Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Imagine being frozen for centuries. You are alive but frozen. You are on a spaceship travelling to another planet.

Amy chooses to go with her parents to a new planet that is similar to earth.

We see in the first 2 books in the series the story is unfolding on the spaceship. 

In Shades of Earth, the spaceship finally lands. FINALLY!!!!!

I don’t want to get into the story because SPOILERS!!!

So instead I want to discuss Amy’s decision.

Would you do that? Would you freeze yourself? For any reason?

It got me really thinking.

Imagine freezing yourself and waking up knowing that the people you grew up with, loved or hated are all dead. That Earth is no longer your home. That if you were to go back to Earth, nothing would be the same. And you wouldn’t have a place on it. Just that thought breaks everything apart.

I did find the book a bit slow, especially the beginning. However, the ending was good and unexpected at all.

Finally, I am glad to have finished this amazing series. The only Sci-Fi series I ever read in my life. And it’s the only trilogy that I own completely so that is saying something. I still remember when I first saw the cover of Across the Universe. Man, it brings back memories.

It’s time to say goodbye to yet another series. Looking forward to Beth Revis’s newest projects. 

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

I loved Amy and Roger's Epic Detour which was Morgan Matson's debut novel. So when I heard about Second Chance Summer, I added right away on goodreads.com. Now that I've read it, it is safe to say that Amy and Roger Epic Detour is still my favorite book by Morgan Matson.

The book has a great start. Taylor who is the main character goes to a lake house with her family as a way to say goodbye to her father. It is their last summer together before he dies. But then memories start to float back to surface. And readers are taken back years ago when that lake house was her life. Where she met her first boyfriend and lost her best friend.

The book is about finding broken parts and collecting them. It leaves you wondering if things can go back as they were. As much as this book was about correcting your past mistakes and enduring the obstacles that many goes through, it was very predictable.

I knew what was going to happen midway reading this book. There were no plot twists. This took away the fun in finding out the ending.

However,  Taylor's family stood out to me. They were strong in the midst of the new changes that they were going through. I hope everyone who reads this book, feels better. And I think this is the aim of the book is to inform its readers that they are not alone.  

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The setting of this novel is very unique, giving it an edge that is hard to find in many novels. I think Shadow and Bone will be easy to remember its details when reading the second book because I dont recall ever reading a book with a similar theme. I think that’s what stood out for me.

Of course there were parts that I wanted to skip but they were necessary to understand the details of this world. At the same time, I wished there were more history given to us and more about the ruling structure in this world. That would have been great. But I think the world will be clearer in the second book (I hope so!). That is why I am so eager to read the second book.

I didn’t feel the romance between Alina and Mal. I saw them as siblings more than anything else. That’s why I had hard time getting into them. However what happened between them towards the end of the novel-the sacrifices-might had convinced me, a little, of their love. But, still, I need more.

The cover is iconic. I mean I am pretty sure you've noticed it in the bookstores. You probably stopped, picked it and read the synopsis. Its stands out which makes it the perfect cover for this book to sell and become more marketable.

Overall, it was a great book but it would have been perfect if extra details were incorporated throughout the novel. And if the love between Alina and Mal was given more time to develop because I felt like it was rushed. I needed more time to understand and feel the romance aspect of the novel.   

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book was a little boring in the beginning. But then towards the last 200 pages the pace was very fast, leaving me in awe after each chapter. Here is the thing:I didn’t know anything about this book until I started reading it. I am not one of those people who read the synopsis beforehand. I just heard that it was a great book and so I had to read it.

It circled around Germany before and during World War II.How this war was a lot to take…not on the world but on the Germans. What I really liked about this novel is that it focused on the Germans during this devastating period of time. And especially on the book thief. The book thief is the main character of this book and we witness her growth over the years.

She suffered the sight of watching her brother dying. And this had impacted her for a very long time. Then she developed a passion for reading. But there was one problem: BOOKS WERE FORBIDDEN. Apparently Hitler didn’t like books so everyone was forced to throw all their books to a pile. That pile was later to be burned to ashes. That however did not add a single flame onto The Book Thief's passion. The Book Thief had the willingness to sacrifice her life for a book.

