Do you want to be popular? Everyone wants to be popular or at least, Stephanie Landry does. Steph's been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier. Does being popular matter? It matters very much to Steph. That's why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She's got a secret weapon: an old book called what else? How to Be Popular. What does it take to be popular? All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she'll be partying with the It Crowd (including school quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason (now kind of hot, but still), whose passion for astronomy Steph once shared. Who needs red dwarves when you're invited to the hottest parties in town? But don't forget the most important thing about popularity! It's easy to become popular. What isn't so easy? Staying that way.
This book was a perfect summer read. I think I finished it in two days flat (between working and hitting the beach that's pretty good for me!). This isn't my first Meg Cabot read so I already had high expectations and this book met them. I'm not sure what it is about her writing, but it just connects with me; making her books super easy to read without getting bored or sidetracked.
All the characters are solid. Even the side characters are intriguing, so when it wasn't focused all on Steph I was still entertained. I liked the idea of a girl standing up for herself, especially after she was bullied for 5 years for essentially no reason. It is a bit of a stretch for me to believe that after 5 years someone is finally done taking everyone else's crap and ready to fight back just because she found a book on how to be popular, but I guess anything is possible.
The overall plot is not newsworthy. The 'twist' at the end is what you're expecting as the reader so it is satisfactory but predictable. Overall, I really liked this book. It was fun to read about instant messaging like it was a 'hot new thing' and the fashion described was such a throwback that I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Steph's everyday life.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Sixteen-year-old Delilah is finally united with Oliver—a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairy tale. There are, however, complications now that Oliver has been able to enter the real world. To exist in Delilah’s world, Oliver must take the place of a regular boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to take Oliver’s role in Delilah’s favorite book. In this multi-layered universe, the line between what is on the page and what is possible is blurred, but all must be resolved for the characters to live happily ever after. Includes twelve full-color illustrations, and black-and-white decorations throughout.
Full of humor and witty commentary about life, OFF THE PAGE is a stand-alone novel as well as a companion to the authors’ bestseller Between the Lines, and is perfect for readers looking for a fairy tale ending. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot are sure to appreciate this novel about love, romance, and relationships.
First, Off the Page is NOT a stand-alone novel. As much as I am indifferent about the first book (Between the Lines) you need those chapters to help understand the characters in Off the Page. Like every other sequel out there this book recaps what happened before and how all the characters are related but those one-liners are not enough to keep up with the ever-changing POVs in this book. Second, I am a HUGE Meg Cabot fan and I don't hate this book but I don't really 'appreciate' it either. I strongly disagree with whoever wrote this summary blurb.
Moving on, Off the Page starts where we left our characters at the end of Between the Lines: there was a happy ending and apparently that wasn't good enough. About halfway through Off the Page I started to wonder why this book even exists. Oliver and Delilah couldn't just live happily ever after? Especially considering nothing happens in the first 200-ish pages of this book. Oliver has to assimilate to high school (cue cliche of instant popularity because he's different yet so interesting) and Edgar is struggling with his choice of being the fairy tale's new main character/action hero. All of this has been done before (in one way or another) so I don't understand why we wasted half the book before getting to the actual conflict: the book wants Oliver back...which is again, predictable.
On top of the one-note-ness that is this sequel, Delilah is still her annoying loner self, feeling super insecure about everything while Oliver is just hanging out, doing a horrible job of convincing his author (Edgar's mother) that he IS Edgar. But I guess she is a bit preoccupied because of her *spoiler alert* CANCER!! I swear this book is just creating problems to solve instead of having an original, organic storyline.
So after a whole lot more of plot-fluffing our characters finally all get what they wanted...except Jules. Literally everyone gets a happy ending except the girl who is the loyal best friend and helps out whenever she can - no questions asked - yep, she gets screwed in the end. And the best part is, they all just accept that. Delilah understands more than anyone what fresh level of hell Jules is experiencing but does NOTHING ABOUT IT. SHE IS A HORRIBLE FRIEND! And as far as I know there isn't another spin off where Jules and Edgar can finally be together, so that's it. Apparently the only characters that matter are Delilah and Oliver. If those two could have been more accepting of the hand they were each dealt in life then everyone could have been spared additional and unnecessary suffering.
