Feature and Follow #3

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by the wonderful Rachel over at Parajunkee and the fabulous Alison over at Alison Can Read

:)

*I've hidden the spoiler, so highlight the page to see it.*

This week's question:

 Change the Plot. If you could, what book would you change the ending or a plot thread? Go ahead and do it…change it.

Hmm... I have a few books in mind, but I'll go with Allegiant by Veronica Roth, just because I've read this fairly recently.

  Where to begin with this book? (LOL)

My main issue was that I felt there wasn't enough
"stuff" (plot-wise, action-wise) for a third book, let alone a third book as ginormous as Allegiant.  I would first off make it shorter and take out all the slow/talky bits.   No more just going from here to there or talking about this or that; people would start doing something and start doing that now instead of all at the end.   I would also make the book into one perspective, which would prevent *Tris's death*, but I REALLY didn't like the two perspective thing here.  (Tris and Four sounded EXACTLY the same.) Lastly, I would change the reason for making the four factions.  (That was really disappointing.)

So what book would you have chosen for the rewrite?
Leave a comment below! :)
And thank you so much for stopping by! 

"Quote Me" Thursday Wk 5

Hi guys!
This book meme is hosted by the fantastic Brenda over at the Daily Mayo. 

:)

Woa, February is nearly over!  I can't believe it... Time is going by so fast >.<

The last love quote of this month:

“We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again.” 

-Rick Riordan

*squealing and gross sobbing* 

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID THAT. CLIFFHANGERS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY!!!!!!!!!!! WHO DOES THAT???!!?!?!?!

 

This guy- that's who. 

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

This scene was just devastating- and Uncle Rick knew what he was doing.   

(House of Hades dedication- need I say more? )

;)

Can't wait for Blood of Olympus to come out!! I'm going to miss Percy though. :(

So what are your quotes this week? :)

Waiting on Wednesday Wk 6

This book meme is hosted by the fabulous Jill over at Breaking the Spine 

:)

What I'm waiting on this week :

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

LOOK AT THAT COVER OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plot blurb:

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

This. Sounds. Awesome. 

I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hope that this has a happy ending.  But given what's happened so far, I just KNOW someone's going to die-and with him (or her! But besides Alina- first person, so good chance she's not going to die, unless Ms. Bardugo pulls an Allegiant- there's only... *gasp* GENYA!!!!!) will go my heart. :(

I can't pick a team here! I was Team Darkling for the entirety of the first book, then in the second, I was Team Mal, and then Sturmhond appeared...GAH! This love triangle business (love rectangle?) isn't going to work with me, so I've decided to think outside the triangle (xD) and be Team Darkmalhond. :D 

It's coming out on 

June 17th 2014 (at least it's faster than all you October books. *squints* You know who you are.)

I seriously cannot wait!!! 

*squeal*

So what are you guys waiting on this week? 

:)

Commenting Haywire (sorta) resolved

Hi guys!

 I sort of sneaked this into my Waiting on Wednesday post last minute, so I've decided to make it into a separate post by itself. I finally found a way to comment on my blog! Yay! I can't, however, directly reply, and I still can't comment on other blogs hosted on Blogger- save mine.  I think it has to do with embedded page mode and  full page mode, which is what I changed to in order to comment on my own blog.  So until everything gets resolved a hundred percent, I will silently be stalking everyone's posts LOL.
Has anyone else dealt with this? If so, how did you manage to solve it? Or did it go away on its own? I'm so happy that I'm able to comment on my own blog, but I miss interacting with everyone on their blogs! 

If anyone has any advice or any other solutions, please comment! :)

Thank you!:D

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!:)

Fairest

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Release Date: September 19th, 2006

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre(s): YA Fantasy

Pages:  326

*Standalone*
~SPOILER FREE~

Summary (Goodreads):
In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and with something no one else has–a magical voice. Her vocal talents captivate all who hear them, and in Ontio Castle they attract the attention of a handsome prince – and a dangerous new queen. In this masterful novel filled with humour, adventure, romance, and song, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine invites you to join Aza as she discovers how exquisite she truly is.


Review:
This is one of my favorite fantasy/fairy tale books of all time, so I might be a little biased ;).