This book really showed me how it was like back then. The clock kept ticking in 2013 but my whole being was in the late 30s and early 40s.

I don’t recommend this book to people who don’t like history and politics. I mean I like history but this book took forever to explain or discuss anything historical.

Fun fact: of course there were a lot of German words thrown here and there. I don’t know German but I recognized the word "Leader" and "My Struggle" in the German language. I remembered them from history class in high school. Did I mention that I love history? And so that made me feel proud.

The writing style was just amazing. I mean that last sentence was a great way to end this book. I even tweeted two quotes from the book. So many great meanings and lyrical words.

The first thought that came to me after finishing this book was "I gotta check out more of Markus Zusak's novels."

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

I need the third book of the series now. (Note this review was written in May)

Ever since I read Ruby Red in 2011, it left me with this love/pain. I kept thinking about Gwen. And how I just rooted for her and completely loved this main character. I wanted her to win, to be the best. I easily felt sorry for her. And I wanted nothing but happiness for her. The author had created a very smart and witty character and she makes her sound like a teenager. Taking references from the trendy pop culture and the way Gwen invoice her thoughts makes her real.

I dont know how the author did this. But she skilfully made this book sound and feel so real to me. It was not just ink on paper. It was real. I could feel myself.

The second book came with awesome-packed stuff. The events Gwen attended. All this time travelling made me think...is it really possible to travel through time and space? How? And the author here gives you the time and space to think about it but at the same time, makes it seems like every day science.

Now onto my favorite part, Gideon. I love him. He is the best male character. Again, I cannot stop thinking about him since book 1. And in book 2, the author just gives me all I need. His so many sides and angles. He is simply a human being (in terms of making mistakes). And every time Gwen fights with him, I just go to Switzerland. And that last scene kills me every time I think about it.

I love this book. Beautiful. And I really wished all of Kerstin Gier's books got translated because I would like to read everything she had written so far.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

As we all know, I loved Shatter Me. In fact it was one of my favorite reads in 2011. This made my expectations for Unravel Me go up the rooftop.

 The number one thing I loved the most in Unravel Me was how every character stood out, turning them all into main characters. I felt like they were all essential to the storyline and I don’t usually feel that way. Like, in novels where they are love triangle, I get to only think and care about the 3 involved. However in this book I cared about each one of them, liked them and memorized their names. I have the worst memory but I still could recall Castle, Kenji , the Twins, etc.

The one thing I didn’t like is that I didn’t feel anything towards James this time around. I am leaning more towards Warner, even though I shouldn’t be. James was just boring in this installment. Really. So I had no choice but to look forward to Warner's part every time I turned a page. From book 1, I have been leaning towards Warner but Juliette was disagreeing with me. And she is finally listening to me in this book. I had to yell on top of my lungs for her to hear me. I mean Warner is a bad guys, but lets not forget that no one was born with pure evilness in their bloods. Warner just needs a chance. And I really like how the author made the relationship among the 3 so complicated even more. I was just going " no oh nooo. That cant be happening. I didn’t see that. What why?"

You talk to yourself a lot, reading this book.    

I also felt like the writing style had changed too. Not sure if that is a bad or good thing. Just thought I should mention it.

Finally, I want to say that I'm super excited for book 3.  

5 Centimeters per Second by Makoto Shinkai, Yukiko Seike (Illustrations), Melissa Tanaka (Translator)

When was the last time I reviewed a manga? That’s right. NEVER.

Not because I don’t read them, but because I never thought of reviewing them. But this manga had to be reviewed on my blog because it was that good.

To start off, this manga was based on a movie. I mean what are the odds of reading a book that is based on a movie. So this got me really excited before even starting the manga.

The thing that really captured my interest is how realistic the story is. It doesn’t try to cover up the ugliness of events that many of us, humans, have to go through. It was so raw and it slaps you with the truth and that is…

Technology had made things easier for us…easier than intended.

You want to break up with someone, text your love.

You want to confront someone, call your friend

You want to quit your job, email your boss

We don’t do things face to face anymore. And in my own opinion the manga discusses that perfectly.

