Anteater-Boy by Dean Ammerman

Title: Anteater-Boy
Author: Dean Ammerman
Publisher: Kabloona
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 80% or B-
Buy It: Amazon

The school year is coming to an end and high school freshman Zak Dale wants a summer job to earn some money. His fish-eyed science teacher, Dr. Cyrus B. Fletcher, has a job opening but wants Zak to clean the science classroom, improve his grades, and deliver an award-winning speech to get it.

As Zak tries to prove he’s the best person for the summer job, he helps his best friend Miles search for the holy grail of junk food, falls in love with the beautiful and mysterious Mia Holmes, locates his missing grandmother, neglects his bladder-challenged dachshund, and takes a journey through the American Revolution with Darius Brown, his substitute history teacher.

My Thoughts::
It isn't on purpose, but I rarely read books from small publishers. I'm not sure why, but the biggest possible reason is that whenever I get emails about them for review I am rarely interested in the book that they are offering. It just isn't for me. Also, most of the books I haven't heard of or read reviews for, so I would have to put myself way out there to read something that doesn't seem like what I like. But this book definitely captured my interest enough for me to step out of my comfort zone.

I was happy getting to know Zak, because I always feel like I don't read enough books with male main characters. He was a fun character that had a really good and innocent heart. I really wanted him to succeed. But this brings me to one of my few complaints. Maybe it's because I don't read enough books with male narrators, but Zak seemed really typical and bland. I liked him enough, but he didn't capture my interest and make me want to learn all about him.

Not a whole lot happens, but since this is contemporary YA, I didn't expect explosions. The book went in a few different directions, including the romance. I appreciated the romance, but lucky for Ammerman, the book didn't need it. Miles was funny, so his scenes were very enjoyable. My favorite parts though are the ones that include the substitute teacher Darius Brown. It made the novel more than just another run of the mill story about an awkward teenager. It really made me think about some current and past issues that this country has with not only racism, but with race in history and what is taught.

Overall I think that Anteater Boy was a pleasant reading experience that was on the verge of being pretty meh overall until we get into history class.

Books to Come in February

These books will be released in the month of July. All links will send you to their Goodreads page.

Breaking Point (Article 5 #2) by Kristen Simmons

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Fuse (Pure #2) by Julianna Baggott

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pulse by Patrick Carman

Shards & Ashes by Various Authors

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters Ever

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's top ten is...

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters Ever.

1. Nasty from the Immortal Beloved Series by Cate Tiernan.
2. Kate from the Goddess Test Series by Aimee Carter.
3. All the main characters from the Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard.
4. Jasmine from If I Tell by Janet Gurtler
5. Ever from the Immortals Series by Alyson Noel
6. Zoey from the House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Title: A Midsummer's Nightmare
Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 91% or A-
Buy It: Amazon

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorce dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancee and her kids. The fiancee's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

My Thoughts::

I've read every Keplinger book as soon as she put them out and this one was no different. Her books always hold great interest for me because like most girls my age, I can strongly relate to them. Well, this book was a little different in that aspect, because the situation is more specific, but it was still a fantastic read. 

Whitley was a really hard character to like. She was frustrating and I just wanted to slap her sometimes for being so selfish and self centered. But I think the hardest part about trying to like Whitley was that we all have more Whitley in us than we care to admit, at least I know I do. It's hard to like someone that often displays the bad parts of themselves that you can see in yourself. But Whitley did have some great points, which is what won me over in the end.

The book was pretty predictable, which was disappointing, but the events that occurred really made me care about the characters and Whitley's story. Still, it was kind of just another classic story of a teenaged rebellion and wanting her parents to be there for her. The romance also bothered me a decent amount, and I'm not sure why, at the end, the ramifications of their choices weren't shown.

Still, with these complaints I couldn't help but be wrapped up in all aspects of the book. Keplinger pushes the envelope when it comes to writing YA, which I really appreciate. She's tackling topics that are difficult and definitely not written enough about. The book also felt incredibly real. Whitley might have annoyed me, but she felt very much like an actual person, as well as the other characters.