Also, the amount of plot holes is astounding! When the book ends, it seems like Edgar can be happy because his mom is totally healthy and they can live together forever. Literally forever - the book will NOT let them die. This seems ridiculous to me because obviously no one wants their mom to die of cancer, but life happens. Had there been no book-switch, Edgar would have had Jules to console him and help him move on with his life and they could have lived happily ever after...but nope! Edgar decides to live with his mom in a world he repeatedly said he didn't like when he was stuck in there the first time and this is just suddenly ok??
It also seems strange to me that the one real-life couple doesn't get to end up together...Jules and Edgar are both real people in the real world, but they have to spend the rest of their lives connecting through a fairy tale.
The blatantly obvious holes in this story frustrate me so for the sake of sanity I will stop pointing out all the flaws and just say one last thing: clearly I was never into fairy tales, but if they peak your interest then this is the book for you - it was NOT the book for me.
Sixteen-year-old Delilah is finally united with Oliver—a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairy tale. There are, however, complications now that Oliver has been able to enter the real world. To exist in Delilah’s world, Oliver must take the place of a regular boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to take Oliver’s role in Delilah’s favorite book. In this multi-layered universe, the line between what is on the page and what is possible is blurred, but all must be resolved for the characters to live happily ever after. Includes twelve full-color illustrations, and black-and-white decorations throughout.
Full of humor and witty commentary about life, OFF THE PAGE is a stand-alone novel as well as a companion to the authors’ bestseller Between the Lines, and is perfect for readers looking for a fairy tale ending. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot are sure to appreciate this novel about love, romance, and relationships.
First, Off the Page is NOT a stand-alone novel. As much as I am indifferent about the first book (Between the Lines) you need those chapters to help understand the characters in Off the Page. Like every other sequel out there this book recaps what happened before and how all the characters are related but those one-liners are not enough to keep up with the ever-changing POVs in this book. Second, I am a HUGE Meg Cabot fan and I don't hate this book but I don't really 'appreciate' it either. I strongly disagree with whoever wrote this summary blurb.
Moving on, Off the Page starts where we left our characters at the end of Between the Lines: there was a happy ending and apparently that wasn't good enough. About halfway through Off the Page I started to wonder why this book even exists. Oliver and Delilah couldn't just live happily ever after? Especially considering nothing happens in the first 200-ish pages of this book. Oliver has to assimilate to high school (cue cliche of instant popularity because he's different yet so interesting) and Edgar is struggling with his choice of being the fairy tale's new main character/action hero. All of this has been done before (in one way or another) so I don't understand why we wasted half the book before getting to the actual conflict: the book wants Oliver back...which is again, predictable.
On top of the one-note-ness that is this sequel, Delilah is still her annoying loner self, feeling super insecure about everything while Oliver is just hanging out, doing a horrible job of convincing his author (Edgar's mother) that he IS Edgar. But I guess she is a bit preoccupied because of her *spoiler alert* CANCER!! I swear this book is just creating problems to solve instead of having an original, organic storyline.
So after a whole lot more of plot-fluffing our characters finally all get what they wanted...except Jules. Literally everyone gets a happy ending except the girl who is the loyal best friend and helps out whenever she can - no questions asked - yep, she gets screwed in the end. And the best part is, they all just accept that. Delilah understands more than anyone what fresh level of hell Jules is experiencing but does NOTHING ABOUT IT. SHE IS A HORRIBLE FRIEND! And as far as I know there isn't another spin off where Jules and Edgar can finally be together, so that's it. Apparently the only characters that matter are Delilah and Oliver. If those two could have been more accepting of the hand they were each dealt in life then everyone could have been spared additional and unnecessary suffering.
Also, the amount of plot holes is astounding! When the book ends, it seems like Edgar can be happy because his mom is totally healthy and they can live together forever. Literally forever - the book will NOT let them die. This seems ridiculous to me because obviously no one wants their mom to die of cancer, but life happens. Had there been no book-switch, Edgar would have had Jules to console him and help him move on with his life and they could have lived happily ever after...but nope! Edgar decides to live with his mom in a world he repeatedly said he didn't like when he was stuck in there the first time and this is just suddenly ok??
