go from here. Onyx, while feeling like a continuation of Obsidian, had a completely different tone and story line. In Onyx, it felt like there was more at stake than in Obsidian, and everything felt more important, so the book was more serious, tense, and suspenseful because of this.

Both Obsidian and Onyx were really funny. I didn't discuss this much in my other review, but both books just have this lighthearted sense of humor, that can be sarcastic and sassy at times, and is always really funny. I always find myself smiling and laughing at the comments that Katy makes. The humor helps to make the books feel shorter and also makes them faster reads.

"[Daemon] stared out the window, one hand on the oh-sh*t handle. As if my driving was that bad." (Lux: Beginnings, p. 591)

I talked about this is my review of Obsidian, but I feel it needs to be mentioned again: I really love Daemon and Katy together. They are so good for each other in so many ways. They make make each other stronger and they balance each other out. It's also great that they both feel the need to protect each other. In some books, the female character can end up being a "damsel-in-distress," but Katy will do whatever it takes to protect Daemon (and Dee and anyone else she cares about, too), and she doesn't sit by idly and stay out of harms way if she knows she can help. Daemon and Katy are so funny together, they have great chemistry, and they are just such a good pair of characters. It's also nice that the two characters continue to exist and be interesting on their own, and they aren't completely co-dependent on each other.

"The tender touch was so at odds with what he'd just said. Deadly and sweet souls- that was what Daemon was; two very different kinds of souls rested in him, fused together." (p. 758)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and the Lux series as a whole, so far. I was a little concerned at first because the series has a lot of hype, but I think that this book lived up to its hype, and I think the rest of the books will, too. I gave Onyx 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Top Five Favorite Required Reads | Top Five Wednesday

Top Five Wednesday is a Goodreads created by Lainey, at GingerReadsLainey. Every Wednesday, there is different top five topic to complete.
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This week's topic is your five favorite required reads, which are books that you had to read for school. I know that I'm posting this on a Thursday, but I really wanted to do this topic, so better late than never, I guess.

5 A Midsummer Night's Dream

Just this past year, I had to read A Midsummer Night's Dream for my English class, and this is the first work of William Shakespeare's that I have read. I actually liked this book more than I expected. We read most of this in class, so our teacher helped us decipher most of it, and I thought it was pretty funny. No Fear Shakespeare also helped for the portions that I had to read at home.






4 Tuck Everlasting

I had to read Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, for a project that I had to do in 7th grade. I don't remember a whole lot about the book, but I do remember enjoying it, especially more than I thought that I would. It was pretty easy to read, from what I remember, and I liked the story and the characters, too.






3 Killing Mr. Griffin

My class read Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan, together in seventh grade. I remember thoroughly enjoying this book, much more than a lot of what we had read in the class that year. This was sort of a mystery, and the whole class always wanted to read more of it whenever we got a chance. Also, there was a little bit of controversy for reading a book about killing a teacher with seventh graders, but that just made the book more fun for us.




2 Flowers for Algernon

I considered giving this my top spot, but I decided not to. In eighth grade, my class read Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, aloud together. I remember loving this book. I loved how the book touched on mental illness, which probably had to be something kind of controversial at the time that this was written. I really liked the main character, and seeing his progression throughout the book, and I think this will remain on my top list for awhile. Also, for those who have read it, you'll probably there are a few sexually explicit topics, which was fun for an eighth grade class.




1 The Giver

A majority of us probably had to read The Giver, by Lois Lowry, at some point in our school careers. I read it a little later than most, since I read it in eighth grade, while many people read it in middle school. I loved the dystopian world in this book and I found it so fascinating, especially after I had read so many newer dystopian novels that have some aspects that are similar to this book.    

Amulet Volumes 1-4 Review

Amulet Volumes 1-4 Review
By Kazu Kibuishi

Amulet Volume 1: The Stonekeeper Summary from Goodreads

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot---and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

My Review

I normally don't read graphic novels. I've just never been one of those people who are drawn to them. Other than this series, I have read one graphic novel, and that was Blankets, which was completely different from the Amulet series. Even though this isn't the type of book I would usually read, after reading the first volume, I will find myself drawn to these books and I always look forward to picking them up and reading the next one. I really liked the first four books I've read, and I can't wait to keep reading them.

This map is found in the back of Volume 3, The Cloud Searchers, and it so beautiful.

