Friday, July 15, 2011
Short notice.
So, guys. I don't know for sure, but I might be gone for a little while. I don't know. I got in an argument with my parents and they might ground me from the internet. I hope not, but it might happen. So, if I'm MIA from here and Twitter, that's where I am.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
IMM (13)
In my Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
So, since I haven't posted an IMM for 3 weeks (Is that right?), I decided it would be fair to sort of...make myself remember next time. Considering that I am socially awkward, I figured doing a vlog would suffice.
Something I did not count on was how awkward I actually am, how loud my bathroom can be, and how many weird hand gestures I make. I am weird. I make some weird faces. I ramble about books.
So, I'm warning you. Also, the audio is fantastic, thanks to the vent that I was sitting under. Thanks, vent, for making my video sound stupid. Also, my pipes randomly make sounds, as well. Thank you, too, pipes. Couldn't let the vent steal your thunder, could you?
I'm going to stop talking to inanimate objects and just get on with the post.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth
Amazon Link
Goodreads Link
Page Number: 487 Pages
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
For some reason, I had it decided in my head that I wasn't going to enjoy this book. I don't know why. The summary was interesting. I love Dystopian. Nearly every review I saw was positive. I honestly have no clue why I thought I wouldn't like it. I just did.
I bought this book the day after it came out. I've just finished it. Now, I regret taking so long to get around to reading it. I'm glad several people
It took me two days of reading to finish Divergent. I'm going to say this, though: Divergent is a beautifully compelling novel that refuses anything but your undivided attention. I read this after 11PM both nights, and read several hours on each. I finished Divergent at about 7AM this morning. Worth every minute.
Something I highly enjoyed about this novel was how much it could send at you and still make sense. Normally, when I read a book with this much going on in the plot, it feels overdone. Divergent pulled it off and then some. Veronica Roth truly has talent for plotting. Each and every thing that happens is relevant, woven intricately into the plotline. It all matters. There's no fluffy nonsense in this story.
Speaking of Veronica Roth's talent, can we please discuss how awesome she is at getting inside my head? Seriously. She's seemed to have crawled inside my mind and figured out how I tick - between how I think and how I tend to worry, Beatrice, or rather, Tris, and I have very similar minds. The thing I love? I can't tell if Tris and I are actually alike, or if that's just how awesome the book is.
Divergent is full of emotion, action, and depth. There's a little of something for everyone. If you like coming of age struggles, there's that. If you like action, there's plenty of that. If you like emotion and internal struggle, there's that, as well. I promise, you'll be able to find a least one thing that you like.
There's a lot of growth, as well. The overall amount of growth, both emotional and physical, is particularly stunning. I completely adore how much Tris grew and flourished throughout the novel. It's an interesting thing to oversee.
Something that was interesting to me was how unique the feel of the writing is. Usually, when I read a book, I try to find a song that matches the feel of the book and I can usually find one about 5 chapters in. Divergent took a lot longer to match, but I kind of adore the song that I picked, so I'm happy with it.
And, not only did this book make me cry, but it made me genuinely cry. Sometimes, in books, there are moments where you're just... supposed to cry and you do, but it's forced upon you and unnatural. This novel had been building up for a while, not forcing things on you, but simply telling the story, and it eventually got to me. And not in that hard, "I've got to stop to get a tissue" way, but the "this book is too good to stop, so I'm letting the tears roll" way.
There are a few things I have mixed feelings about: the somewhat predictable plot turn (I've been told that I wasn't the only one to guess it.), the sometimes too gory events that make me cringe, the partially-annoying repeated things. None of those things bothered me enough to lower the rating, even by half a star. Those were things that I just noticed more than I did other things, to the point where it sometimes distracted me.
I really adore this book. I can not wait for the sequel.
Songs I listened to while reading:
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Review - A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne YoungAmazon Link
Goodreads Link
Page Number: 272 Pages
Overall Rating: 4 Stars
Overall Rating: 4 Stars
We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be forgotten.
Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?
After reading the summary, this seemed like my type of book. However, after I read the first chapter, I was a bit wary. The use of teenage slang was a bit obvious and a little overused. I'll admit that I was a bit turned off, because this is something that usually carries throughout books and it always grates on my nerves. I put it down for a while, partially because I was busy, partially because I wasn't completely excited to jump back into it.
However.
I did pick it back up, and I'm very happy that I did.
The book itself was lovely, probably my favorite thing I've ever discovered was a gem when I was wary of reading it (Yes, there are more of them. Maybe I'm too judgmental?). I really enjoyed the idea. I don't think I've ever read anything like it.
At first, I wasn't entirely sure of Charlotte. One of the first things I read was, "I rarely trust her promises, and yet I'm still here." That just made me angry. It sounded snobbish and I just wasn't fond of that line. But it turned out that Charlotte wasn't a snob, far from it. I ended up rather liking her, in the end.
I didn't know whether to like Sarah or not, for a while. I decided on the former. Harlin and Charlotte are adorable. Alex is hilarious and Mercy is super sweet. Monroe is interesting and Onika was both frightening and awesome. The entire bunch of characters were all amazing and full of depth.
Something I particularly loved was the characters that came into the story as Charlotte had Needs. Each one had hit rock bottom. Even though I could only picture it, I adored that Charlotte was changing these people's lives.
Now, to talk about the thing I always mention, but never explain when people ask me how I like this book. The reason I do this is because it's just hard to explain without sounding like an insult, which it's not. The writing style is unique. A Need So Beautiful isn't necessarily filled with "beautiful" quotes, because it doesn't use heavy metaphors or a lot of complicated similes. I'm not saying that in a negative way. In fact, it's sort of refreshing. As much as I love metaphors and similes, they get a little old after you read a book that's completely weighed down by them. This novel isn't bogged down by them. It's straight up.
I cried. Like, my dad was giving me weird looks because I was laying on our couch, reading. I totally cried. I don't think I've cried reading a book since I read Delirium.
I really feel for Charlotte. I wish she could just have her cute little apartment with Harlin, the one with the painting studio, and that she didn't have to be in this situation. She deserves to be happy and normal and I can't even go on, or I'm going to start bawling again.
The epilogue was confusing, but I think it was meant to be. There's a cliffhanger, so I'm anxiously waiting for the sequel. I have hopes for what'll happen, but I obviously don't know. I'm so confused!
Overall, I really hope you guys pick this book up. I really loved it.
Songs I listened to while reading this book:
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Cursed - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.
Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?
But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.
How excited are you guys for this? Because I am so excited! The cover is pretty freaking awesome, the synopsis is interesting, and I'm already a fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout.
If you guys aren't excited, then...well, I'm sending the army of ninjas (they have lightsabers) to get you. Because you have, therefore, broken the rules of cooldom.
I'm joking, of course. But still. Look at it. *pouts*
Monday, July 4, 2011
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