It also seems strange to me that the one real-life couple doesn't get to end up together...Jules and Edgar are both real people in the real world, but they have to spend the rest of their lives connecting through a fairy tale.
The blatantly obvious holes in this story frustrate me so for the sake of sanity I will stop pointing out all the flaws and just say one last thing: clearly I was never into fairy tales, but if they peak your interest then this is the book for you - it was NOT the book for me.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
This book peaked my interest after the companion book (Off the Page) was recently released. I had never heard of either but once the new installment starting popping up on shelves everywhere I had to know what I was missing.
Between the Lines, in my opinion, is a parody of a book. It actually makes fun of readers keeping their heads poked in between the pages (which then made me feel self-conscious) but in an endearing way. I will say I hated the colored text. It was helpful in reminding me who was narrating but other than that it made my eyes hurt (who picks lime green and lilac as text colors?!!?) And the little pictures on the side were cheesy. I can imagine a girl blowing a kiss by myself thank you. It distracted me from actually reading and that was just annoying.
The book as a whole was cute. Even if the whole idea of pulling things out of the pages was a little abstract it was still different from what I'm used to reading. That being said I don't think I would re-read this again...ever. It was too heavily based on the fairy tale that we don't get to read! I almost wish the whole fairy tale was a prequel or excerpt at the end of the actual book. There would be a chapter of fairy tale, one of Oliver (where he explains all about what's going to happen in the fairy tale), and one of Delilah (where she foreshadows what's going to happen in the fairy tale). Why should I bother reading the chunks of fake book when you've already told me what was going to happen and I don't get to read the whole thing anyway?
Other than that, no major complaints...except I can never seem to read more than 30 pages at a time without putting the book down and doing something else. I don't know what it is but it just won't hold my attention. And it doesn't help that Delilah seems to act a lot younger than she supposedly is: a high school freshman. I don't know how old Samantha van Leer was when she helped co-write this book but if it was 12 that would explain so much.
I can comfortably give this book 3 stars; it wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. This book is written for 13-year-old girls, so if that's you then, GREAT!, give this book a try. If not, then maybe pass on this one.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
This book peaked my interest after the companion book (Off the Page) was recently released. I had never heard of either but once the new installment starting popping up on shelves everywhere I had to know what I was missing.
Between the Lines, in my opinion, is a parody of a book. It actually makes fun of readers keeping their heads poked in between the pages (which then made me feel self-conscious) but in an endearing way. I will say I hated the colored text. It was helpful in reminding me who was narrating but other than that it made my eyes hurt (who picks lime green and lilac as text colors?!!?) And the little pictures on the side were cheesy. I can imagine a girl blowing a kiss by myself thank you. It distracted me from actually reading and that was just annoying.
The book as a whole was cute. Even if the whole idea of pulling things out of the pages was a little abstract it was still different from what I'm used to reading. That being said I don't think I would re-read this again...ever. It was too heavily based on the fairy tale that we don't get to read! I almost wish the whole fairy tale was a prequel or excerpt at the end of the actual book. There would be a chapter of fairy tale, one of Oliver (where he explains all about what's going to happen in the fairy tale), and one of Delilah (where she foreshadows what's going to happen in the fairy tale). Why should I bother reading the chunks of fake book when you've already told me what was going to happen and I don't get to read the whole thing anyway?
Other than that, no major complaints...except I can never seem to read more than 30 pages at a time without putting the book down and doing something else. I don't know what it is but it just won't hold my attention. And it doesn't help that Delilah seems to act a lot younger than she supposedly is: a high school freshman. I don't know how old Samantha van Leer was when she helped co-write this book but if it was 12 that would explain so much.
I can comfortably give this book 3 stars; it wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. This book is written for 13-year-old girls, so if that's you then, GREAT!, give this book a try. If not, then maybe pass on this one.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
The Princess Bride (1987)
While home sick in bed, a young boy's grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride.
