In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I received this week either by buying them from the bookstore, going to the library or from my mailbox. In My Mailbox was created by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.

But normal is one thing I'm not.

For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.

Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently.

Definitely not normal.

And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.

As far away from normal as it gets.

The Pack by L.M Preston

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that she is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens, her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. But in order to save her brother's life, she is willing to risk it all.

-Amanda

Waiting on Wednesday

The book that I am waiting on this week is...

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Release Date: October 2010

I can't find a summary for the book but it will basically just pick up where The Maze Runner left off.

-Amanda

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Originality- 20/20
Characters- 19/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Quote-ability- 9/10
Entertainment- 20/20
Ending- 10/10
Recommend to read- 10/10
TOTAL- 97/100
Grade- A

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.
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This book was freaking fantastic. It just might be my favorite book read so far this year.

Books like this always get me so hyped up. It's book like these that make me think about them for days. Starting from the beginning I knew I would love the book. We are thrown into a strange new situation just like Thomas. We learn everything when he learns it. There is just a certain level of suspense in here that is hard to come by.

I loved all of the characters. Even the ones that I was supposed to hate I loved. Thomas said what he needed to and did what was right for him. Each character held a certain purpose in the story and weren't just filler.

Something was always happening which was awesome. If there wasn't some huge action scene we were discovering something new about the Glade. The Maze Runner has the ability to take you on a wild ride which you never want to end. I couldn't even begin to guess what would happen next.

Overall I would say The Maze Runner was a fantastic dystopian read that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for something new and exciting. I can not wait for the next book. At least I don't have to wait too long.

-Amanda

In My Mailbox

Nothing new this weeek. I am catching up on my reading though.

Super Exciting Kelley Armstrong News

I have yet to read the The Reckoning but I was already sad thinking that this whole world that I learned to love would be over. Lucky me Kelley Armstrong announced that The Reckoning would be the end of the trilogy, but the series will continue with new characters. Here is part of her announcement.

"The Reckoning is the last book in the trilogy, not the last in the series. It only wraps up the major plotline introduced in The Summoning. It is not intended to tie off every minor plot thread and retire the characters.

The next book is The Gathering.Same world. New characters. New Edison Group experiment. The Gathering starts trilogy #2, Darkness Rising. While my plot line shows Chloe and the others being introduced late in that trilogy, that is NOT a guarantee until the whole thing is written."

Isn't this exciting!?

-Amanda

Waiting on Wednesday

The book that I am waiting on this week is..


The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer
Publication Date: June 05, 2010

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

-Amanda

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Originality- 16/20
Characters- 17/20
Remembrance- 7/10
Quote-ability- 7/10
Entertainment- 17/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend to read- 8/10
TOTAL- 80/100
Grade- B

Carlos Fuentes doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Boulder, Colorado. He wants to keep living on the edge, and carve his own path. Just like Alex did. Unfortunately, his ties to a Mexican gang aren't easy to break, and he soon finds himself being set up by a drug lord.

When Alex arranges for Carlos to live with his former professor and his family to keep him from being sent to jail, Carlos feels completely out of place. He's even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor's daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he's usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.

As the danger grows for Carlos, he's shocked to discover that it's this seemingly All-American family who can save him. But is he willing to endanger their safety for a chance at the kind of life he's never even dreamed possible?
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I couldn't help but laugh at first when I heard that Perfect Chemistry was going to have a sequel, and that Alex's brother Carlos was going to be one of the narrators. It also bugged me a bit that it was the same storyline as before. But of course I remembered how much I liked Perfect Chemistry and cliched romances.

Our good girl Kiara is way more likeable and relateable than Brittany. I thought she was funny and well, average. She reminds me of several of my friends. Carlos was the typical bad boy. Nothing much to say about that.

I did enjoy the story though. It was cute and romantic in a way that didn't make you want to role your eyes. You could easily tell how connected the characters were right from the beginning.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Perfect Chemistry or loves a good cutesy romance.

-Amanda

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I received this week either by buying them from the bookstore, going to the library or from my mailbox. In My Mailbox was created by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson

Destiny Faraday makes a point of keeping a distance from her classmates at Hedgebrook Academy. Routine and predictability help her stick to her number-one rule: Don’t get attached. But one day, with the crumpling of a calendar page and an odd encounter with a mysterious stranger, routine and predictability are turned on end.

Unexpectedly finding a car at their disposal, Destiny and three of her classmates embark on an unauthorized road trip, searching for one fair day – a day where the good guy wins and everything adds up to something just and right. The Miles Between explores the absurdities of life, friendship, and fate – and also the moments of grace and wonder. You never know where a road trip might take you.

Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)Adventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane

Waverly Bryson is a late-20s successful businesswoman who almost has it all: dream job in Sports PR, two best friends, and a bar where everybody knows her name. What she doesn't have is a ring on her finger, and after being left at the altar, she's in no hurry. Besides, she has plenty of other issues to tackle, including her wayward father, a new rival at work, and an ever-shrinking amount of personal time. To keep sane, Waverly makes a habit of jotting down "Honey Notes," her own brand of self-deprecating wisdom and pipe-dream for a line of greeting cards.

As Waverly stumbles back into the dating scene (no stalkers or jean shorts, please), her personal and professional lives threaten to collide. Perfect on Paper reminds readers that everyone has a bad date (or twelve), and that everyone needs a best friend to tell them, “Honey, you are not alone."

-Amanda

Burn by Suzanne Phillips

Originality- 17/20
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 7/10
Quote-ability- 8/10
Entertainment- 18/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend to read- 8/10
TOTAL- 84/100
Grade- B

"Are our schools safe?"

It's hard to turn on the news without hearing this question, and the answer is typically "no." This novel explores what happens when bullying escalates to violence, and it challenges our definition of victimization.

With thought-provoking prose, Suzanne Phillips explores the psyche of Cameron, a bullied freshman who ultimately does the unthinkable: he kills another student. As she did with Chloe Doe, Suzanne has found a way to make this seemingly dark story ultimately redemptive. But she also dares readers to look at the behavior that provokes violence as having the potential to be as dangerous as the violence itself.
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This is one of my favorite kinds of books. It's nice to read about romance and vampires but I find it more fulfilling and character developing to read something like this.

It breaks my heart to read about characters that are being tormented and bullied at school. I always want to be their best friend, but since it is just a book I can't. Instead I feel the emotional journey of kids like Cameron struggle.

As a character Cameron was pretty amazing until he decides to get revenge on someone who was just as weak as him. You could tell that he was tortured so much that he had no other choice, which just makes the whole story even more sad.

I think it takes a brave author to write about real issues that can make you question your everyday actions that may affect others. It's a big deal to me when I like a book that doesn't rely on being witty or cute. When I can real feel something for a character and take something out of the book and into real life it's just awesome.

Overall I think Burn was a touching read that I would recommend to every single teen so they can see that their actions can have life altering consequences.

-Amanda
Book received free from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Reality Check by Jen Calonita

Originality- 18/20
Characters- 17/20
Remembrance- 7/10
Quote-ability- 7/10
Entertainment- 17/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend to read- 7/10
TOTAL- 81/100
Grade- B

Sixteen-year-olds Charlie, Keiran, Brooke, and Hallie have just been signed up for their own reality television show. They can't even believe it. "You'll be The Hills meets The Secret Life of the American Teenager," the Armani-suited executive tells them, "and the hottest thing on our network." How could they say no?

But soon enough, cameras following them everywhere and interfering producers surreptitiously scripting their lives start to affect the four best friends' relationship. Brooke seems to want all the screen time. Keiran is abruptly written out of the show-and consequently the group's friendship-when she doesn't rate well. As soon as Charlie realizes what's going on, she figures out the perfect way to give the studio and her home audience a much-needed reality check.
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This book was very...different. It didn't have that totally creative wow factor but it was still very original. I'm a teenager so of course I watch a lot of reality TV. Reading a book that focused on this with people my age was pretty cool.

The characters were okay. I liked several of them and of course there were some that I hated. What I really liked though was that hate had a purpose. It totally sucks when there is a character that I'm supposed to think is great but I end I hating. In Reality Check you end up disliking someone that you have a good reason to dislike. In the end this makes the good characters look even better.

I really liked the unique and dynamic relationship between the group of friends. I couldn't help but want them as friends too. They were witty and fun. Since they were already friends I could sense their closeness and that made their fights and problems more real. At points it was hard to read but I could understand why they got angry.

Overall I think Reality Check brought something new to the YA table and gives you something to think about while you watch "reality" TV. I would recommend this book to anyone who recently had a dispute with a friend so they can see that it could be worse.

-Amanda
Book received free from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

A Look Inside: Nineteen Minutes

A Look Inside is a post where I give you a couple of quotes from a book that I've read and enjoyed!

Today's book is Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.

"You don't need water to feel like you're drowning, do you?"

"In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn; color your hair; watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five. In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world; or you can just jump off it."

"To be truly popular, it has to look like something you are, when in reality, it's what you make yourself."

"A mathematical formula for happiness:Reality divided by Expectations.There were two ways to be happy:improve your reality or lower your expectations."

-Amanda