The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary: Ella Shepard lives in the future. Her mother is sick, her father died a year ago and her memory is faulty. 

Beth Revis' first series, Across the Universe, was my favorite series for a really long time. It's also one of the few series I've read more than once. When I heard Revis was writing something new I was really excited and I've only waited this long to read it because I wanted my own physical copy. Comparing the two, The Body Electric and Across the Universe, I definitely liked Across the Universe better. They are two very different books, and it's also incredibly difficult to compare a standalone to three separate books.

I had a couple problems with this book. I thought the pacing was off. The beginning was kind of slow but the ending, and the last 100-200 pages felt really rushed.I wish I got to know the supporting characters more. Other than Ella, the protagonist, and the antagonist, none of the supporting characters were really fledged out. I don't even feel really connected or knowledgeable about the love interest, Jack. I also got kind of a insta-love feel because of that, which you'll know is weird if you've read the book.

However, I liked pretty much everything else. I read it really fast, in a couple hours. Every five minutes I was like "stop at the next chapter" then next thing I knew I was at the final page. Apart from the first a hundred pages the entire book kept me on my feet and engaged. I was really fast paced and I flew through it. I liked the mystery, and although I guessed the overall twist there were some details that really shocked me. The world building was really good and interesting and the nod at Godspell made my heart grow three sizes. I really like Ella, I thought she was a really strong character and likable. The writing, particularity the parts with the bees, was amazing  I think I should also mention the gorgeous cover. The format of the rest of the book, the font and the chapter illustration, is also really pretty. 

Overall, I really liked this book and wouldn't mind a couple novellas about Jack, Xavier and Julie. Definitely read this if you enjoyed her previous books, Across the Universe. 

Endgame:The Caliing by James Frey

Summary: 12 kids, raised from birth to be winners, just as their parents and their parent's parent's were, are called to play the Endgames. The world is sectioned off into twelve civilization, but nobody knows except the 12 players and their families. These kids must fight eachother to find three keys. The remaining kid with the three keys will win, and only his civilization will still stand.

Stars: 4

Okay that was really confusing. Anyways, I did enjoy this book but I don't know if I would recommend it. Altough it was definitely shocking and fascinating it was kinda confusing and was slow at times.

In the Afterlight and Sparks Rise by Alexandra Bracken

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken is the third and final book in the Darkest Minds trilogy There will be spoilers for both the first two books, The Darkest Minds and Never Fade.


I loved the first two books, but didn't enjoy this one just as much. And it's a hundred percent my fault. I didn't remember who a lot of people were (Like Cate and Nico) or what they did. (It took me about 150 pages to get into the book but once I did I pretty much finished it in one sitting. Like, staying up until the sun comes up to finish it type of thing, which I haven't done in a while. A lot of the characters annoyed me, like Ruby, Liam and Cole. Definitely Cole.

I really liked how it went full circle at the end. Ruby started at Thurmond in The Darkest Minds and ending there in this books. It was one of my favorite parts when they were telling the story at night and Ruby revealed her plan. I wish after they escaped Ruby found them again, especially Sam, and...I don't know they all thanked Ruby or something. However, I haven't read the Sam novella yet, Sparks Rise.

Edit: I just read Sparks Rise and I should've known to read it before hand, like you have to read In Time before Never Fade. Why was I so stupid? (Spoilers coming) I'm crying. I'm crying more from those 100 pages than the 500+ in In the Afterlight. It's so sad, my whole body feels it. I fell like I could throw up from the sadness. I went back and reread the parts with Sam in In the Afterlight and now I'm 10x more sadder. I want to throw up. I need a glass of water. My hopes were so high in the beginning I was overcome with happiness. But once they started to escape and I realized Lucas was the guy Ruby noticed in In the Afterlight I was so struck with sadness I had to put my kindl down. I sat it down, walked away and didn't think I could finish it.  It hurt me so much knowing what would happen next I couldn't finish it. I, of course, did and now I regret picking up Sparks Rise.

Another one of my favorite parts was when they found Zu. My heart grew three sizes, and then some. I gasped out loud when Zu started talking in the interview, even though I kind of guessed she would talk eventually. When Ruby and Liam found Vida and Chubs, even though I've been calling this since the first time they met, was shocking. I think it was how they found them. I laughed so hard when it happened.

