Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs {Review}

Publisher: Quirk

Publish Date: June 7, 2011

Source: Library

Goodreads

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of some very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived there -- one of whom was his own grandfather -- were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for a reason. And somehow -- impossible though it seems -- they may still be alive.

Is it in bad taste to say that I found Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children peculiar? I suppose it is, but it had to be done :P

I rather enjoyed the idea of a story that was assisted by the use of pictures. In reality, though, it ended up being a hit and miss for me. All the pictures themselves were great, but sometimes they didn’t quite work with the story. Sometimes the pictures were a nice addition to the story and sometimes it felt like the story was working just a little too hard to incorporate them.

The story itself, on the other hand, was fantastic. I loved the originality of the storyline. Riggs has some serious craziness up his sleeve. Going in I was just thinking there might just be some peculiar and creepy ghosts of children, but boy was I wrong. This story has some serious depth.

The Nutshell: Looking at the cover and reading the description you can imagine that Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has the creep factor going for it, but there’s a lot more between the covers as well. There’s a crazy fantastical story, a little mystery, a smidge of romance, and lurking-in-the-shadows nightmares. If you’re looking for a strange, slightly spooky original story then Miss Peregrine’s is worth looking into.

Pages: 352

Series: Miss Peregrine #1

Rating: Hit

Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle {Review}

Publisher: Speak

Publish Date: October 2, 2008

Source: Gift/Own

Goodreads

The weather outside is frightful, but these stories are delightful! When a huge blizzard (that doesn't show signs of stopping) hits, Gracetown is completely snowed in. But ven though it's cold outside, things are heating up inside, proving that the holiday season is magical when it comes to love. In three wonderfully (and hilariously!) interconnected tales, YA stars John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson create a must-have collection that captures all the spirit of the holiday season.

Let It Snow is basically the most perfect holiday book ever. Could you really expect less from 3 amazing authors, though? First, I'll break it down into the tree stories.

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson

Take hilarious shenanigans, Christmas, and romance; mix them thoroughly and what do you end up with? Magic, I tell you, magic. I can't even count how many times I laughed out loud while reading this. I could read a whole book about Jubilee because she's unintentionally hilarious. Plus, she's the type of girl who'll trudge through 5 feet of snow by herself to go to a Waffle House and that's the type of girl I like to read about.

Her relationship with Stuart is good even though they had a lot of unnecessary miscommunication at the end. They start out as strangers (Stuart seeming a little more strange upon first glance) in a Waffle House then progress to friendly jabs at each other, and finally they realize that being together is kind of nice. Basically what I'm saying is that it all felt really natural except, you know, for the fact that the first night they met she slept on his couch...

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green

Mr. Green presents a familiar situation: guy friend and girl friend both like each other but neither realizes. Part of me was always going “Tobin, you idiot! Can you not see the googly eyes Duke is making and the massive elphant-sized hints she's dropping?!” But no, because I've totally been there. Before my (now) husband and I started dating I'm pretty sure everyone in the entire town knew we liked each other but could we see it? Hah, not a chance. So Tobin and Duke's relationship was predictable, but that didn't diminish its cuteness.

I liked that even though there were three (well, technically four, but he was mostly just on the phone) friends the third didn't just become a third wheel left out in the cold. JP (said third friend) was hilarious and had a great relationship with both Duke and Tobin and the story certainly wouldn't be the same without him.

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle

Myracle's story wasn't the laugh-out-loud hilarious type like the other two, but it kind of ended up balancing everything out. Now, it's pretty obvious within the first couple pages that this will be a coming-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-you-need-to-change type of story, but again, predictability isn't always a bad thing.

I didn't really understand Addie. All the people closest to her are telling her she's self-absorbed and she refuses to listen and just rattles off all the problems with her life instead. Plus, why in the world would you break up with someone if YOU are the cheater and your other half DOESN'T want to break up? I just don't get it. That's kind of the point of Addie, though. She's dramatic and just does things but you get to see her grow into a better person by the end.

One of the best things about this little trio of stories is the way you get to watch them all come together. At first it's just a few references to people or happenings you heard about before, but then it all builds up into this giant avalanche of crossing paths and you see how everyone affected everyone else. It's pretty neat and (for the most part) believable too.

The Nutshell: If you want a cute, funny winter read by some awesome authors then you simply must pick up Let It Snow

Pages: 352

Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

Across the Universe by Beth Revis {Review}

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: January 11, 2011

Source: Bought/Own

Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was o mere computer malfunction. Someone -- one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship -- tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could have never seen coming.

GAH! That ending! It was perfect in the way that it wrapped things up, but it just left me with such a bittersweet feeling.

So here’s the deal: Across the Universe is brilliant. So all those people that have been telling you to read it? They weren’t lying.

If I had to pick out one thing about the story that was my favorite, it’s that there’s not really any romance. When I saw that (gorgeous) almost-kissing cover I just knew Amy and Elder were going to get it on. It just so happens that I was wrong, though. Oh sure, there’s a spark there, but the story isn’t about the romance and I loved that. The non-romance means I can go around waving this book in everyone’s faces without having to worry if they’re romance haters or not.