Overall I think that this book was a nice summer read that had a very sharp edge of seriousness that didn't take over the entire book. It was definitely a Keplinger novel with its risque content.

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 inspired by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

Nothing this week! Well, my mom said I got something, but I haven't been home yet to open it.

What did you guys get?

Contest Saturday

Here are some contests that are currently going on right now in the blogosphere that are book related. Click the links to enter them. I will try to hold my own contest each month.

Win two books from a list HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a copy of Salvation HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a mystery book HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a copy of Prodigy HERE. Ends 2/2

Win a copy of Beautiful Creatures HERE. Ends 2/8

Win a copy of The Listless HERE. Ends 2/17

The Goddess Legacy by Aimée Carter

Title: The Goddess Legacy
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: Harlequin
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 85% or B
Buy It: Amazon

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness….

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal….

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another….

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others but never knew true loss before….

Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope….

My Thoughts::

I love background stories. I really do. I love seeing how people became the way that they are now and I love seeing how certain events created the circumstances that we now know. This didn't feel necessary for Carter's books until I read it. And holy cow, you need to read this if you've read the Goddess Test books. 

We get two very different types of stories in this book. The first type is about characters that we have misunderstood. These are characters that we kind of hated or at least didn't agree with their actions. But of course we forgot that they have a LOT of history to make them behave that way. The second type is of characters that we don't know much about. They don't play the biggest parts in the main books, but this gives us a chance to learn more about them.

While reading the books to this series it was at times hard to remember that these are ancient beings, except for Kate. It was fantastic to see some important moments in their long lives that made them the characters that we see in the books. I can really say that I understand the characters and the decisions that they are making now. 

I had some serious problems with a few of the characters while reading the other books. They seemed selfish, irrational, and just plain cruel. They still weren't right, but some pretty crappy stuff happened to them so I can't help but sympathize with them know since I know where they're coming from.

Overall I think this was an eye opening read that fans of these books will definitely enjoy.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 84% or B
Buy It: Amazon 

So wrong for each other...AND YET SO RIGHT.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can PUSH THE LIMITS and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her HOW TO LOVE AGAIN.

My Thoughts::
Frequent readers of my blog know that this is exactly the kind of book that I would have loved a few years ago. Now my favorite YA books involve a government conspiracy of some sort. But I still enjoy the kind of books that used to be my favorite when I first started reading YA lit. I love taking the journey back and this book definitely helped me remember why I loved these books so much.

The characters in this book were so enjoyable. Echo had her problems, and the book was centered around her solving them. I really liked her with Noah. Noah wasn't too shabby himself. The best thing about him was that he didn't try to fix her. He knew that she was trying to figure stuff out, and he was there for her, but he didn't try to control her life.

The pasts of both Echo and Noah kept me reading much later than I should have been. It was seriously heartbreaking learning what both of them have been through, Echo especially. Echo finally remembering what happened to her was a truly touching scene that brought some tears. I was glad that she had Noah to help her through it all. I was rooting for them the entire time.

I could feel Echo's frustration of not knowing what happened to her. While reading the book I had a couple of theories going but none of them were completely right. Having people around you that knew what happened but not telling you must have been terrible. 

McGarry tackles a lot of issues in this book and does it really well. The book is very serious without it being dark and depressing to read. At the end it was uplifting because you know they are going to move passed the past and they have each other to help them through it.

Vertigo by Kristina Dunker

Title: Vertigo
Author: Kristina Dunker
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 74% or C
Buy It: Amazon

And this weekend promises to be special, as she and her boyfriend, Julian, will be spending time together at his parents’ house in the country. Nothing could be more romantic and perfect. Except that the journey there goes horribly awry, and Eva’s dream weekend turns into a total nightmare.