So I totally missed the boat on this one, apparently everyone and their cat has already seen this movie. To be honest I've maybe heard of this movie once or twice and literally just the title. Before actually watching this movie I didn't even know it was about a grandfather reading to his grandson (I just assumed it was some sort of pre-inspiration for Shakespeare in Love - I have yet to sit through a whole showing of that too).
But ultimately this movie was totally worth watching. The grandpa/grandson interactions were adorable *cute little boy telling grandpa that he was too manly to listen to a fairytale about a princess* and the characters were lovable; my favorite being Inigo Montoya (partially because I first loved him in Criminal Minds so watching him play some revenge-driven Spaniard was everything I could have ever wanted).
This movie encompassed for me what a classic 80's movie should have: fuzzy pictures, an easy-to-follow plot and memorable characters. There isn't a lot of extra stuff thrown into this movie and I appreciate that. Nowadays if there isn't some surprise twist at the end of the movie audiences and critics just dismiss it altogether.
I can't recall too many details about the plot, I did get a little bored in the middle (and I was watching it on tv WITH commercials *ick*), but when the credits rolled I felt satisfied (and a little disappointed that I wouldn't hear any more from Inigo).
So to that handful of people who have yet to see this movie I definitely recommend it. Rent it from the library and watch it on a rainy day when you need a pick-me-up, it's totally worth it.
So I totally missed the boat on this one, apparently everyone and their cat has already seen this movie. To be honest I've maybe heard of this movie once or twice and literally just the title. Before actually watching this movie I didn't even know it was about a grandfather reading to his grandson (I just assumed it was some sort of pre-inspiration for Shakespeare in Love - I have yet to sit through a whole showing of that too).
But ultimately this movie was totally worth watching. The grandpa/grandson interactions were adorable *cute little boy telling grandpa that he was too manly to listen to a fairytale about a princess* and the characters were lovable; my favorite being Inigo Montoya (partially because I first loved him in Criminal Minds so watching him play some revenge-driven Spaniard was everything I could have ever wanted).
This movie encompassed for me what a classic 80's movie should have: fuzzy pictures, an easy-to-follow plot and memorable characters. There isn't a lot of extra stuff thrown into this movie and I appreciate that. Nowadays if there isn't some surprise twist at the end of the movie audiences and critics just dismiss it altogether.
I can't recall too many details about the plot, I did get a little bored in the middle (and I was watching it on tv WITH commercials *ick*), but when the credits rolled I felt satisfied (and a little disappointed that I wouldn't hear any more from Inigo).
So to that handful of people who have yet to see this movie I definitely recommend it. Rent it from the library and watch it on a rainy day when you need a pick-me-up, it's totally worth it.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects, Tessa compiles a list. It's her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of "normal" life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa's feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa's time runs out.
I didn't know I could feel so many emotions while reading a single book. Tessa is funny, annoying, sarcastic and heartbreaking. This is what I imagine living with a terminal illness is like, though I've been fortunate enough to not have had that experience. This book is real, it doesn't sugarcoat the medical process - all the doctor visits, drug therapies and tests but it also doesn't race things along either. Half way through the author could have chosen for Tessa to find what she was looking for and move on but about half this book is dedicated to a 15-year-old girl just trying to find where she fits in the world before she has to leave it.
I did only give this book 3 stars because Tessa finding herself wasn't always interesting. Following everyone around while being moody and sarcastic wasn't appealing to me as a reader but I did appreciate it later on when her condition finally started to progress.
Also, the parts I thought would be a big deal (like the sex mentioned in the excerpt) were just brushed aside. That part was over in the first 15 pages or so. The stuff that was a big deal was honestly really boring to read: her best friend was moody and distant, the boy next door was ignoring her and her parents fought all the time. The real-ness of this book just smacks you in the face and lets the burn set in for a while and I don't think I was ready for that.
But lastly, this book has integrity and if you're into that and can give up the fairy tale ending then I recommend reading it.