Which leads me to what the story is about: secrets. Lots and lots of secrets. And mysteries galore! Sure, I knew about the whole “Godspeed is a ship built on lies” tagline, but I didn’t fathom just how many lies Revis was going to manage to shove into it. Every time I thought I had something figured out I was faced with another plot-twist or mini-mystery. I admit that for a while towards the beginning I was like “MORE secrets?! When do I get some answers?!” but I assure you that they’ll come and in the meantime there’s plenty of crazy stuff to keep you occupied.

I’m really hoping we get to see more of the science behind Godspeed in book two. It didn’t really have a place in Across the Universe because of everything else that was going on, but I still love learning about (fictional) science.

And can I just say that the Season seriously creeped me out? Because it really, really did.

The Nutshell: Across the Universe is a fantastic read. If you’re looking for something with minimal romance, fantastic characters, and a great story full of mystery then you’ll definite find it in AtU.

Pages: 398

Series: Across the Universe #1

Rating: Direct Hit

Envy by Gregg Olsen {Review}

Publisher: Splinter

Publish Date: August 23, 2011

Source: Publisher for honest review
Goodreads

Crime lives -- and dies -- in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (a.k.a "Empty Coffin"), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen -- and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic "twin sense" to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.

Envy, sadly, didn’t captivate me.

Envy takes third-person omniscient to the extreme. The book followed so many characters that I had trouble remembering them all and keeping their names straight. I understand what Olsen was trying to do in getting all the side-stories to come together in the end to provide a clear picture, but it just didn’t do that for me. I got bored and distracted by all the side-stories constantly wondering when I was actually going to find out anything about Katelyn’s death.

The mystery wasn’t all that captivating in and of itself either. First of all, I found almost everything unconvincing since they ruled the girl’s death an accident due to espresso machine. Maybe I know nothing and some people really do make coffee in their bedrooms or bathrooms, but it just seemed completely absurd to me. Another thing that didn’t really work for me was The Accident. It was constantly being built up and built up and then it just seemed to amount to very little.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that it’s classified as YA but despite the fact that it has quite a few teenaged characters it often felt more Adult. Characters were often talking about the sex lives of the adults in town and their secret behind-closed-doors lives. It didn’t really work for me.

The Nutshell: My opinions are my own, so someone else might not have the same issues as I did, but I still have to say that I won’t be recommending Envy.

Pages: 285

Series: Empty Coffin #1

Rating: Miss

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green {Review}

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Publish Date: September 21, 2006

Source: Bought/Own

Goodreads

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls names Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He's also a washed-up child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin's on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl.

I’m not even sure where to start when it comes the An Abundance of Katherines. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t connect with it in quite the same way that I did Looking for Alaska. But, I don’t like to compare an author’s works unless they’re part of a series and this book is not part of a series so onto the regular review!

I really didn’t think I’d like Hassan or Colin when I started reading, but the two definitely grew on me. Colin is one sad guy. He’s always getting dumped which doesn’t do much for his already low self-esteem and his child prodigy status is one the decline. How does one cure all these problems? Road trip!

Except, it’s not really a road trip. At least, not in the typical YA book kind of way, but that doesn’t make it bad.

It’s amazing the adventures Colin and Hassan manage to have while staying in one place. You’d think they need the open road to find the best adventures, but Gutshot, Tennessee certainly throws that idea right in the toilet. I loved watching both Colin and Hassan make their own emotional journey’s right alongside the actual real-life adventures.

The Nutshell: This is a pretty terrible review, I know, but the thing you should take away from it is that An Abundance of Katherines is a book worth reading. There’s heartbreak, healing, kissing, hog hunting (where the hog does the hunting), graphing, fighting, and even a little soul searching (come on, I had to get a little cheesy).

 Pages: 227

Series: No

Rating: Hit

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts {Review}

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: November 1, 2011

Source: Library
Goodreads

Since the beginning or mankind, civilizations have fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs...and now us. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something eve more awful is happening: An ancient evil has been unleashed, and it's turned everyday people into hunters, killers, and crazies.
This is the world Mason, Aries, Clementine, and Michael are living in -- or rather, trying to survive. Each is fleeing unspeakable horror, from murderous chaos to brutal natural disasters, and each is traveling the same road in a world gone mad.
Amid the throes of the apocalypse and clinging to love and meaning wherever it can be found, these four teens are on a journey to the heart of darkness -- and to find each other and a place of safety.

(A little aside here: It talks about Mercer Hall which is amusing since it no longer exists. They tore it down a year or two ago. It’s also the dorm Husband stayed in when he was there.)

To be quite honest, I wasn’t expecting much out of Dark Inside. It seemed as if most of the reviews I read were just “okay” and it immediately dropped off under the radar after its release which typically isn’t a good sign, but it really shouldn’t have happened this time. This is a fantastic apocalyptic novel that needs to be read.

First off, Dark Inside has a little something for everyone. There are four narrators: two boys and two girls. See, we’re already pleasing both genders. Past that, there really isn’t any romance to speak of, but there’s definitely plenty of blood. Not trying to force gender stereotypes on anyone, but I will say that this is a book I’d recommend to my brother or Husband.