After bearing witness to a terrible crime and narrowly escaping the scene, Eva loses her diary, an incredibly personal book that holds all of her secrets — including details of her visits to a therapist. So when she meets a helpful stranger who seems to know a great deal about her, she has to wonder if he is a kindred spirit or something darker.

Vertigo spins a psychologically intense tale of when to walk away…and when to run. 

My Thoughts::
I'm not sure if it was because I knew what the basic plot of the book was, or if it was the writing from the very beginning, but throughout the entire book I felt this creepiness. Like something was off or that something bad was about to happen. It put me in the mood to not trust any of the characters and to be wary of every event.

Even though  I was suspicious for the reasons listed above, Eva had no good reason to be suspicious and paranoid, yet she spent a lot of the book being those things. Eventually those feelings are warranted, but I couldn't help but feel that the author was trying to push Eva into feelings that weren't justified to move the book along. Either that or she's just unnaturally suspicious which just makes me not like her.

The mindset that this book put me in made it much more interesting to read. It made it seem like a psychological thriller instead of just a mystery. But eventually this wore thin and I just wanted them to figure it out already. I mean, seriously. Maybe I just read and watch a lot of mysteries, but usually the first obvious suspect is the criminal in the end. I knew who it would be so it was frustrating that the characters took so long to get it right.

Of course I didn't get every single detail though, so once all was revealed there were a few surprises to be had. Overall I think this was a decent mystery for most, but not so good for me.

Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's top ten is...

Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of (Or At All).

1. In the past, like the 1800s. A guilty pleasure of mine is watching Little House on the Prairie and I love love love how people lived back then.

2. The future. I know this is becoming more and more common but I still can't get enough! It is so fun imagining how things will be.

3. The south. I'm not from the south, but it is really interesting to read about. I'm not a fan of stereotypes, but books like this always make me feel like it's summer and time for sweet tea.

4. The beginning of the school year. I don't see this too much and when I do, I like it. I like it even more if it is college!

5. The city! I'm not sure why, but just about every book that I read takes place in a small town or suburb. The city is fun and interesting and busy!

6. Space. I can count on one hand the books I read who take place in space. There is so much that can be said, so get on this writers!

7. College. As a college student, I'd really appreciate it. Believe me, even younger teenagers will enjoy it because they are thinking about what college will be like. Do it!

8. The Twilight Zone. Ehh? Ehhh?! How freaky would that be?

To the Cinema! #17

This post is similar to a Books to Come post, but will only feature MOVIES that I am excited about releasing. I will include trailers for your viewing pleasure. I'll probably only do this monthly so it doesn't push out reviews that I need to post.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

 

Movie 43

Identity Thief

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 inspired by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter
Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick -RAK, thank you so much Kathrin from Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic!
Stung by Bethany Wiggins

Contest Saturday

Here are some contests that are currently going on right now in the blogosphere that are book related. Click the links to enter them. I will try to hold my own contest each month.

Win any book from The Book Depository HERE. Ends 1/25

Win two books from a list HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a copy of Salvation HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a mystery book HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a copy of Prodigy HERE. Ends 2/2

Win a copy of Beautiful Creatures HERE. Ends 2/8

Win a copy of The Listless HERE. Ends 2/17

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Title: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell and Dominic Cooper

Grade: 88% or B+

 

 

My Thoughts::

So when I first found out about this movie, I couldn't really take it seriously. I mean, come on already! Are we just coming up with ridiculous ideas now to make things more interesting? It just seemed way too out there, even for me. But my friends were really into it, so I agreed to go see it with them.

Oh, I am soooo glad that I put my reservations behind me and decided to go see it. I get a happy feeling when movies start at the end. They will show the last little bit and at the end they will continue on from that last bit. I'm not sure why I like it so much, maybe it's because it feels more like a story is being told when they start at the end.

I love the way that they added in so many historical elements. I'm not all knowing when it comes to history and I'm sure there were some references that I didn't pick up on, but the ones that I did sucked me deeper in the movie. Just seeing how the vampire stuff fit in so well with Abraham Lincoln's past and the Civil War made me want to believe that it was true.