I can't really finish this review anymore, for I am crying over Sparks Rise. I can't believe a novella can do this to me. Reading In Time I was like this is the best novella I've ever read, but it was outranked. In Time was really good, but it didn't leave me with this sick feeling like I feel now. Alexandra Bracken, you are one cruel mistress. This has become more of a Sparks Rise review than In the Afterlight review. I should change the title. All in all, I can't really sum up my feeling for In the Afterlight right now cause it's being overshadowed by its novella. Is that a bad thing?

Graphic Novel Reviews and A Beth Revis Giveaway

   I don't think I've ever reviewed a graphic novel, like ever, so I thought that could change. I been in a terrible reading slump since school started, then NaNoWriMo killed me, and these helped. A little. Over the past week I read two graphic novels, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, and Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona. They were both really good but I did definitely like Saga more. I'll also be talking about this huge giveaway, one of my favorite authors, Beth Revis (Across the Universe) is doing.

   Saga is about this couple, and their newborn baby running away from the man. During a war with different planets against each other. Alana, a broken winged, former-solider, with a wicked hair cut and her husband, Marko, a horn-bearing, magic wielder with a vow against violence try to find a safe place for their new family.

    First off, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples was a fantastic book. The story is like nothing I've read before and the drawing style is amazing. I laughed out loud at multiple points but the story was still touching and substantial. It's different for me, where I mostly read YA, and the main characters delivered their baby on the first page. It was however, very much a set up book, but I like those (I love myself a origin story). I think my favorite thing about Saga was the illustration. Every character was so distinctive and detailed, and everything looked real, like I could see them walking down the street, despite their wings and radio heads.  I will definitely be reading Saga Volume 2. Like, as fast as I can get my hands on it.

    Kamala, a Muslim,  New Jerseyite sneaks out to go to a party one night. After running home in embarrassment she gets caught in this fog, the Terrigan bomb, and recognized as a Inhuman is granted a wish by her role model, Captain Marvel. 

     Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona I didn't like as much for a couple reasons. I think the biggest reason was I had just finished Saga and my standards hadn't lowered yet. I wasn't a big fan of the style, it had a cartoony, lanky people, type of feel. I like usually either all the way cartoony (like Scott Pilgrim) or all the way realistic (like Saga). It did make me laugh too, but I didn't enjoy the characters as much. Okay, the more I write the less I like Ms. Marvel. I need to stop. Go read it, make a opinion for yourself.

   Finally, the giveaway. Beth Revis, author of one of my favorite series (if not my favorite), Across the Universe, is ding a giveaway that has over 20 books. There's three winners, with prizes for both American and International residents. And, they're good books. Not like those ones you'd find in the clearance section and has a bunch of ads in the back (no offense meant to those, authors got to get paid). I've read some of the ones being given out and they're really good. Revis' new book, The Body Electric, looks really good but i still haven't gotten my hands on it (Damn you empty wallet).  Anyway, enter the giveaway here. Thanks!

         

Undivided by Neal Shusterman

 The fourth and final book in the Unwind dystology, so they will probably be spoilers. Rating: 4 Stars                                                                                                           Which kind of ruined this book for me was I was never really sure this was the finale book until about the last chapter. This just left me in a state of panic and confusion and anxiety if there was enough time to wrap everything up. I don't have that intense feeling about this book, there wasn't any lasting huge effects. Nothing that made me want to cry, after the book (although there were moments during the book). I only had one big problem with Undivided, which was there was so much focus on Starkey, who I do not care about at all, I dont even hate him enough to care about him, I'm just tired of him. There was so much focus on him, which left not much room for who I care about, Connor, Risa, and Lev. There also wasn't a conclusion for Bambi, who I actually liked, which, now that I think about it, makes me angry. 

       Overall, I think this series was a little too stretched out, but really good overall. The first, two, i think are amazing and if you haven't checked them out already, you really should.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Rating- 3.5 Stars
This is a sequel, book 2 to the 5th wave series, and will probably have spoilers for both books.

     I really, reallly, really enjoyed The Fifth Wave, the start of this series, but this one was kind of... boring. It had an amazing prologue but after that it took me a long time to get into it, then it would change books (chapters kinda) and it would take me forever to get into it again. I didn't (still don't really) remember any of the gang other than the main people, which left me very confused. It took me forever to read it and left me really confused. I'm not sure who's dead, who's where, who's almost dead, did we really find anything out in the book?? I felt like there was a aha! moment in this that I didn't pick up on.