I didn't know I could feel so many emotions while reading a single book. Tessa is funny, annoying, sarcastic and heartbreaking. This is what I imagine living with a terminal illness is like, though I've been fortunate enough to not have had that experience. This book is real, it doesn't sugarcoat the medical process - all the doctor visits, drug therapies and tests but it also doesn't race things along either. Half way through the author could have chosen for Tessa to find what she was looking for and move on but about half this book is dedicated to a 15-year-old girl just trying to find where she fits in the world before she has to leave it.
I did only give this book 3 stars because Tessa finding herself wasn't always interesting. Following everyone around while being moody and sarcastic wasn't appealing to me as a reader but I did appreciate it later on when her condition finally started to progress.
Also, the parts I thought would be a big deal (like the sex mentioned in the excerpt) were just brushed aside. That part was over in the first 15 pages or so. The stuff that was a big deal was honestly really boring to read: her best friend was moody and distant, the boy next door was ignoring her and her parents fought all the time. The real-ness of this book just smacks you in the face and lets the burn set in for a while and I don't think I was ready for that.
But lastly, this book has integrity and if you're into that and can give up the fairy tale ending then I recommend reading it.
Legend by Marie Lu
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Now I finally know what all the hype is about; Legend is a just an all around good book. June and Day are solid characters and they actually have different voices, which is refreshing to read. Most authors, when writing from two points of view, usually mush up both characters and I end up forgetting who's who because they SOUND THE SAME (which is understandable considering it's only one person writing and all) but that doesn't mean it's not frustrating! *Rant over, back to the book...
Usually I'm not a huge fan of dystopians in general - the future always seems bleak and we have all the youth fighting for their lives against the big bad government. The plot always seems to end up in the same place no matter how you get there. Since I haven't read the rest of the series I can't say that won't happen but at least book 1 was different. I really liked the fact that Day was a rebel and June was a government golden child. Of course they fall in love and whatnot, it is YA, but there was no shortage of action along the way. I found myself wanting to know more about June's family history and Day's backstory as well. Even though this book generally follows all the conventional rules of a YA dystopian it was still interesting - which I think is the main reason I liked it so much. Within all the usual hullabaloo I was intrigued, and that is the mark of a good author.
I did read this a couple months ago so I forgot most of the specifics but I do remember distinctly disliking the fact that, like many books I seem to pick up these days, the two POVs are in different colors. I like the fact that I can easily remember who's narrating but it still hurts my eyes and is a pain to read. I don't understand the gold-theme so much either so I might be missing out on the bigger picture, but personally I believe the book would still be worth reading if all the text was black.
But other than that, no real complaints. I was satisfied from beginning to end and I didn't even really want to read this book to begin with. It just happened to be on my desk at the right time :)
4 stars
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Now I finally know what all the hype is about; Legend is a just an all around good book. June and Day are solid characters and they actually have different voices, which is refreshing to read. Most authors, when writing from two points of view, usually mush up both characters and I end up forgetting who's who because they SOUND THE SAME (which is understandable considering it's only one person writing and all) but that doesn't mean it's not frustrating! *Rant over, back to the book...
Usually I'm not a huge fan of dystopians in general - the future always seems bleak and we have all the youth fighting for their lives against the big bad government. The plot always seems to end up in the same place no matter how you get there. Since I haven't read the rest of the series I can't say that won't happen but at least book 1 was different. I really liked the fact that Day was a rebel and June was a government golden child. Of course they fall in love and whatnot, it is YA, but there was no shortage of action along the way. I found myself wanting to know more about June's family history and Day's backstory as well. Even though this book generally follows all the conventional rules of a YA dystopian it was still interesting - which I think is the main reason I liked it so much. Within all the usual hullabaloo I was intrigued, and that is the mark of a good author.
I did read this a couple months ago so I forgot most of the specifics but I do remember distinctly disliking the fact that, like many books I seem to pick up these days, the two POVs are in different colors. I like the fact that I can easily remember who's narrating but it still hurts my eyes and is a pain to read. I don't understand the gold-theme so much either so I might be missing out on the bigger picture, but personally I believe the book would still be worth reading if all the text was black.