The artwork in this series is so beautiful and I love the use of color in this series. Their are some really beautiful full-page drawings that can be found throughout the series and they are all so detailed and so well done (some of these will be placed throughout the review, as you may have already noticed).

Volume 4, The Last Council, p. 21

In this story, a really strong aspect is the presence of family. Family is what started this entire series from the first fifteen pages and it continues to drive and motivate the characters. The love that Emily and Navin have for their mom is so sweet and touching, and their mom is so protective and supportive of them. Emily and Navin also have a really good relationship, especially since they have to stick together to survive in this foreign world that they were thrown into, and it's nice to see such a solid sibling bond in a series.

Volume 3, The Cloud Searchers, p. 31 

Emily and Navin are also exceptionally strong characters. They were thrown into this entirely new world, with magic systems and creatures and dangers that would never be found on Earth, and they take everything with a grain of salt. Emily and Navin accept a lot of responsibility and some powerful leadership roles in this series, and they have really grown up in just the four volumes I've read. 

The villains and magic system are really intriguing in this series. The magic system takes a little while to learn about, and it confused me at first, but over time, things start to make more sense. The villains are also all so complex and they all have so many layers to them and so much mystery surrounding them, which I really want to learn more about. All of the characters, curses, and magic, in general, are just so cool and whimsical.

Volume 3, The Cloud Searchers, p. 1

Overall, this series is just so much fun and, like I mentioned before, the artwork is just so beautiful and full of color and detail. My favorites of this series so far are probably Volume 1, The Stonekeeper, and Volume 4, The Last Council, but I think Volume 4 might pull a little bit further ahead and claim the sole spot as my favorite. I would definitely recommend this series, especially if you've never read a graphic novel or haven't read many before (like me), since it's pretty easy to follow. I gave Volumes 1-3, The Stonekeepers, The Stonekeeper's Curse, and The Cloud Searchers all 4 out of 5 stars. I gave Volume 4, The Last Council, 5 out 5 stars.  

Point of Retreat Review

Point of Retreat Review (Slammed Book #2)

By Colleen Hoover

CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS FOR SLAMMED

Summary from Goodreads

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’ 

My Review

Compared to Slammed, I liked this book a lot less. Part of the problem, I think, had to do with the fact that I read Slammed at the very beginning of the year, so I spent a little while in the beginning of the book just trying to remember everything that had happened. It took me way too long to remember whether Lake's little brother was Kel or Caulder (after about thirty pages, I figured out that it was Kel).

Like in Slammed, I really liked the inclusion of poetry. After reading Slammed, I became really interested in slam poetry, so reading this having having watched some slam poets and liking it more, I appreciated the slam poetry in the book more than I did when I read Slammed.

"A first glance

A first smile

A first kiss

A first fall" (p. 189) 

I liked the addition of Kiersten in this book. I thought she was really funny and refreshing, because we there aren't many nine or ten year olds who are as vocal of their opinions as Kiersten and it made all of her scenes, especially when we first meet her, pretty funny. I also liked Kiersten's mom, because she was one of the few older adults in this book. Will and Lake are so young and they have so many adult responsibilities, so I think that it's good for them that Kiersten's mom is right down the road and that she can support them.

"'Sorry,' Kiersten says to Lake and me. 'Mom says the FCC is responsible for inventing cuss words just for media shock value. She says if everyone would just use them enough, they wouldn't be considered cuss words anymore, and no one would ever be offended by them.'" (p. 10)

A big problem for me in this book was its tone. It was so different from that of Slammed, where Will and Lake faced so many problems that were serious issues. In this book, though, some of their issues felt childish and so did their fights. I felt like after everything Will and Lake had been through together that they wouldn't really have trust issues, but there were some major trust issues in their relationship in this book. In the first half of the book, maybe a little longer, I found it a bit boring and Will and Lake's problems kind of annoying. However, a little past that halfway point something happens, and that was when I got more interested in the story and that helped to save the book a little for me.

"'Lake, stop it! You're acting like a ten-year-old!'" (p. 135)

I also liked the whole group parenting/family thing that Will and Lake have. I like that they were raising Kel and Caulder together, and that Eddie and Gavin would come over and they would all just hang out. I also thought it was funny that nobody ever knocked when coming into their houses. They were all so supportive of each other and I just like the community feel that they all had.

"Write poorly.