Even though the story didn't do it for me, the writing, like it was in the last time was beautiful. All of his characters, especially the new one(s) are amazing (are they dead????). I think it was the characters who kept me reading (Even if I don't remember half of them, I still have ghost memories of caring for them).

I don't think i'm in the right place to tell you if you read it or not, I think i just read this in a really busy time and I didn't obtain the information in should have.(Is he dead??) I know however I will read the next one(s?) and hopefully reread both The Fifth Wave and this one by the time it comes out. (We all know that isn't going to happen)

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             This is the third book in The Raven Cycle, but there will not be spoilers, but a synopsis will probably have ones.  Rating: 4 Stars                      

   I really enjoyed this book. I love the characters, the plot is interesting, the villains complex. However, like the rest of the series I would always feel myself drifting off. I think it's the writing style as I heard other people have this problem. Like always, I loved the switching POVs. I think Piper, the main antagonist's wife, was my favorite character in this book. She made me laugh and loud and was very relateable. Another compliant I had with Blu Lily, Lily Blue is I feel like not much happened. I was really short, I finished it in a few hours and other than the last 50 pages nothing much happened. It still kept me entertained, but it makes me angry  have to wait another year for the next one. I'm not satisfied enough during this wait, unlike the last time, after The Dream Thieves.

  Overall, I think you should really check out The Raven Boys, the first book in The Raven Cycle. This series is very good and very original.

Favorite Fall Books

Beth Revis, author of one of my favorite books, Across the Universe, is hosting a giveaway. Check it out. Anyway, to enter it you had to explain your favorite fall read and i couldn't just choose one, so here they are:

I'll Give You the Sun  by Jandy Nelson, I have a full review here, but to sum it up a few weeks ago I read this and fell in love. It's definitely now on my all time favorites list. It's two stories sliced together about twins. One story from the boy's POV at 13, the other story from the girl's POV at 16. It's beautiful, it's relatable, it's emotional, it's funny, it's artsy. It's brilliant.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, is like watching watching a Baz Luhurum movie. It's takes you into a different world where magic is real and the traveling circus breaths. Eery, dark and mysterious making it a October read.

The Coldest Girl In Coldtown  by Holly Black, is the best vampire book I've ever read, and ever want to read. A contemporary, so you don't have to deal with the usual series long love angst. It makes fun of its self just enough. It's also hilarious. Laugh-out-loud-funny. Even if you hate vampire books, pick this one up.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Two stories, one about a girl who drops out of college to publish and rewrite her novel in NYC, the other story, the novel she's writing

     Rating: 4 stars

     After hearing about this books months ago, I was hooked. Even though I HATED Uglies, another book by Westerfeld, I knew a lot of people loved it and wanted to give him another chance, especially with this plot. This won't be a long review as even though I really liked it, I don't have many strong feelings.

  I really enjoyed Darcy's POV, the realistic one. I thought I was really real, relateable, and funny. Lizzie's however, i didn't like. It was kind of confusing and felt rushed. I think I missed something because the couple met and then their next meeting they were making out. Insta love on steroids. Although, the novel did have one of the best first chapters.

  Overall, even though one story was a lot better than the other, I still really enjoyed it, thought it was really cool and would recommend it.

The Blood Of Olympus by Rick Riordan

This will have spoilers. It is the fifth and final book in a series of 5, which follows a series of 5 other books.

Rating: 3 stars

    I didn't like this. The choices he made made me angry and just seemed wrong. Before I go into the nitty gritty of my dislike let me give you some background. I've been reading Percy Jackson since I was in 4th grade. Percy Jackson was and is my childhood. I read this in about six hours and still feel numb to it days later. Although some of it made me angry overall I just feel...I dont know what word i'm looking for, monotone? okay? the book was just there.

  First off, I didn't like the POVs he chose. I think we should've gotten at least one POV from everyone and have less Reyna. Although I do love Reyna I think the info dump wasn't necessary. It seemed rushed trying to do it in so little time, with no foreshadowing in the before books. I think it was out of place in this book, the final one, and was a misuse of space. Since i'm already talking about characters i'll do a quick review of my thoughts on each.