Needless to say, I LOVE this book.  It's just one of those books I never get tired of reading over and over again, and each time I fall in love with all the characters all over again.

Aza isn't your typical heroine.  She has a strength about her that's tinged with insecurity.  Aza has the most beautiful voice in the land (alto! Side note: I really love that she's an alto because it fits her personality, and most main heroines- well on stage that is- are soprano), but without beauty, that voice is almost worthless in Ayortha.  She is a very complex character, and the best way to describe her is that she's human.  She isn't just one thing.  She's kind-hearted, selfish, strong, weak, insecure, vain, humble, and confident.  I absolutely love her voice (speaking and singing!:));  I rarely comment on this because few voices in books stand out like hers.  Aza sounds very regal, which is an interesting contrast with different parts of her personality, and she is also wry in a subtle way.  (I only recently caught onto that dry, wry humor. :))

The prince is swoon-worthy with imperfections of his own.  (His big ears sound cute! ;) ) He too isn't just "one thing"; he has many sides- more swoony sides than not, but that's a judgment call. ;)  The author is wonderful at making each (and every) character  his or her own person. Even though this is a fairy-tale, as each character grows and changes and develops (even the "villains"), the author reminds us that everyone is human too.

The world building is one of the best I've seen in a standalone.  It's absolutely amazing, and every time I read it, I'm always sucked into this world.  All the songs are so pretty, and I always love to sing them out loud to my own tune. ;) (Plus, I love that cameo from Ella Enchanted! I won't mention who, but I think you can guess- this is set in Ayortha. ;) )

The heart of this book are its messages about beauty.  And it is true, no matter how cliche it may seem, that inner beauty is the only thing that counts.  People who truly love you love you for who you are and not for what you look like.

So I've finally managed to keep a review brief! Yay! I would love to gush more about this book, but my review will NEVER do it justice.  The feeling you get when see the gorgeous world the author creates and the characters you will treasure forever can only be fully brought to justice when you read the book. ;)

(PS: Remember- there is only one true villain.)

Thanks for reading!:)

Rating: 5 out of 5

Firstborn

Author: Lorie Ann Grover

Release Date: January 28th, 2014

Publisher:  Blink

Genre(s): YA Christian Fantasy

Pages:  304

*Standalone*
~SPOILER FREE~

Summary (Goodreads): 

In Lorie Ann Grover’s new YA novel, Tiadone has been forced to live her entire life as a female accepted as male in her community in order to survive as a firstborn child. But when she needs to pass the rites of manhood, she finds the Creator may have use for her feminine traits after all.

Review:
*Thank you so much to Zondervan for sending me a copy through BookSneeze!*

To be honest, I didn’t really like this book.  The story just didn’t click with me, and I felt the writing and the character relationships were a bit awkward.  I fully read a little over half the book and then skimmed the second half, so I may not be able to recall all the specific details, just my general feelings about it.

But let’s start with the good bits.  :)

The world building was awesome.  I believe this was a standalone (based on what I saw on Goodreads), but it had potential to be expanded into a series with just that world building alone.  (With the plot- that’s a different matter.)  Even if I wasn’t immersed into the story, I was completely immersed into the world.  It was a terrible, terrible place, and being the first born girl in my family as well, I can’t imagine having to endure what Tiadone endured for so long.  The author did a great job conveying the cruelty of this world.

…and that was all I could really think of at the moment.  

The not-so good bits:

I didn’t really hate or like Tiadone; she was a very luke-warm character for me.   There was the “THE ONE” aspect in this book, and she was a kick-butt kinda girl, but overall she was meh.  

Like this book, I didn’t really click with her, despite her actually being a pretty interesting character. She was complex, and her inner struggle (between being a female physically/mentally and having to "be" a male) was really interesting; those parts were really well done.  It actually added to the world building itself.  

I think the reason for my luke-warm feelings toward an otherwise interesting character was because of the writing and the plot.   The writing was awkward, and the way they all spoke sounded stilted to me.  The lack luster plot (which I’ll get to later on) also really pulled me out of the story instead of in.  It took me quite  a while to finish this book, and like I said, I skimmed the second half of it.  I wasn't immersed into this book, and so, I didn't really get to know to her.  The only real problem I had with her character was her relationship with Ratho.  I didn’t like how she was so attached to him, even when he coldly rejected her (I don't even fully understand why?  That part was confusing).    