The action scenes were also pretty darn impressive. They weren't just explosions and luck, the characters in this movie planned out some pretty sneaky stuff. I loved that there was thought put behind what was happening so you could see why things happened and turned out the way that they did. The ending was also AMAZING. That last little scene where Lincoln is going off to the theater. We all got that reference, right?

2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

Check out more information about the challenge here: Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge. Hosted by Reading with Tequila

I'm going for level I again, which is 5 books from the 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation List.

Here are my choices!

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers

4. Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

5. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Title: The Last Princess
Author: Galaxy Craze
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 90% or A-
Buy It: Amazon

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.

When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year old Princess Eliza manages to escape. Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope-and love-once more.

Now she must risk everything to ensure that she does not become . . .

The Last Princess.

My Thoughts::

At first I wasn't really wanting to read this book. I mean, it sounds like it's for me at first with the natural disasters decimating the earth and the terrible aftermath. But, oddly enough, I'm not a fan of princess things, so it turned me off of this book. But after thinking about it further I realized that the revolution that would ensue would be more impactful if done by a princess, so I was all in.

I think this is really realistic of what would happen almost everywhere if some huge devastation would occur. Just like in the past when food and resources were scare, we would look at whomever is in charge and accuse them of not helping their people. We would assume that they are just looking out for themselves and their families even though they are responsible for more.

Even though Eliza questions herself many times on whether or not she should kill the man who killed her family, I think she should. He is obviously doing worse than just killing her family and he needs to be stopped. It bothers me even more because he is obviously evil and obviously evil guys in books with male main characters are usually killed. I just wanted her to stop questioning herself.

She really came through for us in the end though in unexpected ways and rallied everyone together. That was really impressive and also realistic. People in the real world just can't continue fighting and risking their lives without some kind of inspiration. The other characters were almost equally impressive and I could tell how much they cared about Eliza and their cause. It was truly heartwarming at times.

Overall I think that this book was an excellent take on how a country with royalty would react to such a huge world shattering disaster. The characters were great, if not a little flip floppy and unsure of themselves in Eliza's case.

Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To

 

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's top ten is...

Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To. Links to goodreads pages and in no particular order...

1. 45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson 
2. Me, Him, Them and It by Caela Carter
3. The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
4. The Culling by Steven dos Santos
5. OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
6. Control by Lydia Kang
7. In the After by Demitria Lunetta
8. Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
9. The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher
10. The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Title: The Drowned Cities
Author: Paolo Bacigalupi
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 88% or B+
Buy It: Amazon

Soldier boys emerged from the darkness. Guns gleamed dully. Bullet bandoliers and scars draped their bare chests. Ugly brands scored their faces. She knew why these soldier boys had come. She knew what they sought, and she knew, too, that if they found it, her best friend would surely die.

In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man—a bioengineered war beast named Tool—who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to a place where freedom might finally be possible.

My Thoughts::

I enjoyed Ship Breaker so much and I was very happy to read this companion novel. It's so cool getting a back story on one of the most interesting characters in Ship Breaker as well as getting to know some more fascinating people. Even more so I loved learning more about the world that Bacigalupi created and how some of the destruction happened.

Mahlia was great, in fact all of the characters were great. What I love so much about them is that, especially when it comes to females, it isn't some awesome novelty and surprise when the female is strong and determined. To live in this new world that is the norm, so Mahlia got to be a character and it wasn't some crazy big deal. I love this because authors never make a big deal when a boy is strong and independent, so why should they for a girl?

My favorite part of dystopian or futuristic novels is the world building and finding out how everything got the way that it is. At the end of Ship Breaker, I was left wanting to know sooo much. Since this book took place before Ship Breaker, there was a lot of new information given that cleared up a lot of questions that I had.

The action in the novel was so great. It wasn't over the top, but it was very gripping. I got to know the characters so well that I felt connected to them and wanted them to be fine. So when they were fighting and near death, I couldn't help but hold my breath.