Now, you probably noticed that I said there were four narrators. Don’t let that freak you out. That’s actually the biggest reason I put off reading it for so long. I was afraid it would be hard to connect with any of the characters and keep all their stories straight, but it really wasn’t. It did get a little confusing with all the names, especially towards the end, but Roberts does a good job of establishing exactly who each character is in each new chapter. I thought it was pretty fascinating to find that I’d connected with each character in some way or another and really felt for everything they went through.

And I’ve got to ask, for those who’ve read the story, did you try to assign a character to Nothing from the beginning? Maybe it was just me, but as soon as I could, I was tacking everyone onto Nothing to see if they fit. I think I had it figured out by the end, but I’m not positive. If you want to discuss in the comments make sure to put some kind of spoilers notification up :]

The Nutshell: Dark Inside has flown under the radar for the most part, but it’s about time this book has its moment in the sun. It’s a fantastic read with everything from great characters to interesting settings to scary bad guys. This is definitely one that I could easily suggest to both guys and girls. Don’t yell at me about gender stereotypes either, because most guys I know look at me like I’m insane if I suggest a book to them with romance :P

 Pages: 329

Series: Dark Inside #1

Rating: Direct Hit

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins {Review}

Publisher: Dutton Books

Publish Date: September 29, 2011

Source: Own/Contest
Goodreads

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn't believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit --  more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) util the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out of his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Oh. My. Golly.

This book made me want to squee and laugh and jump up and down and hug myself. So I did. Mutiple times. One cannot contain the joy and happiness and emotions that Lola and the Boy Next Door holds.

If I’m not careful this will just be one long, gushy review, so let’s start with a list of things I loved:

1) Lola’s parents and her relationship with them. When I’d seen people saying how much they liked this I figured they would be the “best friend” type of parents, but they weren’t. Her dads are very protective of her, but you can tell how much they love her too. They yell at her and ground her and do normal parenty things which is awesome.

2) Max and Lola’s relationship. Going in, I figured I was going to hate Max since he sounded kind of douchey. I didn’t, though. No matter how much I wanted to hate him I just couldn’t. It was interesting to watch Max and Lola’s relationship deteriorate knowing that theirs wasn’t the most important relationship of the story.

3) Cricket Bell. I mean, really, do I even have to say it? He’s kind, funny, sweet and fantastic, but he’s more like a real boy than almost any other I’ve read. I love that he’s transparent about his feelings which means, yeah, he does yell at Lola (not in an abusive way, promise) once or twice because he’s so dig darn frustrated. In more ways than one. He gets angry and sad and we see it all. Plus, he’s super nice to his sister and little niece. Oh gosh, I’ve got to stop now before this turns into an all out “gush about Cricket” fest.

4) ANNA AND ST. CLAIR! They aren’t just a small part of the story, they’re Lola’s friends! How cool is that?

5) Lola. She’s so colorful and lively and real. She yells at her parents, storms out of the house, cries on her bed, agonizes over guys, makes impulsive decisions, gets gooey-eyed over her neighbor, and makes mistakes. I could go on and on, but what I’m trying to say is that Lola is someone most girls will be able to relate to. She’s always second guessing herself and wondering what she’s supposed to do which basically describes the being a teen.

6) All the clothes talk. You might think that it would get to be too show-and-telly, but it didn’t. It was fun reading about everyone’s clothes from Lola’s costumes to Cricket’s pin-striped pants.

And then the review was getting long and gushy so let’s wrap this up!

The Nutshell: Lola and the Boy Next Door will make you laugh, break your heart a little, and have you swooning all over the place. This is definitely not your typical girl-meets-girl-long-journey-to-love-happily-ever-after story. I mean, there is a happily ever after, but it’s not all about Lola getting the boy next door. In fact, she’s still with Max for over half the story which I thought was really interesting. This is one book you do not want to miss. Even if contemporary isn’t your thing, you should give this one a chance!

 Pages: 338

Series: Companion to Anna and the French Kiss

Rating: Direct Hit

Dark Parties by Sarah Grant {Review}

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: August 3, 2011

Source: Library
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by dear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...
Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

Dark Parties was a little strange. I found the pacing to be a little odd along with the flow of the story. Things just felt a little jumbled which made the reading experience a bit uncomfortable, but not terrible.

Some other things that added to the strangeness:

-- The romantic relationship

-- All the sex/sex talk

-- Neva’s constant volley between trust and hate

Okay, let me just touch on those first two on the list. First, the relationship. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT?! I can tell you what it wasn’t. It certainly wasn’t a healthy relationship. It was lust, plain and simple. The only thing Neva actually knows about him as a person is that he likes to make masks as art. The only other things she knows is that she knows is that she likes the way he kisses and he’s her best friend’s boyfriend. I’m seriously not exaggerating about this. Long story short? The relationship did not work for me even the tiniest bit. In fact, I was literally scoffing at them at the end of the story.

Thing two: What is with all the sex?! I know being a teenager means your hormones are all out of whack, but seriously. The first couple pages are all sexy times. It actually made me a bit uncomfortable. I kind of understand where Grant was going with it for the story, but I feel like it could’ve been toned down or done differently.