Romance? What romance?  For most of the book, until the last maybe third or so, it was (CONSTANT) one-sided pining from Tia, which got annoying after a while.  Then there was a sorta insta-love at the end? (On Ratho's part)

The relationships between her and all the other characters were pretty awkward. It seemed like the majority of them were either good buddies or worst enemies (no in-between), and the banter and their interactions were awkward. Again, this was mainly due to the writing.  (Are you tired of the word "awkward" yet? xD)

The plot, like I said before, was straightforward and a bit boring.  It was generally just about Tia trying to adjust to her life while in the army (I think it was their version of the army?  Like every male has to serve in the army as part of their initiation, or something like that).  Maybe something happened here or there, but for the most part the middle was a little boring.  The ending was when things started to get more interesting, but by then, I was so withdrawn from the book and story itself, that I didn't really care for it.  I felt that ending would have impacted me a lot more (as well as a couple of other scenes) if I had been into the story more.

Verdict:  Beautiful (I mean well-done, not as in physically beautiful lol) world building, interesting main character, but awkward writing and lackluster plot makes for a looooooooooong read.   

Thanks for reading!

Rating: 2 out of 5

Waiting On Wednesday Wk 5

This weekly meme is hosted by the fantastic Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

:)

What I'm waiting on this week:

 

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Ooooooh! That cover looks EPIC.

Synopsis: 

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Sara Raasch’s debut fantasy is a lightning-fast tale of loyalty, love, and finding one’s destiny.

This one is an October baby too- the 14th to be exact (BOOO!;().  

That synopsis sounds awesome! (Action, magic, politics, romance- yes please!)

Can't wait for it to come out!

:)
So what are you guys all waiting on this week?

(PS I'm finally able to comment! YAY! :D
I went on a commenting spree yesterday night answering all your wonderful comments!:)
 I can't, however, directly reply, and I still can't comment on other blogs hosted on Blogger- except for mine.  I think it has to do with embedded page mode and  full page mode, which is what I changed to in order to comment on my own blog.  So until everything gets resolved a hundred percent, I will silently be stalking everyone's posts LOL.
Hope everyone has a fantastic week!:) )

Sidekick Showcase Wk 4

This weekly book meme is hosted by the fantastic Jaclyn over at JC's Book Haven 

:)

My pick of the week:

Ruthie from A Charmed Life series!

One of these days, I will move on from all these Jenny B. Jones sidekicks... But today is not that day! :D

The best way to describe Ruthie is that she's like a bumble-bee full of honey returning to its queen (with Bella, of course, being the queen).  Weird description, eh? But that's what she reminds me of.  She's a loyal puppy and the perfect side-kick for sassy Bella.   She is hilarious in her own way, and her romance with Budge is so adorable! I also love how Ruthie isn't your traditional PK.  She may dress like a punk-rock, and look all tough, but she's a total teddy bear.  There's this one scene that I really love, where Cherry is questioning her faith in God, and Bella is trying to reassure her, but feeling like she's failing miserably.  Afterwards, Bella asks Ruthie why she didn't help out or something because after all, she is the pastor's daughter.  Surely, Bella grouches, Ruthie would have been better at this; Ruthie merely says that she did help.  Bella challenges her and asks what "one thing of significance" she did. Ruthie's reply? 

"Prayed."  Ruthie locks her eyes with mine. "I prayed the entire time you were talking."

-Jenny B Jones

:)

Hope all of you had a wonderful Valentine's! <3

Quote Me Thursday Wk 4

This weekly meme is hosted by the fabulous Brenda over at the Daily Mayo. :)

My quote of the week:

Afterward, I had the last laugh. I made an air bubble at the bottom of the lake. Our friends kept waiting for us to come up, but hey-when you are the son of Poseidon, you don't have to hurry. And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.