Nico: He seemed out of character sometimes, and they used Nico falling asleep to skip time at least twice, which was annoying, but  I really liked his chapters.Will Solace/Nico is one of the cutest things ever and Nico telling Percy about his crush may be the best conversation in  the Heroes of Olympus series as a whole.

Jason: I really reallly enjoyed all the Jason getting knocked out jokes. The parallels between Percy in The Last Olympian and Jason in this book were kind of weird, wasn't done well and I honestly dont remember anything else.

Piper: Is my favorite out of the seven, but I don't really understand/remember why she had a POV. She didn't really overcome anything or have major character development like the others and she didn't really have that many chapters.

Leo: Okay, Calypso and Leo were my favorite ship in HOO (not counting percabeth of course) but Leo's inability to shut up about her was soo annoying. His plan was stupid and not telling Piper and Jason until the last minute was stupid and dangerous. How he came back to life was a stupid loophole. Stealing the death cure was selfish and stupid. How once he came back to life his first plan after finding Calypso wasn't find his friends was stupid. Leo still calling himself the seventh wheel is stupid. 

Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, and Percy: Didn't do anything. More so Annabeth and Percy. 

   I understand the lack on focus on Hazel and Frank, they did their big character development in the last book but Percy and Annabeth just came out of hell and there was little of showing them coming back from that experience. They seemed forced, "The rivalry ends here," Percy said, "I love you, Wise Girl." may be the worst line I've ever read and was probably pulled straight out of a fanfiction. The whole scene in general was awkward since it was in Piper's POV. The most important thing Percy did was get a nosebleed and Annabeth talked about Percy to Piper. This book, to my knowledge, definitely did not pass the bechdel test. 

  My overall complaint is the simplicity of the book. Riordan had so many choices (I forgot to add why was Frank's death fire stick so anticlimactic?) but chose the most simple, boring ones. The end of Gaea was quick and not surprising, the lack of death was predictable with it being technically a children's book. (PJO is targeted to a younger audience but has more death, but whatvever). 

   I should probably add some good things. It was really funny, and....I can't really think of anything else. I know I enjoyed it, I didn't stop drop the book. I'm not even as sad as thought I would be with my childhood over but the total lack of Percy and lack of good writing made me not connect with it and not feel like I just read the final Percy Jackson book. (Even though they'll probably be in the next series).

 

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

         Two stories from the point of view of twins, one story from the point of view of 13 year old Noah, the other from 16 year old Jude. Rating: 5 Stars

Beauty in the form of a book. The whole entire book I was on the edge of tears, but only now as I am writing this do I actually begin to cry. This book is so beautiful I don't know where to begin. Reading most of it I was in 40 degree weather with barley a jacket on, but I didn't care. This book consumed me, and I am internally grateful.

   This book had dual-POVs, which I love in general, and only increases my love of this book. I would hate the current POV I was in a few pages into it, yearning to get back the previous one, but the hate was gone within 10 pages and it only restarted the next transition. I think overall I liked Jude's better, I think I related to it more. Both Jude and Noah were amazing characters and so relateable and when they were together my heart grew 10 sizes. The supported characters where also always so complex and fully fledged you couldn't help but fall in love with them, except a certain bastard I can never forgive, but let's ignore that.

  The mystery unraveled itself so slowly but so quickly it was breathtaking. The interchanging of knowledge switching between POVs was such a perfect example of dramatic irony that I've never seen before. I didn't think it was too obvious, but I think some of them you were meant to conclude.

  I think the thing I love most about I'll Give You The Sun, other than the beautiful characters was the writing style. Each POV was so much different from each other, not just in maturity, but in tone and personality and word choice.  Each twin had their own little quirk which made the writing different from the usual, which i loved. Especially how Noah would title situations like they were a painting. They're really good writing/ drawing prompts, my favorite being,

(Self portrait: Boy Rowing Madly Back Through Time).

To sum this up, go read I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 4 Stars
The third book in the Throne of Glass series.

     I was really really really excited for this book. But, then it mailed a couple weeks late and school got in the way and I was reading the first half kind of slow, which once I really got in it I was confused and it was a whole mess. I read Crown Of Midnight a couple months ago and I didn't quite remember what happened which made me confused but I hope to re-read the whole story again which will probably make me like it more. Overall it was really good, it was my own fault for not liking it as much. Okay from now on, SPOILERS.
 