Now for the good. I think Grant did a fantastic job of writing a standalone (you can correct me if I’m wrong about that) dystopian. She gave the entire story body from side character personality (save for Braydon) to the back story of the world. I appreciated that she actually gave a back story for why the world was a dystopian. That often just gets swept under the rug when it comes to standalones. The story itself was good as well. There was a conflict, the main character reached her end goal and there were losses along the way. I just simply couldn’t get past all the little weirdnesses. Yep, that’s going to be a word now.

The Nutshell: Dark Parties has a good dystopian story complete with a past that doesn’t get ignored. However, due to the weird romantic relationship along with some other minor things I ended up not really enjoying it. I can’t say this is a book I would recommend, but that doesn’t mean others won’t like it.

 Pages: 320

Series: No

Rating: Miss

Eve by Anna Carey {Review}

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: October 4, 2011

Source: Contest/Own
Goodreads

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth's population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school's real purpose -- and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she's ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole lie, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and he heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Eve really fell flat for me. I’d heard so many mixed reviews going in so I was pretty wary, but I tried not to let it color my view while I was reading. Whether they did or they didn’t, the fact is Eve didn’t end up being my favorite. I’ll still read the sequel, but it may take me a lot longer to get to it.

Let’s do this list-style so I’m not writing a lengthy negative review. Thos make me saddy.

Dislikes:

1. Characters: none of them really drew me in and made me care about them, so everything that happened just felt really passive to me.

2. The world: I didn’t dislike it, but again, it didn’t draw me in.

3. Eve: Not only did I not connect with her, but she kind of drove me nuts sometimes. She wasn’t really whiny and she was mindful of others – most of the time. There’s one part where she gets a whole mess of people in trouble and that made me royally pissed off because she was only thinking of herself when she did it.

4. The relationship: It just really wasn’t working for me. It felt a bit rushed, but not because she trusted him too quickly like a lot of other people said. For me, it just felt as if the undying “love” they felt for each other kind of came on a little quick.

The Nutshell: Though I’ll be reading the sequel, Eve was a slow read that never really grabbed my attention and just left me feeling luke-warm.

Pages: 318

Series: Eve #1
Rating: Miss

(Reviewed as a part of Dystopian August which you can find out more about here)

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh {Review}

Publisher: Antheneum

Publish Date: August 31, 2010

Source: Library
Goodreads

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due -- so unfair -- on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he'd rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can't help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.
Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allen Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.
His life depends it.

Can I just start by asking how in the world everyone who read this when it came out has managed to wait so long for a sequel?! Seriously, that is one killer ending an I’m really not sure how everyone managed to keep it together for this long :P

I never really had want to read Nevermore since I shy away from paranormal and I’d heard some mixed reviews, but now I just kind of want to be like “be gone, naysayers!” The beginning 100ish pages were a little wordy for me with descriptions galore, but it seemed to die down after that and focus more on the story itself. Honestly, that’s my only complaint. I know with a book so large (540some pages) you may worry that it’s going to have a slow start or lag in the middle, but that’s really not the case with Nevermore. Creagh does a fantastic job of keeping you entertained and giving you just enough information at a time that you don’t get annoyed, and instead, stay interested.

Let’s talk about Isobel. When the story started, I thought I was going to end up hating her the entire time. She’s a cheerleader who is a little stuck-up and more than a little rude at times. But then she actually grows and changes throughout the course of the story becoming someone who can stand up for herself as well as others. Heck, by the end, she was making choices and doing stuff I’m not positive I’d do in her situation.

Can we just talk about Varen for a minute? He’s basically High School Jasmine’s perfect guy. He’s got the bad boy/goth look going for him, he likes to read (mostly Poe, it seems, but still :P), he writes poetry, has a lip ring (!), and is, you know, swoon-worthy ;] Yeah, it’s safe to say Varen is one of my favorite YA guys.

Shall we talk about the paranormal aspect? Instead of being all BAM paranormaly stuff is going down, the supernatural elements slowly weave their way into the story. I really liked that. It seems a lot of times you’re just moseying along and then Hey, the main character’s an angel and they spend the rest of the book being attacked by Bad Forces, making bad decisions, and learning all about angel stuff. Probably a good 3/4s of Nevermore the paranormal aspects are only sprinkled in instead of thrust upon you. Furthermore, the paranormal elements are unlike anything I’ve ever read before which kept me wanting to know more.

The Nutshell: Despite the size, Nevermore is likely to keep you enthralled the entire time. The paranormal aspect can’t be pigeonholed into the typical paranormal stuff like angels or ghosts. Creagh’s created a paranormal world that’s like nothing else I’ve read. On top of the great paranormal world, the characters are great. Isobel turns out to be more than your typical cheerleader and Varen isn’t just some mopey goth guy. Even if paranormal isn’t your thing, you should still try giving Nevermore a chance. What could a chance hurt, anyway? ;]

Pages: 543

Series: Nevermore #1
Rating: Direct Hit

Variant by Robison Wells {Review}

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: September 26, 2011

Source: Library
Goodreads

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfirld Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.
But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape -- his only real hope for survival -- may be impossible.