-Rick Riordan 

:D 

I love this month's theme! It gives me an excuse to re-read (and read again!) Percy Jackson for all these love-related quotes. ;)

So what are your quotes for this week? :)

Series Review: A Charmed Life

Author: Jenny B. Jones

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Genre(s): YA Christian Contemporary

Pages:  976
(note: this series was released in a 3-in-1 type of thing)

Includes So Not Happening, I'm So Sure, and So Over My Head.  (Can't you just feel the diva aura radiating from those titles? LOL)

Summary (Goodreads):
Bella Kirkwood had it all-A-list friends, Broadway in her backyard, Daddy's credit card. Then her father decided to trade in her mother for a newer model. After that, her mom fell in love with a man she met on the Internet and moved the family to Truman, Oklahoma. To a farm no less! But that's just the beginning of Bella's problems. Her semi-pro-wrestler stepdad signs up the family for a reality TV show. As if having a camera crew follow her around isn't bad enough, Bella discovers a conspiracy against the Truman High prom queen candidates. And that's before the arrival of the Fritz Family Carnival with its creepy clown.Bella is one skinny-mocha frappe away from a total meltdown. How can a girl go on when her charmed life is gone and God appears to be giving her the total smack down?


Review: 

I absolutely loved this series!  It was so much fun, especially with Bella's sassy voice narrating everything-and not to mention Luke. ;) (*swoon*)

I'm once again going to shoot for that brevity! I've decided to do this review in bullet form to see if that’ll help. ;)

Here goes!

1. Characters: Entertaining, lively, and full of joy and spunk ;) (most of 'em anyways).  I think the best way to describe Bella is that she's the teenager version of Junie B (if Junie B's parents were famous celebrities, that is).  She was an absolute delight to get to know, and her witty sass kept me laughing aloud throughout the series. Of course, Bella wasn’t all fun and games; she had issues that she had to deal with, like issues with her father and feelings of abandonment.  I felt Bella  represented the series as a whole: the funny (for the most part) balanced with the more serious (sometimes the humor overwhelmingly so- I’ll address that later).  Besides Bella dealing with her dad, we also had other side characters dealing with issues like being yourself, doubt, bullying, etc.

Ruthie was personally my favorite sidekick. (I'm def. doing a Sidekick Showcase on her this week!)  She doesn't seem like the brightest bulb (oh, but she IS), and her bumbling loyalty to Bella was so sweet!  I also loved how she wasn't the stereotypical "PK."  She dressed rebelliously (don't let that fool you! She was adorable!), and it seemed like she was, but her character was holy (not holier than thou, but she walked the talk, so to speak).   Budge as the bumbling/”partner in bickering” older brother (who happened to be a PERFECT match for another bumbling character) and Robbie, who was a precocious and precious little child, were great side characters also. I wish I could just gush and go and on about these characters and the amazing character development that happened to every one of them as the series progressed, but alas, that would take up this entire review.  So conclusion:  NO cardboards here- everyone had development, character, and growth.     

2. Plot:  Despite a few of the books having darker tones (one’s a murder mystery, and another has to do with a cult), the author balanced it pretty well with humor.  The books moved along relatively quick, and it was FUN.  That sounds weird, especially since one of them was a murder mystery, but the plot was fun and entertaining.  

3. Romance:  Of course, I can not not (lol double negatives) write a review without mentioning the romance! 2 words for ya: Luke Sullivan. SAH-WOON. I LOVED their relationship because: 

A)  No instalove!!!!!!!!!  A sure way to win my heart! ;) It took a while for the relationship to actually get going, and even then, there were a few rough spots. (“Relationship development”=anguish for reader-in a good way.)

B)   LUKE HAD A PERSONALITY. I KID YOU NOT. OMG. FINALLY A GUY WITH A PERSONALITY.  AND NOT JUST ANY KIND OF PERSONALITY EITHER.  He wasn’t exactly sweet, but he was a great steady rock for crazy (I say it with affection ;)!) Bella.  I loved all their interactions, especially their bickering. ;)  He was very respectable (and used common sense!), but by no means stuffy or boring.  He may come across as a little snooty in the beginning, but don’t let Bella fool ya. ;) And that kiss? (You’ll know which one!) *swoon!!!*

C)  Luke wasn’t just the romantic interest.  He was also one of her closest friends (even if he didn’t start off that way), and I really appreciated that that was how he was portrayed too.   Luke, with his steadiness and cute nerdiness, was first her friend and boyfriend second.  So many YA books these days just show the romantic interest as someone for “making-out” or just there as an "accessory" so that there would be a romance. A relationship, esp. romantic ones, is so much more than that. 