Overall I think that this was a great development for the world that Bacigalupi is building. There was plenty of action and it was great with characters, especially Tool. I was so sucked into the novel at times that I couldn't be distracted.

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 inspired by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

Howards End by E.M. Forster
Learn Me Good by John Pearson
The Kiss Off by Sarah Billington
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Contest Saturday

Here are some contests that are currently going on right now in the blogosphere that are book related. Click the links to enter them. I will try to hold my own contest each month.

Win a copy of Empty by K.M. Walton HERE. Ends 1/14

Win a copy of Angelfire HERE. Ends 1/17

Win a copy of Release HERE. Ends 1/18

Win a copy of The Farm HERE. Ends 1/18

Win any book from The Book Depository HERE. Ends 1/25

Win two books from a list HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a copy of Salvation HERE. Ends 1/31

Rock of Ages

Title: Rock of Ages

Director: Adam Shankman

Writer(s):  Justin Theroux, Chris D'Arienzo, Allan Loeb, and Chris D'Arienzo

Starring: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, and Tom Cruise

Grade: 85% or B

 

My Thoughts::

Okay, so I'll admit it..I'm a suck for musicals. And since I played Karaoke Revolution back in middle school, I loved songs from the 80s (since that was more in the budget I suppose). Mix these two together and you get a movie that I find very fun much to watch and sing along with.

I was never much of a fan of Tom Cruise. I didn't dislike him, but I was never impressed by his performances or enjoyed the movies that he was in to any large extent. So he really wowed me in this movie. I had absolutely no clue that he had such fantastic singing abilities! And he took on the rockstar persona soooo well! I tell my friends that I only like Tom Cruise when he's playing Stacee Jaxx.

This movie had a very scattered plot going on though. Is it about Stacee Jaxx going solo? Is it about his relationship with the reporter? Is is about the relationship between Sherrie and Drew? Is it about Sherrie and Drew becoming famous? Is it about keeping the Bourbon Room from becoming bankrupt? Or is it about the clash between the protesters and Stacee Jaxx/The Bourbon Room? You see it is all of these things and none of them are at the forefront. It is just mixed all together with even more elements involved as well. 

Overall this was a fun movie to watch, if only for the amazing performances and songs and of course, Stacee Jaxx (being very very sexy..ugh..)

Winner: Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop

And the winner of the Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop (a copy of The Center of the Universe by Anita Liberty) is.....

Texas Book Lover

Congrats Texas Book Lover!! I have already e-mailed you. If you don't reply within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Revived by Cat Patrick

Title: Revived
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 94% or A
Buy It: Amazon

It started with a bus crash.

Daisy Appleby was a little girl when it happened, and she barely remembers the accident or being brought back to life. At that moment, though, she became one of the first subjects in a covert government program that tests a drug called Revive.

Now fifteen, Daisy has died and been Revived five times. Each death means a new name, a new city, a new identity. The only constant in Daisy's life is constant change.

Then Daisy meets Matt and Audrey McKean, charismatic siblings who quickly become her first real friends. But if she's ever to have a normal life, Daisy must escape from an experiment that's much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

My Thoughts::
Cat Patrick is pretty much everything I want to be when it comes to being an author. She finds the perfect middle ground in fiction and is a great writer to use as a transition between regular YA lit and dystopian. I would definitely not classify her books as dystopian, but there are some elements in this book that put you in a dystopian mood.

Patrick comes up with a really cool element, and centers the book around it. In this case, it is the Revive drug. I like that in this book isn't about her discovering that her life has been revived by this drug. It is about her living her life and finally meeting people with which she would like to share this miracle and finally realizing the secrets behind what she thought was a genuine organization.