After finishing Variant I actually just sat there mumbling “but…whaa…but…how!?” for a good 30 seconds feeling all twitchy before I immediately logged onto Goodreads to read the synopsis for book two. I’m just incredibly glad I waited until now to read it. If I’d had to wait an entire year for the next book I really don’t know if I could’ve handled it!

So first of all, I just want to say that I’m really not sure how people think Variant is a dystopian. Sure, the setting is apart from regular society, but that doesn’t make it a dystopian. Moving on now.

Variant is a thrill ride from the beginning. We’re talking “buildup? What buildup?” kind of thrill ride, and it’s oh so good. I’m fine and dandy with buildup, sure, but it’s quite the treat when I can be thrown right into the midst of things and not be terribly confused. Some books like to try to start out with a BANG by going for the shock factor or throwing the reader into the middle of a fight, but Variant just starts building a subtle creep factor right out of the gate and it totally works. I was completely hooked by page 7.

I can’t really say Benson was someone I could connect with, but I admired his perseverance. If I were plopped into Maxfield Academy I probably would’ve been lulled into a state of complacency by the simple fact that they have good food (what can I say, I’m a food girl). Plus, you know, I tend to play by the rules so the threat of death would’ve had me dressing in my uniform and sitting in my seat like a good little girl along with the rest of the students. And, even though Benson was all “fight the power!” he never wanted anyone else to get hurt. The only reason he tried to persuade anyone else was to save them from impending death (I totally wrote ‘doom’ right there, but it sounded too dramatic :P).

The Nutshell: Variant is a non-stop thriller that will have you hanging on the edge of your seat (or couch, or bed, etc) frantically flipping pages to find out the answers. The tension was often so high that I had to force myself to keep my eyes from jumping ahead to find out what happened. If you’re looking for a book that’ll keep you guessing until the very end (and after) then Variant is your book. Be warned, though, it ends in one heck of a cliffhanger and the sequel doesn’t come out until October ;]

Pages: 373
Series: Variant #1
Rating: Direct Hit

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty {Review}

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group

Publish Date: August 28, 2001
Source: Library
Goodreads

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy -- and shopping-crazy -- girls at school, her dad's obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany's lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

I just finished Sloppy Firsts and all I can think is “helloooo! Since when is it okay for contemporary novels to end in a cliffhanger?! Not cool Miss McCafferty, not cool.” But of course, the sequel was published years ago (seriously, I can’t believe this one came out 12 years ago) so I don’t really have to wait that long to read it, but that doesn’t change the fact that I do not, actually, currently have it in my possession. And I’m dying here. Oh, wait, you actually wanted a review? Okay, I suppose.

Honestly, for a little over half of Sloppy Firsts I was afraid I was going to come out feeling luke warm about it causing half the YA blogosphere to throw virtual rotten fruit and hit me on the head with giant virtual books. But I was wrong. Oh so happily, wonderfully wrong.

As a 19-almost-20-year-old (not that this makes me sage or worldly or anything) a lot of Jessica’s problems seemed pretty trivial and sometimes I found myself wanting to tell her to just suck it up. But another part of me was right there with her screaming the “parents suck and my friends don’t understand me” mantra loud and proud for everyone [in my head] to hear. Sure, I may not have been right there with her on everything she ever thought, but I could commiserate with a great deal.

And then there’s Marcus. Freaking. Flutie. Sure, I’ve heard all about this guy since starting my blog, but I’ve always thought to myself “he can’t be that great.” Once again, I’ve been proven oh so very wrong. He had me all in a tizzy sometimes with his tension building and ear whispering and overly enigmatic status. And I hear it gets better. I’m really not sure if I can handle better, though. In fact, I’m slightly afraid :P

The Nutshell: Sure, the pop-culture references and the slang are outdated, but Jessica’s teenage feelings aren’t. She’s having normal (for the most part) teenage problems that most girls out there can relate to which makes Sloppy Firsts stand the test of time. This is a book about dealing with your best friend moving away, boy problems (and lack thereof), not-so friendly friends, how relationships grow and change (from mother-daughter to best friend relationships), and so. Much. More. I could never possibly sum up how great this book is. Just please, please, give it a chance.

Pages: 298
Series: Jessica Darling #1

Rating: Direct Hit

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente {Review}

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publish Date: May 10, 2011
Source: Library
Goodreads

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentlemen in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September.Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn't...then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

Wow. Just…wow.

Okay, maybe not just wow, but I am slightly awed by the amazingness that is this book. Sure, it has a pretty cover, but somehow it still manages to sit on the shelf all unassuming-like with such a magical story captured between its pages.

I’m not going to lie, when I first started (shall we call it The Girl? Yes, I think we shall) The Girl I wasn’t all too sure I’d like it. The writing wasn’t something I was at all used to, same story with the illustrations, and everything just seemed terribly, terribly strange. Somewhere between the flying leopard’s and the talking Wyvraries strange became a very good thing, though.