But other than that, no real complaints. I was satisfied from beginning to end and I didn't even really want to read this book to begin with. It just happened to be on my desk at the right time :)
4 stars
Monday, July 13, 2015
Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead
Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiences in question, her future is on the line.
When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.
I should start with this: Vampire Academy is currently my favorite series of books I've EVER read and that's why it took me so long to actually read the Bloodlines series. Nothing against the author (obviously I love her work) but it came out too soon after VA ended and I was still mourning the fact that the series finally came to a close. But I guess 5+ years is enough time to wait and I'm actually glad I ended up re-immersing myself in the world of Moroi and Alchemists.
It also took me a while to pick these books up because Sydney never struck me as a character who could lead an entire series, but she has a lot of help from the side characters to distract from her initial dullness...which turned out to be the first half of book 1. I didn't agree with her views on life/vampires/magic so it was difficult for me to read most of the time. It was hard to even sympathize with her point of view because we don't know that much about Alchemist culture and how they work. Maybe if that was explained better I would have at least tolerated the early chapters and had a more enjoyable reading experience. Once the action got going and she became a real person however, the book picked up the pace and held that pace for the next 2 books.
Once I hit book 4 though, that was when I ran into a speed bump: double POV. Once you see the story from 2 angles that raises some red flags (a death, a lull or a fight). And on top of that it usually means that we get the plot twice which takes double the time to read and you get half as far along *cue reader frustration*
Did I mention this continues through the rest of the series as well?
But after the snooze-fest that was book 4 (The Fiery Heart, aptly named because all we did was delve into the steamy love lives of Sydney and Adrian) the action/adventure picks right back up again because yet another problem arises for our teenage heroes! Who saw that coming??...yeah we all did. And on that note, why does no one of real caliber come to help them? They keep sending kid guardians and baby Alchemists instead of someone who has been in the field for years. I understand the high school cover for immediate protection but what about an aunt or uncle who happens to live nearby? When Dimitri and Sonya were around things just seemed to get resolved so much faster.
The action continues through the end of book 5 and once again there's a small lull in the story. As a reader who is completing the series one after the other I don't need a refresher of what just happened. I literally read it the day before so the first few chapters of each installment are always lack luster for me personally.
Then finally the series wraps up with book 6. And the one thing that really annoyed me was that the plot was so forced. We were constantly being told what was happening instead of it ACTUALLY happening. There was a lot of 'we have to find Jill, she's the priority' and then we would mope about Adrian missing Sydney for a while. Then again, 'we should really find a lead on where Jill's at, it's super important' but we get side-tracked looking for Nina's sister. [insert subplot here about strange pregnancy and how it could change the world as we know it] - 'oh wait!! we found a lead on Jill! let's go everybody' - [completely ignore life-altering subplot for the rest of the book].
And it went on and on like that through the whole book. I guess Richelle realized halfway through writing the last installment that it was in fact the last time these characters would be interacting. I appreciate that she tried to bring everything together in the end and put a nice big bow on it, but there were so many side plots that I kept getting lost in everything except the main story line. Every time someone would bring up Jill I was like, 'oh yeah...I forgot she was missing' which was probably not the intention of the author.
Lastly I just want to add that for all its faults, this series was still pretty darn good. It kept me entertained and looking forward to reading the next chapter (except book 4...that one you should really skip). Sydney and Adrian are a cute couple so I'm glad things ended the way they did, albeit not creatively but it was still cute!
When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.
I should start with this: Vampire Academy is currently my favorite series of books I've EVER read and that's why it took me so long to actually read the Bloodlines series. Nothing against the author (obviously I love her work) but it came out too soon after VA ended and I was still mourning the fact that the series finally came to a close. But I guess 5+ years is enough time to wait and I'm actually glad I ended up re-immersing myself in the world of Moroi and Alchemists.
It also took me a while to pick these books up because Sydney never struck me as a character who could lead an entire series, but she has a lot of help from the side characters to distract from her initial dullness...which turned out to be the first half of book 1. I didn't agree with her views on life/vampires/magic so it was difficult for me to read most of the time. It was hard to even sympathize with her point of view because we don't know that much about Alchemist culture and how they work. Maybe if that was explained better I would have at least tolerated the early chapters and had a more enjoyable reading experience. Once the action got going and she became a real person however, the book picked up the pace and held that pace for the next 2 books.