The illustrations in this manga are beautiful. There are many characters that we see growing up and the good illustrations made it easy to follow.

I must say though that it had an open ending. I wanted to flip another page but I just simply couldn’t because there was nothing to flip. I guess we have to come up with our ending. And I see it as a happy ending, regardless.

I totally recommend this book.  

Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass

Release Date: October 2nd 2012

Publisher: RazorBill

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 342 pages

Source: ARC

Holly cow… this book was just amazing. Reading the end of this book made me feel so sad and happy at the same time.

I was thinking what the ajghajkdghdasd happened? Wait, is it possible? Are human beings capable of doing so. and by so i mean, the whole concept of the novel. 

The writing was so pretty and flawless. Usually I hate books that are narrated by 2 or more girls because it is hard for me to distinguish them. But  it wasnt the same for this book. The two characters narrating were so unique. I loved them so much. Both of their love interest were interesting and I didnt know which team to be on. Picking teams was going to be pointless anyways...you will know why.

This book will keep you questioning whether all of this is real or not. Which part is real and which is made up or imagined. Personally, I thought everything was real...that both characters were real

Anyways, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun read. Pick it up from a bookstore or a library. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Release Date: February 1^st 1999

Publisher: MTV Books and Pocket Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 213 pages

Source: Purchased

Ok let's try again.

I tried yesterday to write this review but stopped because I didn’t know from where to start. Actually, I didn’t know on what to focus on. It was just one of those books that impacts you in a way but it gives you hard time to put it in words and I guess that's because…

The perks of being a wallflower celebrates the small things that we all go through but not have the time to notice because it becomes a repeat in our lives that we don’t pay attention to it on purpose.

The perks of being a wallflower will make you laugh and think a lot. And it only touches things on the surface without going too deep in it. because it allows or it gives you the space to think about it the way you want. The way every reader perceives things is different from the other and the author took that into consideration. 

I had difficult time picturing Emma Watson as Sam but this is due to obvious reasons.

The book dealt with so many issues that teen face without being skeptical about it. I believed Charlie was a kid with problems. I believed and felt sorry for him.

And at first, I thought this book wasn’t for young adults up until I read that it was Amazon's #1 young adult novel. It's different from other books.   

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Release Date: April 24^th 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 327 pages

Source: Library- audio book

This book was cute. So cute. It had a prince and possibly a fairy tale for 35 girls that were chosen based on different aspects to have one of them marry the prince.

I fell in love with Prince Maxon. He was a prince in every way. Gentle and nice and amazing. He respected all the girls and treated them equally and well. Although, it is obvious that he is interested in America Singer, he still gave her space and time to make up her heart. No one in his shoes, with such authorities, would do that. But he did because he is awesome.

For America Singer, she reminded me of Katniss. I don’t know if that is a good thing or not. America was an independent character, had her different plan. And wasn’t cheesy like the rest of the 34 girls. She was unique from all of them which well made me like her more.

In the next book, I hope to see more of the political problems that are going on. Information about the war and allies and all of that. Really excited for book 2.  

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Release Date:  September 1^st 2009

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 391 pages

Source: Borrowed

I didn’t know if I should or should not review this book since everyone knows about it and everyone loves it. but hey, why not?

But I need to tell you that this book made me feel something. Something that was totally different than what I felt in the hunger games. I think it is probably the best second book in a trilogy. It topped all second books ever. It was action packed and a great transition to the third book which I cant wait to get my hands on.

Catching fire is one of those books that make you get attached to the characters. Makes you wanting more. You got to see Katniss in many other situations and it is so good to get into Katniss's head and see all those debates that takes place there. Good vs. bad. But what if the thin line between the two sides doesn’t exist at all? That could lead to big, fat confusion.

I was expecting to see more of Gale but that didn’t happen. I think his appearances were important but limited. And when I reviewed this book, I couldn’t make up my mind of which team I am on. And I won't tell you until I read the last book. I think that’s fair (no reason given). Anyways, feel free to tell me which team are you on?

Anyways, I totally recommend this book. Loved it more than the hunger games.  