Now, I imagine you peering at your computer/phone screen and thinking to yourself “she’s gone right mad, hasn’t she” (if you think like a faintly British person, at least), but you’re wrong. I’ve simply been swept up by an amazingly spectacular story. I know my adjectives seem to be running away from me, but I can think of no other way to express my love for The Girl.

I’m sure many people think all the best fairy-tales have already been written but I’m happy to say that is most certainly not the case. It seems to me it’s a bit harder for things to become “classics” these days, but by golly, if I had the power I’d go around stamping every copy of this book with a “This Book is a Classic” certification. It is simply a book that deserves to be read by anyone. This is a book for every child’s wildest, most adventurous dreams as well as a book to revive the child-like wonder that we often lose with age.

The Nusthell: I’m not sure how much more plainly it can be said: The Girl is a book that needs to be read right now so it has that much longer to live in your heart and your memories. This is a book deserving of a shelf where it can live happily, be read many times, passed down through generations, and possibly acquire all the things that come with a well-loved book such as jam finger prints and smudgy edges.

Pages: 247
Series: Fairyland #1

Rating: Direct Hit

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake {Review}

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publish Date: August 30, 2011
Source: Library
Goodreads

Cas Lowood has inherited a unique vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead -- keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything out of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

I’m feeling kind of wishy-washy about Anna Dressed in Blood. On the one hand, I really loved the story itself with all the little side-stories and ghosties, but on the other, something about it just didn’t quite work for me.

Let’s talk characters first. None of them really jumped out and grabbed me with either a great like or dislike. I liked Anna and Thomas a good bit, but that’s about it. Everyone else just fell kind of flat for me, which is actually okay since I’m more of a story girl.

Now for the writing. Sometimes the pop-culture references just got to be a bit much for me. Especially when I couldn’t understand them. They petered out towards the end, so I appreciated that.

Sometimes I felt like I was thrust into the middle of a conversation where everyone else knew what was going on and I was left in the dark. I really don’t like feeling like I have to play catch-up. I don’t need things spelled out for me, I’m pretty good at putting the pieces together myself, but sometimes it felt like the characters were holding some of the pieces hostage from me.

Also, this could just be because the book I finished before this was over 500 pages, but it felt like it was moving a little too quickly at times.

Now that I’ve got all that out of my system, let’s talk the good stuff.

I really enjoyed the story. It’s very rare that I come across a ghost story in YA that’s actually more than face-value horror (such as R.L. Stine), but Anna Dressed in Blood certainly has more going for it. I mean, we’ve got Cas working through his “I’m a lone ranger” complex; a little relationship building with side characters; a ghost that’s evil, but also maybe not; and scary undefined evil character from Cas’s past. That may sound like a lot, but Blake really makes it all work for the story.

I love that Anna actually has a personality and isn’t just all “Kill everybody!”

The Nusthell: Though the characters weren’t my favorite and the story seemed to move too quickly at times, I really did enjoy it overall. Blake has woven a ghost story that’ll have you shivering under your covers, but unable to put the book down because you simply must find out what happens next. This isn’t some shallow “ghost kills people, good guy kills bad ghosts” story either. There’s a real story with history and emotions that’ll completely draw you in.

Pages: 316
Series: Anna #1

Rating: Hit

Looking for Alaska by John Green {Review}

Publisher: Puffin

Publish Date: December 28, 2006

Source: Gifted/Own

Goodreads

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapault him into the Great Perhaps.

*I would like to keep this review spoiler-free, but I highly doubt that will happen as it reached me in a very emotional place that deserves to be talked about. Read with caution or consider yourself warned.*

Looking For Alaska is the first book that has ever made me immediately look forward to rereading it upon turning the last page. My grandmother recently died and though she’d lived a long life, it’s the first death in my life that’s ever reached into my very soul and twisted it all up. For that reason, I believe I connected more with the melancholy in Looking For Alaska which leads me to believe a reread sometime in the future will open up the story even more for me.

I love Pudge. He’s not the type of boy I ever would have liked in that way, but I love him all the same. I love the way he’s okay with living in invisibility and the way he grows to not be okay with it anymore. I love how awkward and sincere and so incredibly real he is. I love how he actually has a brain and uses it to drink or smoke when he wants but to also to turn it down when he doesn’t. I love how he actually grieves. He doesn’t just mourn for a few days and commence the moving on. He gets angry and he gets sad. He gets annoyed and he gets nostalgic. Ultimately, he learns.

I’m going to be quite honest here and say that I really didn’t like Alaska. I hated the way she tried so hard to be an enigma. I hated that she seemed to refuse to deal with the grief and depression that seemed to be living inside her. I hated the way she led on poor Pudge. I did, in fact, love the way that Pudge was honest enough with himself to admit that she annoyed the crap out of him at times.

The Nusthell: Looking For Alaska is the story of a boy’s attempt at finding out what may wait for him outside his box. It’s also a story of grief and loss and drinking and first everythings. Despite the short length of this story, it’s likely to make you feel an entire gauntlet of emotions from happiness and laughter to sadness and possibly tears.