Once I hit book 4 though, that was when I ran into a speed bump: double POV. Once you see the story from 2 angles that raises some red flags (a death, a lull or a fight). And on top of that it usually means that we get the plot twice which takes double the time to read and you get half as far along *cue reader frustration*
Did I mention this continues through the rest of the series as well?
But after the snooze-fest that was book 4 (The Fiery Heart, aptly named because all we did was delve into the steamy love lives of Sydney and Adrian) the action/adventure picks right back up again because yet another problem arises for our teenage heroes! Who saw that coming??...yeah we all did. And on that note, why does no one of real caliber come to help them? They keep sending kid guardians and baby Alchemists instead of someone who has been in the field for years. I understand the high school cover for immediate protection but what about an aunt or uncle who happens to live nearby? When Dimitri and Sonya were around things just seemed to get resolved so much faster.
The action continues through the end of book 5 and once again there's a small lull in the story. As a reader who is completing the series one after the other I don't need a refresher of what just happened. I literally read it the day before so the first few chapters of each installment are always lack luster for me personally.
Then finally the series wraps up with book 6. And the one thing that really annoyed me was that the plot was so forced. We were constantly being told what was happening instead of it ACTUALLY happening. There was a lot of 'we have to find Jill, she's the priority' and then we would mope about Adrian missing Sydney for a while. Then again, 'we should really find a lead on where Jill's at, it's super important' but we get side-tracked looking for Nina's sister. [insert subplot here about strange pregnancy and how it could change the world as we know it] - 'oh wait!! we found a lead on Jill! let's go everybody' - [completely ignore life-altering subplot for the rest of the book].
And it went on and on like that through the whole book. I guess Richelle realized halfway through writing the last installment that it was in fact the last time these characters would be interacting. I appreciate that she tried to bring everything together in the end and put a nice big bow on it, but there were so many side plots that I kept getting lost in everything except the main story line. Every time someone would bring up Jill I was like, 'oh yeah...I forgot she was missing' which was probably not the intention of the author.
Lastly I just want to add that for all its faults, this series was still pretty darn good. It kept me entertained and looking forward to reading the next chapter (except book 4...that one you should really skip). Sydney and Adrian are a cute couple so I'm glad things ended the way they did, albeit not creatively but it was still cute!
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers. To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change. Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the center of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.
First I need to get this out there: Mare Barrow = Bone Marrow. I'm not sure whether or not that was intentional but that's how I read this girl's name from day 1, especially because the focus of the entire book was blood color.
But other than the awkward naming situation I really enjoyed this book. It sounds cliche in the summary but there were some twists in there that I didn't see coming and wow was I impressed! Mare is a girl of action so there's a lot going on from the beginning. The only thing I didn't like was the forced love triangle between her and the brothers. It didn't feel natural but it ended up playing a large role in the end so I couldn't just skip it like I normally do in other books.
The world building was really descriptive so I never felt lost or confused as to where we were; when is another story but that's not as important to me so I got over that pretty easily.
I really don't want to give too much away about the plot. As with most 'royal' books there's a lot of time spent in the castle and there's only so much a girl can do in there so a few chapters were redundant.
Other than that I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the next installment. February 2016 cannot come soon enough!!
First I need to get this out there: Mare Barrow = Bone Marrow. I'm not sure whether or not that was intentional but that's how I read this girl's name from day 1, especially because the focus of the entire book was blood color.
But other than the awkward naming situation I really enjoyed this book. It sounds cliche in the summary but there were some twists in there that I didn't see coming and wow was I impressed! Mare is a girl of action so there's a lot going on from the beginning. The only thing I didn't like was the forced love triangle between her and the brothers. It didn't feel natural but it ended up playing a large role in the end so I couldn't just skip it like I normally do in other books.
The world building was really descriptive so I never felt lost or confused as to where we were; when is another story but that's not as important to me so I got over that pretty easily.