Suck

Write awful

Terribly

Frightfully

Don't care" (p. 86) 

Overall, I did like this book, but definitely not as much as I liked Slammed. I don't think this is a necessary read, but if you liked Slammed and want to know more about Will and Lake and their relationship, then I would say read it. It's not that long and it's a pretty quick read, so it doesn't take long. I gave this 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

Top 10 Most Read Authors | Top 10 Tuesday

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the Broke and Bookish, and has weekly top 10 topics.

So this week's Top 10 Tuesday Topic is your top 10 most read authors. Going through all of the books I read when I was younger meant a lot of counting but also a lot of reminiscing about these books. So let's start with the list.

10 Lauren Oliver, Stephanie Meyer and Alexandra Bracken

I have read five books from each of these authors. I read the Twilight series from Stephanie Meyer. I read the Darkest Minds trilogy, plus the two novellas, from Alexandra Bracken. I read the Delirium trilogy, Before I Fall, and Panic from Lauren Oliver.

9 Kiera Cass, Richelle Mead, Wendy Mass, Jenny Han, and Ann Brashares

I have read six books from each of these authors. I have read the Selection trilogy, plus two novellas, from Kiera Cass, I have read the entire Vampire Academy series from Richelle Mead. I have read the first three novels from the Willow Falls series, Every Soul a Star, A Mango-Shaped Space, and The Candymakers from Wendy Mass. I read the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Burn for Burn, and Fire with Fire by Jenny Han. I read the entire Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares.

8 Sara Shepard

I have decided to start separating based on how many different series I've read from the author. So, Sara Shepard gets the number eight spot because I have read eight books from her. I read the first eight books in the Pretty Little Liars series, but then I stopped after that because there are just so many of them.

7 Cassandra Clare

I have also read eight books from Cassandra Clare.I have read five books from the Mortal Instruments series (I haven't read City of Heavenly Fire yet, I know, I'm a bad person). I also read all of the Infernal Devices trilogy.

6 Lemony Snicket

I have read nine books by Lemony Snicket. I have read the first nine books from the Series of Unfortunate Events. One day, I'll finish the last three, one day.

5 J.K. Rowling

I have ten books from J.K. Rowling. I have read the seven Harry Potter books, and three companion guides with it.

4 Beverly Cleary  

I have read eleven books by Beverly Cleary. Beverly Cleary was one of my favorite authors when I was in, like, third grade and I loved the Ramona Quimby series so much. I read eight books from the Ramona Quimby series and three from the Ralph S. Mouse trilogy.

3 James Patterson

I have also read eleven books by James Patterson, but from more series. I read the seven books from the Maximum Ride series, the first three books from the Witch and Wizard series, and the first book from the Daniel X.

2 Rick Riodran

I have read twelve books by Rick Riordan. I read the five books from the Percy JAckson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles trilogy, and the first four books in the Heroes of Olympus series (I haven't read Blood of Olympus yet, I'm horrible, I know, I'll read it soon).

1 Margaret Peterson Haddix

I have read, about, 24 books by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I have read almost everything she has written. I think she was the first author I was really obsessed with, and I read anything by her that I could find from the end of elementary school through middle school.

Siege and Storm Review

Siege and Storm Review (Shadow and Bone Book #2)
By Leigh Bardugo

CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS FOR SHADOW AND BONE

Summary from Goodreads

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

My Review

This book was so good, like the first one. I think I have to say that I liked this sequel more than Shadow and Bone, though, but I loved both of them. I really loved the writing in this book. The writing was so beautiful and wonderful and spectacular and all the adjectives. The pacing was well done in this book and her descriptions were specific and made the image really vivid in my mind.

"His voice was raw white wood, torn from the heart of the tree." (p. 418)

The writing in this book was also really funny at times, too, and would help to lighten the mood. And I actually laughed out loud sometimes, which doesn't happen a lot with me, so that was a plus.

"'My brother snores like a drunk bear.'

I laughed. 'Mal snores, too.'

'Then they can perform a duet.'" (p. 90)       

Alina progressed so much in this book. It was great to see Alina finally come into her own and accept her fate as a leader. Alina had to take on a leadership role and she embraced it and faced it head on, which was so different from the same girl who used to run from her powers. Alina is also really loyal to her country, which is an admirable quality for her to have and shows her bravery. I liked Alina a lot in this book and I can't wait to see where she progresses in Ruin and Rising.