Pages: 221

Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey {Review}

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: September 22, 2009

Source: Library

Goodreads

These are the secrets that I have kept. This is the trust that I never betrayed. But he is dead now, and has been for nearly ninety years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I keep these secrets. The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me.So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a doctor with a most unusual specialty: monster hunting. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. But when one visitor comes with the body of a girl and the and the monster that was feeding on her, Will's world is about to change forever. The doctor has discovered a baby Anthropophagi -- a headless monster that feeds through the mouthfuls of teeth in its chest -- and it signals a growing number of Anthropophagi. Now, Will and the doctor must face the horror that is threatening to overtake and consume our world before it is too late. 

The Monstrumologist was not my typical read. Now, you’re probably thinking “oh, she doesn’t read horror” but the thing is that I do read horror. The Monstrumologist is more in a class of its own, though. I feel it’s important to preface my review with saying it’s not my usual read because it kind of backs my “it was interesting, but not in a bad way” opinion.

Let me start out by saying I’m honestly not sure I’d watch a The Monstrumologist movie simply because the book had me jumping out of my skin at times so what on earth would a movie do for my poor nerves? For some reason, going in I really didn’t think it would scare me that much. I mean, it’s just made up monsters, right? Oh, but that’s where I was wrong. Yes, the monsters are fictional (as far as I know), but the book is set up in such a way that you really start to believe it’s real.

The story starts with a preface from Rick Yancey himself. He tells of how he came to have in his possession the journals of Will Henry and that the journals are in fact what the story is made up of. The fact that the story is introduced by the author coupled with the journalistic writing makes everything feel all the more real. I kept imagining I could see shiny black eyes staring back at me out of the dark, for goodness sakes!

At times I found myself cringing from the bloody gore, but it was so much more than just gore. All the characters were so complex from Will to the Doctor. Will was such a deep character struggling with some serious stuff on the inside. I mean, he often questioned whether his guardian was also the killer of his parents. I can’t even imagine what that would be like, especially coupled with such a gruesome job as the apprentice to the monstrumologist.

The Nutshell: There is blood, guts, and gore all up in The Monstrumologist, so if that’s not your thing, turn away now. On the other hand, if you think you can soldier through all the grossness then by golly please do so. This story is so much more than a bedtime horror story. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of horror, but it also has feelings, just not the lovey-dovey kind :P

Pages: 434 (Yep, this is a big one)

Series: The Monstrumologist #1

Rating: Direct Hit

Amplified by Tara Kelly {Review}

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. BYR

Publish Date: October 25, 2011

Source: Gifted/Own
Goodreads

When priviliged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it...

Amplified was a fun read, but sadly not as awesome as I’d hoped. I think I’d been a little setup for failure, though since I’m not quite as big a music fan as most of my blogger friends who gave it rave reviews. Still, it was really fun (and a little weird) reading about a main character who shared more similarities with me than just a name. Besides, you know, musical abilities :P

Jasmine was a hard-headed, stubborn girl, but I didn’t really find it too annoying for the most part. She knew what she wanted and she was willing to do the hard work to get it. Sometimes I just wanted to shout at the girl to ask for/accept a little help, but I completely understand why she was the way she was. I mean, with a father as crappy as hers, I’m sure I’d have learned to do things on my own too.

I really liked the band and how the characters who made it up were really well-rounded. They didn’t really feel like side characters at all, in fact. If any of them were missing I kind of feel like the book wouldn’t have been the same at all. That’s not to say I liked them all. I kind of hated Bryn, actually. He was a big fat jerkwad and I frequently felt like punching him in the face. Veta was spunky and crazy and just plain awesome. She was definitely one of my favorite characters :] Felix was…well, Felix was strange to me. I don’t have a problem with dudes wearing tutus and pigtails, but I just wanted to know why. I’d actually love to read a companion starring him.

Then we have Sean and his and Jasmine’s relationship. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Sean. He was sexy and snarky, sure, but he was also really hung up on that stupid Amy girl. I get it, I really do, but I wish he could have gotten over her and just went for Jasmine wholeheartedly. If you’re looking for a fresh relationship formula, then you’ll definitely find it in Jasmine and Sean.

The Nutshell: Though Amplified wasn’t a complete win for me, it wasn’t really a loss either. I think most of my disappointment could be attributed to high expectations. If you’re a music lover or like books with music then you’ll probably have a much bigger appreciation for Amplified than I did. If you’re looking for something beyond your typical boy-meets-girl-and-smoochy-smoochy-ensues then you should definitely check this one out. If you love bold, strong characters then give Amplified a try :D

Pages: 293

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Abandon by Meg Cabot {Review}

Publisher: Point

Publish Date: April 26, 2011

Source: Library

Goodreads

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone...because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.
But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.
Only she can't. because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away...especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.
But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

When I started reading Abandon, I wasn't quite feeling it. It kept jumping around from the past to the present to the past again and it was kind of hard to keep up. The transitions weren't at all obvious and a lot of the times I'd have to flip back to check where in the timeline I was. In the end, though, I was devouring it.