Final thoughts? This series was great and fun, but it did over do the humor sometimes.  Take There You’ll Find Me (same author), for example.  The humor and seriousness was nicely balanced, and when it came time to be serious, it was serious.  In this series, I felt a few of the scenes, esp. some scenes with her dad, were not as impactful as they could have been because of the somewhat excessive humor, like Bella was downplaying the whole thing.  I understood that was part of her coping/defensive mechanism, and I did love her sass and one-liners, but for those scenes (and a few others),  I felt it would be better to be more serious.  (That doesn't mean the entire book was like this- just a few places.  For the most part, I actually liked the humor balancing out the darker aspects, which made this book a lot more interesting and fun, imho, than traditional mysteries.)

Thanks for reading!

(P.S. Brevity has escaped me once more, but I shall push onwards! Someday I shall win! Huzzah!;)

Rating: 4 out of 5 

Commenting Haywire

Hi guys!

Hope you all are having a groovy week so far (even if it is only Monday! ;)).

So for some reason, Blogger is not letting me comment on my own blog or on other blogs hosted through Blogger.  (Blogs on Wordpress are fine though, which is super weird...)  This has been going on for about 2 weeks now, and I have yet to find a solution. Up until a few days ago,  I'd been using the Blogger app on my phone to comment, but now that's not working either. I guess these glitches are a common thing because a few months ago, Blogger wouldn't let me post at all for a couple of weeks!  Hopefully, the extent to my limitations won't go beyond the issue with the comments. With luck, I'll find a way around this issue, or it'll go away on its own, but until this gets cleared up, I won't be able to interact with all of you. ;(   (But please do continue to leave comments! I read every single one of them and absolutely love them!  :))

Just wanted to let you all know! :)
Have a wonderful week! (Happy early Valentine's Day btw!)

Once a Witch

Author: Carolyn MacCullough

Release Date: September 6th, 2010 

Publisher:  Graphia  

Genre(s): YA Paranormal  

Pages:  292

*1st book of series*
~SPOILER FREE~

Summary (Goodreads):
 Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search and the stranger will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.


Review:
I wasn't crazy about this book, but it was okay (as in I-didn't-totally-hate-it).  It was better than I expected it to be (not by much though), considering how the book hit us with an insta-love right in the beginning (and you guys all know how those irk me!). 

I will *try* to keep this one brief (LOL).  (I adore Brevity! But apparently, Brevity doesn't adore me...)

 What I imagine Brevity does when I ask it to be my BFF 

 So, this book did surprise me somewhat.  After they hit us over the head with both the "Chosen One" thing (which, again, I don't mind if done well, but here, eh) and the insta-love, I was instantly wary.  I thought it was going to turn out to be one of those books.  You know, those stereotypical YA books that just keep popping out these days like buttered popcorn (except not as good).  I know, I know, it's not fair to categorize YA like this, but I HATE (yes, I have a lot of pet peeves when it comes to books! I'm picky, but it's because I care! I promise!) when those books that are poorly written and use the same plot/characters/symbols that's been used sooo many times get a lot of undeserved attention, overshadowing all those really well-written books.

But I digress. (Alas, it seems brevity will escape me once more...)

So the cliches.

We have the "Chosen One" thing, the insta-love (I have yet to find a book where this EVER works), the perfect older sibling, and the Clary Fray syndrome-specifically the I-think-I'm-so-ugly-but-everyone-including-the-hot-guy-says-I'm drop-dead-gorgeous symptom.  Very serious and very contagious in YA. (Now, I'm not bashing insecurity, and I guess she's insecure as a result of her always being overshadowed by her sister, so there was a reason for it, but I am sick of this angle being played ALL THE TIME IN Young Adult. I mean, what's wrong with acknowledging that you're pretty? There is a huge difference between being narcissistic and loving who you are! It is possible to know and think that you're pretty, but not be vain about it.  That's self confidence!  And why does it ALWAYS have to be the guy who tells the girl she's pretty? Like, why does it mean something when a guy says it, but not when other people-you know, like friends and family and people who the girl actually knew for more than a day- say it? )  

INSTA-LOVE.  ARGH.  I know they were best friends when they were younger, but they haven't seen or talked with each other for YEARS. Absolutely no communication.  And there were no hints they liked liked each other when they were younger either.  SO NO.  This does not work.  And telling me their relationship when they were younger in 2 pages or less (much less)? That's not helping ANYONE.