   Heir of Fire was definitely a transition book. It was all about getting Celaena to accept her crown, and along with it her powers. It had A LOT of world building and i'm soo excited for the next ones, Maas has set up something great. It had intertwining story lines, which I love, and here's my thoughts on  each one.

   Celaena: I love her, and all her badass assassin skills. And now her magic skills. It was obviously my favorite  She overcame so much and has embraced her role as future queen. My heart broke over and over for her, when Rowan calls he a coward, when the king kills all the slaves, when Sam and Nehemia whip her. The last two especially, they teared me up.

   Speaking of Rowan, I heard people loved him so I knew he would eventually warm up, but it didn't stop me from from hating him. His complete loyalty to her aunt and he was so cruel and oblivious to her past. I did eventually start to like him and I loved their relationship. It was such a great example of a platonic relationship and i really hope they dont get together. I can't deal with a Celeana-Rowan-Chaol-Dorian-Aedion love pentagon thing.

  Aedion: I really liked him, I wish we got more of Adarlan then how much of Manon we got. I was never fooled by his asshole persona, or a loyalty to the king. His complete worship of Aelin and how he was shameful of himself, and him she later revealed to be shameful. It broke my heart. AND how he would rather be imprisoned and maybe die than tell Celaena her lover was dead. Next book, I need a Aelin/Aedion reunion.

  Chaol: Okay. I've been "Team Chaol" since the beginning but Chaol really annoyed me in this book. He could never make up his mind between the King and Dorian and Celaena, when the answer was obvious. He also distanced himself so much from Dorian, which annoyed me. I don't have much else to say since he wasn't in it much.

  Dorian: Got the shortest end of Heir of Fire stick. We got little of his storyline, which wasn't that interesting. Instead of learning to use his powers he was just shutting it down, which wasn't anything super inciting. I didn't hate Sorsha, she was nice and I thought was good for Dorian. Although, I am "Team Chaol" I still like Dorian and want him to be happy. I did accidentally see Sorsha get decapitated but did not expect her to be a spy, which I thought was kinda out of the blue, useless, and then swept under the rug. But, Dorian's now a slave or something? I was a little confused and thought he was one of the prince thing Celaena defeated, until I heard differently. I just am very scared for Dorian.

  Manon: I liked her story line, it did a lot to make me hate the King more, which everyone needs, and did a lot for world building. I though she was really interested except she took her up way tooo much space. I thought that story-line would be the antagonist of the story, but no. Or that she would somehow intertwine with something in this book, but no. All she did was take away time from the Adarlan boys.

  Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was a great set up for the next on, I just read it wrong.


 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Rating: 4 Stars
Final Anna and the French Kiss. Girl who attends a French boarding school starts dating her long term crush, a senator's artistic son.

I didn't really want to read this. I heard bad reviews, the synopsis didn't sound interesting, and I've read contemporary a lot lately. But I knew it was going to probably be good as both of Stephanie Perkins last 2 were amazing (although I didn't remember Lola I know I liked it) and I knew both Anna and Lola were in this and everyone needs more St.Claire in their lives. So I picked it up, put I down for a while and then one night I wanted to read for about 5 minutes before I go to bed. And then next thing I know I'm at the acknowledgments and it's one in the morning.

I fall for it every time. Its a problem.

I really liked Josh. He’s definitely my favorite out of all of the Perkins boys, but that might just be because of his art. My favorite part of the book was the graphic novel. It not spoilers if you haven’t read it, but you know what i’m talking about if you have. His art was really easy to imagine and I need fanart of his art right now. I wish the cover was something he did in the book, that would be sooo cool. I was very happy how they got together so quick, it was a good refresher to most contemporary where it takes seven years for the couple to get together.  

Although I really enjoyed it, but not as much as Anna (again, I don't remember Lola) I did have some problems with it. I liked her relationship with Kurt, her best friend, but I thought she talked about him too much to others (no wonder people thought they were dating) and after being friends for so long I thought it was rude of Kurt to cut her off after only a month of Isla being absent. I didn't really like Isla, I thought she didn't really have a personality or defining characteristic and I thought the whole insecurity trope in the end was out of character and out of the blue. It was a little long, I would something find myself skimming to see when things would start to happen.

Overall, really enjoyed it even though I had some problems with it, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it without read Anna or Lola.