I really don't want to give too much away about the plot. As with most 'royal' books there's a lot of time spent in the castle and there's only so much a girl can do in there so a few chapters were redundant.
Other than that I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the next installment. February 2016 cannot come soon enough!!
Monday, July 6, 2015
Stitchers (2015-present)
A young woman is recruited into a secret government agency to be "stitched" into the minds of the recently deceased, using their memories to investigate murders.
So I watched the preview for this show about a hundred times and still had no idea what this show was about. Even the blurb is vague. After watching the pilot here's what I've gathered:
-Kirsten is a PhD student
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-Kirsten doesn't get along with her roommate
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-The government hires college students to do underground research based on the memories of murder victims
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-Only someone with temporal dysplasia can be successfully 'stitched' into the memories of a dead person... because temporal dysplasia
So in short, WTF?!? The episode wasn't bad action-wise and all the actors seemed to be really into it but I still have no idea what's really going on. And for God's sake, what is temporal dysplasia!?!?!?
After some extensive Googling this is what I've found: temporal dysplasia is NOT real but it is a condition where a person cannot judge the passage of time, so minutes feel as long as hours which feel as long as days and years, etc. And because of this Kirsten doesn't have any emotions...which I don't understand. Sure maybe she doesn't feel sunshine and lollipops all the time but still NO emotions?? I feel like that has more to do with her upbringing than anything else. The pilot alludes to-or may bring up point blank (I was too focused on temporal dysplasia)-dead parents, or at least a dead father which can mess any girl up emotionally.
Overall, I'll probably give this show a few episodes to get on its feet before totally ditching it for good. The jury's still out on this one.
UPDATE: I'm officially done with this show. The plot didn't thicken, even after 4 episodes. The secrets that were exposed were not at all earth shattering like they were set up to be. *spoiler* the roommate was a part of the agency all along!!
And Kirsten definitely has emotions now but no one will acknowledge them. She clearly felt sad when one of the victims was murdered and happy when the guy from the agency's lab wanted to hang out with her. I understand it's hard for the actress to be completely indifferent but they could have re-shot a few scenes where it was clear she was emotional.
On top of everything I can't even remember any of the character names besides Kirsten. So that makes everything confusing and uninteresting. Try harder ABC Family, I expected more than this.
So I watched the preview for this show about a hundred times and still had no idea what this show was about. Even the blurb is vague. After watching the pilot here's what I've gathered:
-Kirsten is a PhD student
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-Kirsten doesn't get along with her roommate
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-The government hires college students to do underground research based on the memories of murder victims
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-Only someone with temporal dysplasia can be successfully 'stitched' into the memories of a dead person... because temporal dysplasia
So in short, WTF?!? The episode wasn't bad action-wise and all the actors seemed to be really into it but I still have no idea what's really going on. And for God's sake, what is temporal dysplasia!?!?!?
After some extensive Googling this is what I've found: temporal dysplasia is NOT real but it is a condition where a person cannot judge the passage of time, so minutes feel as long as hours which feel as long as days and years, etc. And because of this Kirsten doesn't have any emotions...which I don't understand. Sure maybe she doesn't feel sunshine and lollipops all the time but still NO emotions?? I feel like that has more to do with her upbringing than anything else. The pilot alludes to-or may bring up point blank (I was too focused on temporal dysplasia)-dead parents, or at least a dead father which can mess any girl up emotionally.
Overall, I'll probably give this show a few episodes to get on its feet before totally ditching it for good. The jury's still out on this one.
UPDATE: I'm officially done with this show. The plot didn't thicken, even after 4 episodes. The secrets that were exposed were not at all earth shattering like they were set up to be. *spoiler* the roommate was a part of the agency all along!!
And Kirsten definitely has emotions now but no one will acknowledge them. She clearly felt sad when one of the victims was murdered and happy when the guy from the agency's lab wanted to hang out with her. I understand it's hard for the actress to be completely indifferent but they could have re-shot a few scenes where it was clear she was emotional.
On top of everything I can't even remember any of the character names besides Kirsten. So that makes everything confusing and uninteresting. Try harder ABC Family, I expected more than this.
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