The Chosen One thing is lower on my list of pet peeves for books, mainly because I HAVE seen this work before, and it worked good. Real good.  But here, along with the other cliches of YA and predictable plot, it didn't do this book any favors.  Even if her powers haven't come to her yet (supposedly), we all knew what was going to happen eventually.

The perfect sibling thing could have been a cliche, and it bordered on cliche, but it wasn't cliche, mainly because Rowena was a bit layered (?).  I was going back and forth on whether to call her personality layered or moody because I felt it could go both ways.  She cared for her sister (I guess), but she was a firm believer of tough love?  She was also snobby, but she had her moments. Granted, those moments were few and wide and really random/unexpected, but they were still there.  

There were also several lapses in logic and several things that I felt could have been explained a little more.  To avoid spoilers, I'm not going to mention them, but the plot was so predictable that  I don't think I'll be ruining much if I did... (But that's a total judgment call- well, this entire review is a judgment call, but you get what I mean.) And there's a second book too (which I don't think I'll be reading), so we always have that to explain everything....

As for the characters? The guy was hot (like cardboard), and the girl was nothing new; she could have been any of the hundreds of YA female characters out there. There were so many cousins and aunts and uncles, and 98% were mentioned in name only.  Side characters and the villian were stereotypical and not very complex.

But overall, this book wasn't that bad (at least, not as terrible as I thought it was going to be).  Even with that predictable plot and all those cliches, it was a quick read with an okay story.  This is the type of book to read when you're looking for something to read, but you can't really find good, addicting books. This will fill your time (it would make an okay filler book) while you search for that perfect novel ;).

Thanks for reading!

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Quote Me Thursday Wk 3

This weekly meme is hosted by the awesome Brenda over at the Daily Mayo. :)

WOW.  It's February already! (My fav. month ;)) Time goes by so fast!  It seems like just yesterday that I was welcoming in the New Year.

So this month's theme is love/romantic quotes :)

My quote:

Percy: Don't I get a kiss for luck? It's kind of a tradition, right?
Annabeth: Come back alive, Seaweed Brain. Then we'll see.
― Rick Riordan 

*squeal!*
:D

So, what are your quotes for this week? :)

Waiting on Wednesday Wk 4

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme hosted by the fabulous Jill over at Breaking the Spine. 

:)

What I'm waiting on this week:

\
Ooooo! Pretty cover!! 

Synopsis:

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

 But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.

For fans of Ally Carter? *squeal*

This book is calling my name!

I loved Heist Society! (Hale! *swoon*).

Trust Me, I'm Lying is out October 14th, 2014  (BOOO!! :( ) 

So, what are you guys all waiting on this week? :)

Sidekick Showcase Wk 3

Hi everyone!!
Kyendwarrior here:)
This book meme is hosted by the fantastic Jaclyn over at JC's Book Haven!
:)
My sidekick of the week:
Erin from There You'll Find Me


Took me a while, but I delivered! This week is Erin's turn to shine ;)

What I love the most about Erin is her quirky personality. She's a kind-hearted gal who's absolutely in love with science (esp. brains!) and encourages the best in Finley.  She's a total fan girl of Beckett, and being a fangirl of him myself, I can definitely relate ;).
If Ms. Sweeney was the reflection of Finley (and possibly of her future self!), then Erin was the perfect foil for Finley. She's so full of life and bubbles, and her infectious happiness touches everyone- even the tough Finley. Put these two together, and commence the heart, the laughter, and the healing. ;)

So who are your sidekicks this week?
  

Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Release Date: October 22, 2013    

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books 

Genre(s): YA Dystopia 

Pages: 526

*3rd book of series*

*~Spoilers are hidden! Highlight the page to see them! (THEY ARE MAJOR SO DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK!)~*

Summary (Goodreads): 
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 


Review:

(I may rant a little about the first two books, but I’ve decided not make this into a series review because I haven’t picked up Divergent and Insurgent for a while. )

*deep breath*

Here goes.