We meet a new character in this book and, boy, is he a great new character. Early on, Alina meets Sturmhond and he is such a good character. Sturmhond is so funny and sarcastic and sassy and all of his lines are just great and laugh-out-loud worthy. Sutrmhond was super confident and sometimes a little arrogant, but he was never too arrogant or cocky to the point where I found him annoying.

"Mal crossed his arms and considered the privateer. 'I can't decide if you're crazy or stupid.'

'I have so many good qualities,' Sturmhond said. 'It can be hard to choose.'" (p. 81)

I really liked most of the book. I got a little bit bored in the middle, but it didn't last long. One thing that I didn't like, but always seemed to be there, though, was Mal. He annoys me to no end, and I don't like the relationship he has with Alina. I didn't love him in the first book, but now I just really don't like him. I can sum up most of my feelings with this one thought Alina had in the beginning of the book and I'll just leave it at that.

"I felt like I had when we were kids: capable Mal and useless Alina." (p. 13)

Overall, I liked this book and I will be completing the trilogy and definitely be reading more of Leigh Bardugo's work once it comes out. I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Obsidian Review

Obsidian Review (The Lux Book #1)
By Jennifer L. Armentrout

Summary from Goodreads
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

My Review

This was such a fun book. It wasn't a perfect book, but it was fun and an addictive read and I think it was a good paranormal romance story. This book was fast-paced, especially towards the end, when I was left on the edge of my seat and I couldn't wait to pick the book up again. In this book, I really liked the backstory behind the aliens and all of their powers. I think that part of the book was really well done, which is an important backbone for the rest of the series to build off of. The aliens' powers are really interesting and different, and I really liked that, especially since some mythologies in paranormal romances can seem repetitive and over-used at times.

I really liked Katy as a main character. She was sassy and never took any crap from Daemon, and I just loved their interactions. I also loved that Katy loves books and is a book blogger. Whenever she would get excited about books and ARC's or talk about blogging, it was really cool. I do like how that wasn't her entire character, though, and that there were other likable parts of her besides her love of books, which many of us can relate to. Katy was also a loyal character and she could be strong, especially when she was put in tough situations.

One of my favorite parts of the book was Katy's and Daemon's relationship. All of their interactions were hilarious and so great. I liked that they hated each other, but they still really wanted and kind of liked each other, and it made for some great tension between them. Daemon was a good character, because he could be kind of a jerk and rude at times, but he didn't really cross the line with Katy into him being a bad person. Deep down, he wasn't a bad person, so there always felt like there was a redeemable part of him, especially because of how he treated Dee. 

I liked Dee a lot, and she was so bubbly and personable. I liked how protective Daemon was of Dee, and that he always did what he thought was best for Dee. Dee was a good balance for Daemon's seriousness, and also a great friend to Katy.

Overall, I liked Obsidian a lot and I read it pretty quickly and always wanted to pick it back up. As soon as I finished it, I jumped right into Onyx, which is proving to be just as good and addictive as Obsidian so far. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour Review

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour Review
By Morgan Matson



Summary from Goodreads

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

My Review:

I loved this book. Plain and simply put, I thought it was amazing. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour will most likely end up being one of my favorites for the year, and probably will be one of my favorites for a long time. Morgan Matson is a pretty popular author, but, before this, I had never read anything by her, although after reading this, I will definitely be reading more by her.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour takes you on such an emotional -and physical- journey. I really grew to love the characters, and not just Amy and Roger, but also many of the side characters that we meet while they travel across America, too. Morgan Matson wrote them in such a way that made all the characters feel real, because they all had little flaws in them and they weren't perfect.

Amy and Roger also changed so much throughout the book and it was great to see how they impacted each other and made each other better people. In general, Amy and Roger's interactions were great and they had some funny dialogue together. The little things that Amy and Roger learned about each other while traveling across the country was really adorable, and it was nice to see their relationship progress. Even though this book took place over the span of about a week, it felt like longer, and at the end, it definitely  felt like Amy and Roger had known each other longer. 

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the road trip. This book made me want to be adventurous and go on a road trip in a completely new and unfamiliar place, and that may be one of the parts that impacted me the most. Throughout the book, pictures are included of places that Amy and Roger visited, which made their journey feel more real. There were also playlists included that Amy and Roger created and listened to along the way, which was a nice addition to the story.

Overall, this is one book that will always have a special place in my heart for so many reasons and I really loved it.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.