Bloggin 'Bout Books Blog

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken joins the many young adult dystopian trilogies. The story follows Ruby who has spent the last six years in a detention camp that closely resembles Auschwitz. The entire book reads like a thinly veiled allusion to the Holocaust except it's set in America and the people are teens and younger with different types of powers (coercion, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, to name a few).  I liked this book overall. I think Bracken drags out the mystery of what happened to Ruby out a little too far. It's also a little bit too long for what actually happens in the novel. I definitely wasn't a fan of the end, but it's the first book in a trilogy, so I'm hoping my problems with it will be solved in the next two books.  Overall, Bracken does a good job of creating likable characters. It's easy to get into the story because of the characters. The plot may have a few holes, but the relationships between the characters are a driving ...

The Well's End by Seth Fishman was a rollicking ride from start to finish.  The summary of this book was vague enough that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. And by the end, I really had no idea what was happening. But I also sort of liked the intrigue. It was frustrating at times because Fishman doesn't leave enough clues for you to figure out what's happening on your own. You have to read until the end, and the ending is less than fulfilling. However it's the first book in at least a duology which I didn't know when I read it. I would suggest this book to people who love adventures and are willing to let a book carry them away. Favorite Quotes: Only humans could come up with such an awful way to turn a gift to a curse.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is an interesting look back at a person's life and deciding if life is still worth living without the people who made up the most important moments. If I Stay is quick read. For taking place basically entirely in a person's thoughts, it dives right in and just goes.  This book packs a lot of emotion into a short 200  or so pages. That worked for me. I knew what I was getting in to, and I felt connected. I'll admit that since I'd seen the trailer for the movie before I read the book, I did picture most of the characters as the actors who'll be playing them. I'll also admit that the age difference between Mia and her brother is almost exactly the age difference between me and my brother, so that hit especially close to home. Mia's (and her family's) devotion to music made me want to whip out my violin or find a piano and play some music myself. I wanted to envelope myself in music while reading this. Overall,...

Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington  was a fabulous debut mystery novel. Olivia Bloom is a new student at Wickham Hall. She's there on an art scholarship, but she already feels out of place. She accidentally befriends a boy who claims to see ghosts, and somehow, the hottest boy in school seems to like her. Of course that's all going to change when she dies. Talkington strikes the perfect balance between dark fantasy and grim reality. She also manages to capture the voices of more than one character in first person. It's hard to do multiple characters in first person and make them seem unique, but Talkington nails it. The only part of the story I didn't particularly enjoy was the romance. It obviously took a back seat to the mysterious part of the plot which I appreciated, but it made the romance seem like it was under developed. I didn't believe in the relationship. Over all, I'd recommend this to fans of ghost stories and murder mysteries.

Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction with David Aja and Javier Pulido is a delightful look into the world of one of the underrated Avengers.  I get tired of hearing people talk about the characters from the Avengers movie and leaving Hawkeye (Clint Barton) for the last in the line of their favorite heroes. Clint is freaking awesome. It's not his fault that his screen time was minimal and that he was a minion for half of the movie. My Life as a Weapon is a look at what Clint does outside of the Avengers. It's a wild and crazy life for someone with no "super skill" and normal human healing and strength. What amazes me--as usual when it comes to graphic novels and comics--is the amount of depth that can be shown between pictures and words. I feel like I just read enough for two or three movies/books, but it's a 136 page book. I thought I could read this at my work and not have to buy it, but after I read the first two comics, I had to take this g...

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater was a bit of a let-down.  Shiver is the first in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. It's a dual narrative, switching perspective between Grace and Sam. Sam is a werewolf--but not your traditional werewolf. He can't switch back and forth at will. His change is forced by the cold. Grace is a human who has been in love with the wolves around her house since she was attacked as a child. An accident brings them together, and once they're together they're unwilling to let each other go. I'm not sure why exactly Shiver didn't do it for me. I mean, I was promised werewolves, but that was a little lacking. The entire book is more about Grace and Sam's love for each other than the fact that there are werewolves. I mean, I was promised a love story, and I wasn't super enthusiastic about that either. It felt a little bit contrived. And it was based around a little bit of a hero-loving complex.  Overall, I just felt a litt...

The Titan's Curse (the 3rd installment in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series) by Rick Riordan is a fun-filled adventure.  I will admit that I had to struggle to remember bits of the second book (It's been over two years since I read The Sea of Monsters!), but Riordan does a good job of reminding readers of the important plot points. I read this book in an evening, and I really enjoyed it. I'm excited to read the final two novels in the series! I feel pretty solid about this series. I don't love it, and I don't feel like I immediately have to pick up the next two (although I will since I'm borrowing them from a friend), but it's enjoyable. I can see how younger readers would really empathize with the characters and feel the deep connection that I'm missing. Prequel / Sequel Challenge Points : 60 pts + 2 = 62 points!

I was a wee bit underwhelmed by Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. Maybe it's that I grew up in Montana where the most exciting night you can have involves Civil War Beer Pong and costumes or getting your truck stuck in a ditch. (This may be two sides of the same coin, although not with most of my friends.) Maybe it's that I found Norah annoying but weirdly relateable? Or maybe it's that I apparently don't know (or like???) enough "Punk" music? I have no idea. I guess I just was expecting so much more. And it's been several years since I've seen the movie, but I really remember liking it quite a lot. So I'm not sure why the book just didn't do it for me. Although if I went back and watched the movie now, I'd probably be angry with things they changed. I guess there's no pleasing me. (But if you've been around, you know that's the case, haha)

I've been trying to think of a way to describe my feelings for Rainbow Rowell's Landline for literally hours. And I just...can't. Every thing I write seems insufficient to explain my feelings for the book. So I'm going to try something a bit different for this review. This is gonna get a little personal. Dear Rainbow Rowell, It's been a year. One year, more or less exactly, since I read Eleanor & Park -- the first book of yours that I read. I had recently been let go from a job which I didn't adore, but I'd been hoping to work at for at least two years, and I was working an extremely part-time minimum wage job. Eleanor & Park made me like life again. It was five months until I read another one of your books. I had found a full time job which I adored, but it was Christmas / New Year's time, and I was spending it all away from my family for the first time in my life. I'd received a copy of Fangirl for Christmas (which I was ecstatic ab...

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo was another wondrous journey through DiCamillo's poignant view of life. The Magician's Elephant tells the tale of a young orphan named Peter and an elephant which is accidentally summoned by a magician. How do the two connect? Through at least seven other characters.  DiCamillo connects each individual flawlessly. She connects every single character to their dreams.  I wasn't as fond of this one as her others, but it was still a delightful read about achieving the impossible and trusting the universe to work even when it seems like it won't.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin was just as mind-bending and interesting as the first book in the series. I'm going to be real honest here and admit that I basically read this one in two sittings. If I hadn't had to go celebrate the Fourth of July, I definitely would have finished it in one. I'm still reeling a little from finishing this book. To be fair, I devoured both books in three days, so I think I deserve a little WTFing right now. This sequel took so many unexpected turns from the original book that I have no idea what's happening or what's going to happen, but in a good way? Like the first thing I did when I finished it was to text my friend who had pushed it on me in the first place (heyyyyyy Melissa!). I can't wait for The Retribution of Mara Dyer to hopefully clear some things up for me in the future (November!!). As it is, I can feel I'm going to spend a lot of time thinking about this one. Fans of the first one should reall...