I enjoyed Divergent and Insurgent very much (esp. Divergent).  I hate to do this, but I’m going to do it anyways:  this series was like the Hunger Games.  Before anyone starts a riot, let me explain. This series was similar to the Hunger Games in terms of losing its steam with each book (perhaps more so with Divergent, I thought).  The first book was awesome; we got romance, action, a fun plot, and fantastic world building. The next book was not-so awesome, but it was pretty good; I could, however, see that the series was losing steam here. The end sort of made up for it, but at the same time, I wasn't sure how the author was going to make this all work.   But I decided to trust Ms. Roth and waited eagerly for that last book.  After months and months of waiting, complete with a cover unveiling and title reveal, Allegiant came out, and I started to devour it.  

But a few pages in, I got indigestion.  (Yuck!) 

Did I have high expectations for Allegiant?  A little; after Insurgent, my expectations deflated somewhat, but they were still lingering.  I think the thing that made this book so disappointing was the use of two points of views: Tobias and Tris.  I understood why the author did it at the end, but it just ruined the book for me.  They sounded exactly the same.  I felt like I was reading a very disjointed book because I would sometimes forget that it was Tobias’s part that I was reading.  

Another qualm was the characters themselves.  I recall steady character growth in Divergent, esp. for Tris and Tobias, while in Insurgent, there was a lot growth in their relationships. In this book, there wasn’t really much growth for either relationships or characters. Not  just for  Tris and Tobias, who always seemed to be sniping at each other, but also relationships between them and other characters as well.  (The thing with Caleb was too abrupt.) Most of the side characters (and there were quite a few) were either just cardboard or not important.  It has been a month since I’ve read this book (and I’ve skimmed over parts of it since then because, well, I might not like the book as a whole, but there were a lot of nice quotes; no one can say that Ms. Roth isn't a talented writer because she is- it was just this series was stretched out too thin), and I can hardly remember any of them.

This book was bit slow. It took forever for anything to happen.  In this sense, it was sort of like Mockingjay.  In Mockingjay, there was a lot of talk and not much action; it was the same in Allegiant.  We’re also pretty much told everything, and though I wouldn’t say there was a massive info dump, because lots of things were alluded to not just in the beginning parts of Allegiant but also in Insurgent as well, it was getting pretty close to that line.  There was, however, waaaaay too much telling.  What happened to the awesome showing that was in Divergent and Insurgent?   

One of the biggest let down, I thought, was the real reason for why this whole faction mess was created.  I expected something more shocking.  It felt like the author ran out of ideas at the end and decided to just go with that one. 

 And finally that ending.

 I personally feel endings, especially in dystopia, can make or break a book.   I always make an effort to finish a book, even if I think it’s horrible, because sometimes the worst books have the best ending (not going to name names here…).   Well, this ending wasn’t the worst, but it was by no means the best.  This is going to sound a bit morbid, but I liked that the author killed off Tris.  Just hear me out.  I only liked the idea of it because it was unexpected, and I can’t really recall any other books that killed off the main character (while in first person).  I mean it was in two points of views, and judging from the last two books, I knew someone was going to die, but I didn’t expect Tris.  Usually, if a book is written in first point of view, you know that character can’t die.  Third person is a free for all, but not first point of view. 

 Now, the execution (not how Tris died, but how the author relayed the story to us)…. Eh.  It was dramatic and a bit emotional, but by this point, I wasn’t as into the story as I wanted/usually would be, so it wasn’t as impactful or stirring as, say, when Will died.  (And esp. when the first thing I see in Insurgent is his name.  Gah.   That hurt.)  And it was a bit weird, to be honest, for her mother  to just pop in like that.  I get the sense that that scene was suppose to be bittersweet and maybe a little heart-breaking, but it was just so random. 

The one real redeemable point of this book, I thought, was Peter.  He had tremendous amounts of growth throughout this entire series, and while I still hate his guts, I also have a grudging respect for him now (when I thought that would never in a gazillion years be possible.  Who in their right mind stabs someone in the eye just so they could get first place????) . 

Final thoughts?  Disappointed.  Overall, I think it was because there wasn't enough material for three books, and the plot was stretched too thin.  I expected more out of you, Allegiant.  (But I’m still excited for Divergent the movie to come out! I saw the trailer, and it looked awesome!)

Happy Readings!

Rating: 2 out of 5