I thought I might have a problem with the relationship between Pierce and John because the whole we-barely-know-each-other-but-it's-love paranormal romance thing doesn't usually appeal to me, but I ended up really rooting for them to be together. I'm not sure what it was about John, but he's quite swoony. And once again, the typical paranormal bad boy is not at all my thing. In fact, I'm more of cute-and-sweet-nerd love kind of gal. Maybe it's that John may have been kind of grumpy sometimes but he also just seemed kind of innocent. Like he has no idea why a girl would be terrified at the thought of spending forever in some strange guys room.

I liked that there was a lot of setup in Abandon, but it didn't feel like there was. A lot of the side story-lines will carry into the next book, but I didn't even realize they weren't going to be tied up until I turned the last page. Also, for all you cliffhanger haters, I didn't feel like the end was that much of a cliffhanger. Sure, it's not all tied up with a pretty little bow but it's not like "will Pierce make it out of the River Styx alive or will she DROWN?! Find out next time!" And no, that's not a spoiler.

One minor little gripe I had was with the way the dialogue was broken up. I don't like when it looks like this: "What," Alex asked while turning around from his post at the dishes, "do you think you are doing?" It just feels so unnatural and it happened SO many times.

The Nutshell: Abandon started out a little rocky for me, but I ended up loving it. I mean, if paper burns were possible, I would probably have had them from flipping pages so fast. If you like variations of Greek mythology then this is definitely a book for you. If you like Meg Cabot with a dash (and then some) of paranormal, then give Abandon a try. If you like the wounded-bad-boy thing then what are you waiting for?

Pages: 304

Series: Abandon Trilogy #1

Rating: Hit

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman {Review}

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Publish Date: July 8, 2010

Source: Library

Goodreads

Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual library: a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. That's where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White's stepmother's sinister mirror that talks in riddles.
When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crime or captured by the thief. 

The Grimm Legacy was a really fun read. I loved learning little things about the Grimm fairy tales and the “magical” items from them.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about Elizabeth. She certainly stood up to the difficult tasks when it was necessary, but she was just so easily swayed by everyone. Now that I think of it, in the end she was open-minded about everyone and gave them the benefit of the doubt in a good way when I certainly hadn’t. While I was reading, though, it just made her seem like she was blind in her beliefs of people which was a tad annoying. Overall, I think I lean on the side of liking her more.

I was never really a fan of Marc. Despite how everything turned out, he still seemed a little shifty to me.

I actually quite liked Aaron and was kind of rooting for him from the beginning. He was just so awkward that it was cute and endearing, even if he covered it up with anger.

I sadly haven’t read any of the original Grimm fairy tales, but I’ll definitely be fixing that soon. All the stories and the objects from them were mixed into The Grimm Legacy in such a fantastic way that despite the fact that I’ve never read them, I still understood everything perfectly.

I love the idea of an object lending library. Especially one with magical Grimm objects! I’m sad we never got to visit some of the other special rooms, but I suppose there’s only so much one can do with a standalone.

The Nutshell: Though I found some of the characters to be a tad annoying at times, I rather enjoyed the overall story. The Grimm stories are worked into The Grimm Legacy in such a way that you can appreciate them whether you’ve read the originals or not, which I really liked. Overall, if you’re a lover of fairy tales and crazy adventures with just a sprinkle of romance, then you should definitely give this book a try.

Pages: 325

Series: No

Rating: Hit

Another Pan by Daniel & Dina Nayeri {Review}

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publish Date: September 14, 2010

Source: Library

Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Wendy and her insecure freshman brother, John are hitting the books at the Marlowe School. But one tome consumes their attention: The Book of Gates, a coveted Egyptian artifact that their professor father believes has magical powers. Soon Wendy and John discover that the legend is real -- when they recite from its pages and descend into a snaking realm beneath the Manhattan school. As the hallways darken, and dead moths cake the floor, a charismatic new RA named Peter reveals that their actions have unleashed a terrible consequence: the underworld and all its evil is now seeping into Marlowe. 

The best descriptor I can think of when it comes to the Another books is strange. It’s a good kind of strange that makes me keep reading to find out what crazy odd-ball thing will be thrown at me next, though. This one, for instance, Another Pan is obviously a Peter Pan spin-off/retelling, but it’s also about an old Egyptian curse. I certainly never would have put those two things together, but it works.

I loved drawing the connections between the original Pan story (well, at least the Disney version that I know) and this one. The Nayeri’s definitely had some ingenious tricks for the correlations. Pointing them out wouldn’t necessarily be spoilers, but I think it takes a little of the fun away, so I’ll just say that my favorite one was their reimagining of the crocodile.

I found some of the characters to be absolutely infuriating, but I’m pretty sure that’s the way I was meant to feel and it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. Plus, a few of them even had redeeming moments. I’m starting to think Peter is a terrible boy after all the versions of the story that I’ve read, though.

I really appreciated Wendy’s internal struggles. At times I wanted to pull her aside and knock some sense into her, but it felt genuine.

The Nutshell: If you’re a fan of retellings with a little strange thrown into the mix, then you should probably give Another Pan a try as well as its predecessor. They can easily be read separately without missing a thing, but if you like one, it’s highly likely that you’ll enjoy the other as well.

Pages: 393

Series: Another #2

Rating: Hit