What I really love about this book was the fact that the author didn't solely rely on the drug and the organization behind it to make the book interesting. Sure, that stuff was fantastic and was a driving force but it also had great character development, relationships, and dialogue. I wasn't the biggest fan of the romantic interest stuff because I think that time in the book could have been better served, but it wasn't central and was pretty savory at time. My favorite though, was Audrey. She was so awesome and I loved watching her interact with Daisy, she definitely added depth.

My only complaint about this book was that it was too short. Patrick added a lot of elements, all of which amazing, but weren't given enough room to grow. So no matter what you were the most interested in with this novel, you were shorted.

Overall I think that the book was kind of rushed at time because there was a lot going on. However, it was still a fun read that sucked you into the story and sprinkled in some serious and thought provoking topics.

2013 Finishing the Series Challenge

 Click HERE for rules and to sign up!

I wasn't successful last year, but I will be this year! I'm going for level 3 baby!

1. The Wake Series by Lisa McMann.

Books to Finish: 1
Gone by Lisa McMann

2. Evernight Series by Claudia Gray
Books to Finish:1
Afterlife by Claudia Gray

3. Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness
Books to Finish: 2
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

4. Jessica Darling Series by Megan McCafferty
Books to Finish: 1
Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty

5. Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz
Books to Finish: 4

Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz
Bloody Valentine by Melissa de la Cruz
Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz
Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz

Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2013

 

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's Top Ten is...

Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2013. In no particular order...

1. Read at least 100 books!
2. Finish series that I've been working on for what seems like forever.
3. Write over 300 posts.
4. Be successful in several read-a-thons.
5. Buy a lot of the books on my wishlist.
6. Read more classics!
7. Go to a book signing!
8. Join a book club at college.
9. Get my roommate to read 5 books of my choosing.
10. Read to baby niece as much as possible.

What Happened to My Sister by Elizabeth Flock

Title: What Happened to My Sister
Author: Elizabeth Flock
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Adult
Grade: 83% or B-
Buy It: Amazon 

Nine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. Violence has shattered their family and left Libby nearly unable to cope. And while Carrie once took comfort in her beloved sister, Emma, her mother has now forbidden even the mention of her name.

When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families’ secrets—and uncovering the truth will transform the Chaplins and the Parkers forever.

My Thoughts::
I read Me&Emma almost 2 years ago. I still remember the shocker at the end and the uneasy feeling that it left me with. It didn't look like a sequel would be released, so I sadly realized that the ending was for real and that was the end of it.

Even though I enjoyed reading the first book (who doesn't love shocking endings?), this one was even better. We get another narrator in this book which really helps. Carrie is so young so she's a pretty unreliable narrator, especially considering how the last book ended. Having this new narrator also puts a little spin on the story and puts some things in perspective.

So much is cleared up in this book, which makes me extremely happy that I read it. You can just feel how Carrie must feel being so young and so unsure of her memories. She is being told something from one person (her mom) who she loves and wants to trust, but she has memories that contradict what her mother is saying. Even though Carrie doesn't really think it, as readers we think she is making up memories because her even younger years were so horrible.

It was so heartwarming to see Carrie interact with the Chaplins, who are in the position that the readers are in. We think our problems are so big, but then get a reality check when something more terrible comes along. Learning about the truth of Carrie's past is very sad, but I was happy with the conclusion. Her mom got what she deserved and Carrie finally gets a family and happiness. Not to mention the surprise at the end of this book as well.

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 inspired by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

Here are the majority of the books that I've gotten since my little hiatus.

For Review:
Adaptation by Malinda Lo
Altered by Jennifer Rush
Return to Me by Justina Chen
Sneak by Evan Angler
The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Bought:
At the End by John Hennessy
The Goddess Hunt by Aimée Carter
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
One Second After by William R. Forstchen

Bought for College:
On Beauty and Being Just by Elaine Scarry
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Northanger Abby by Jane Austen
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Atonement by Ian McEwan

Contest Saturday

Here are some contests that are currently going on right now in the blogosphere that are book related. Click the links to enter them. I will try to hold my own contest each month.

Enter my giveaway of a copy of The Center of the Universe: Yep, That Would Be Me HERE. 

Win a copy of Exposure and The Namesake HERE. Ends 1/8

Win a copy of Empty by K.M. Walton HERE. Ends 1/14

Win a copy of Release HERE. Ends 1/18

Win a copy of The Farm HERE. Ends 1/18

Win any book from The Book Depository HERE. Ends 1/25

Win two books from a list HERE. Ends 1/31

Win a copy of Salvation HERE. Ends 1/31

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Title: Temptation
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Publisher: Harlequin
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 77% or C+
Buy It: Amazon

Your heart misleads you. That's what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah. And he loves me. We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. It should be ROSE & NOAH forever, easy.

But it won't be.

Because he's Amish. And I'm not.

My Thoughts::
I always get myself into books like this that revolve around an impossible romance that destined to not work out from the start. I hardly ever enjoy books like these, but I can't resist them. I hold out hope that each one will be different. And this one WAS different, which made the outcome a little bit better than usual.

At least with this book about an impossible romance, it had a few things on its side. First, the impossibleness of it all was caused by realistic factors that we don't see a lot of in fiction, very varied social constructs. In this case an famish person trying to date a non-Amish person. Second was that this was very refreshing compared to the usual conundrum faced in these types of teen romance books (Human in love with non-human (VAMPIRE)).

Unfortunately there were also plenty of things that I didn't like. I know all books aren't supposed to be realistic, but it still bothers me when they aren't and it is obvious that they aren't trying to be unrealistic. Whenever characters fall in love so fast it bothers me. There was no factor in the book that made this seem reasonable at all. It was rushed and because of that I didn't care that much if they ended up together. In fact, since it didn't seem real at all I got annoyed by Rose and Noah because whenever they didn't get to be together it was very tantrum like. I wasn't rooting for them because THEM didn't exist to me.

The shocking reality parts of the novel are what I enjoyed reading the most. The difference between the Amish and myself was startling. Not in a bad way of course, just...very different. And of course seeing how difficult it would be for Noah and Rose to be together with their varying beliefs, family pressures, and lifestyles.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book because it brought new information into my thoughts but it definitely had some downsides that almost overpowered the positive.

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop

See the rest of the Giveaways HERE.

I signed up on I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

My Giveaway:: I am giving away a copy of The Center of the Universe: Yep, That Would Be Me by Anita Liberty! Here's the summary:

Welcome to the story of my life. Well, at least the story of my junior and senior years of high school. It's a profound, touching, and hilarious (if I do say so myself) tale told through cunning poems, revelatory diary entries, perspicacious (look it up) word definitions, shrewd bits of advice, and off-the-cuff (but brilliant) insights.

You'll probably relate to a lot of it. Especially the parts about hating my parents, never feeling cool enough, failing my first attempt at the SATs, having an incredibly romantic (but one-sided) relationship with the coolest guy in school, and getting hexed by my ex-best friend who became a Wiccan. 

And if you can't relate? Well, step to the back of that humongous line. You'll probably be right behind my family. If you're lucky, my mom'll bring snacks.

How can I be who I am and who my family wants me to be when the person I am wouldn't be caught dead with the person my family wants me to be?

To Enter:: Fill out THIS FORM by 1/10

**Winner will be announced on 1/11  and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

+3 Entries for being a blog follower!

January TBR List

Here are the books that I want to read this month, in this order::

1. Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
2. Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz
3. The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
4. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
5. Return to Me by Justina Chen
6. Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown
7. Lost Girls by Ann Kelley
8. The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney
9. Adaptation by Malinda Lo
10. Altered by Jennifer Rush

My Favorite Books Read in 2012

2012 was another great year for books as usual. Even though I read less than I expected (which I blame on college), I still read enough to pick out 10 favorites!

10. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

9. Revived by Cat Patrick
8. 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
7. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
6. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
5. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3. One Second After by William R. Forstchen
2. Fear by Michael Grant
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

What were your favorite books this year?