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

Release Date: May 1^st 2012

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 334 pages

Source: Borrowed

I loved that book and I don’t even know why. Maybe because it was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. No, I think because it was written from Rose's perspective. We all know who is rose. She is Romeo's first love.

There were some parts in this novel that didn’t feel realistic. There was rush in some parts, unexplained. But the romance in this book was cute and forced me into flipping the pages quickly.

Also the writing style was so amazing. It kept on pulling me deeper and deeper into the book. There were deep messages and I enjoyed reading between the lines.

In addition to that, I liked Rose's friends. They were shallow (for most of the time) but everyone has a problem and they werent excluded for that. Each one of them had their own character and their problems were a reflection of who they are.

In total, I really liked this book. Totally recommend it.  

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: February 28^th 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 375 pages

Source: Borrowed

 I just finished Pandemonium and I am in shock. This installment was way and I mean way better than Delirium. Pandemonium had the fun, entertaining, breath-taking aspect to it and I loved it. There were some parts that dragged and stretched forever but it had always ended up perfectly.

I don’t remember if it was in Delirium too but in Pandemonium, the book was divided into 2 parts, the now and then. What happened to Lena in the wild (then) and back to Zombieland (Now). It helped with the pacing of the book and increased the questions in my head.

Lena found a new life but at the same time, she had hard time forgetting about Alex. And I don’t want to spoil it but THE ENDING was huge. And got me teary for some stupid reason and it shocked me. So 5 stars for this overwhelming ending. I kept flipping the last page hoping to stumble upon another page but no I have to wait months upon month to get my questions answered. 

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: April 10^th 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 326 pages

Source: Borrowed

I was so disappointed by this installment. I was expecting more and more and more. But no.

If you recall, The Gathering was one of my favorite books in 2011 and so my expectations were up high. But it was boring and confusing and too much text floated right in front of my eyes. Maya wasn’t interesting like in the gathering. Daniel lost his charm in this book. Like why? What happened?

The plot was slow and pointless. I don’t know how this book helped to create a bridge between book 1 and book 3. I really hope book 3 picks up.

I kept flipping the pages to know how long its going to take me to finish the book. I was glad to finish it and I am sorry to say this because book 1 was amazing and epic. Oh well!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 3rd 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 487 pages

Source: Purchased

It was addicting, gripping and sad.

It might have seemed like a super long book, but when a book is a total page turner, time flies by and the story ends too quickly.

I might have expected more things to happen. It just felt there was so much time spent on the actual training or qualifications to the faction. But the last 100 pages were full of surprises and fun.

The relationship between Tris and Four was so beautiful. It was heart aching for real. Like I wanted them to be together forever. It was so romantic because even though their world is so messed up, they are trying to save each other by offering the help each one needed from the other. It was just beautiful. Four was different only when he was with Tris which happened gradually. And I love like that…gradually I mean.

Of course, I don’t have to say much more about this book because we are all aware that its awesome from the awards its been receiving.

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Release Date: June 19^th 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 224 pages

Source: ARC

I cant really tell if I liked this book or not. I just need to give my rational first for you to decide whether I liked or not. but here is a hint: it is, by far, my favorite book in 2012.

So we are introduced to Travis who is this complex character but he tries not to show it. he is good at hiding it but not for long. His life is so crazy and all over the place. Here is another hint: His brother stole his girlfriend when he was away in Afghanistan.

Let me tell you this: the way Travis was written made him sound so real. He is the most realistic 19 years old character. He just sounded right in my head. And picturing him  was so easy to draw and form in matter of minutes. Basically, I fell for Travis. Though he is not perfect, he is human. And once in a while, I like to read about humans who do mistakes and learn from them.

You are not alone when you decide to re-read the book before even finishing it.

The fire in this book doesn’t simply goes away when you finish reading it, it stays.  

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Release Date: May 31^st 2012

Publisher: Viking Jevenile

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 224 pages

Source: ARC

I had mixed feeling when it came to this book. There were parts that were awesome and other parts were just lacking something.

The book dealt with so many issues that many teenagers face. From bullying to family issues. I don’t think Susane left any topic without discussing it or at least hinted to it.

I liked the message behind this book. Its telling everyone who cant afford the best cloth, who cant eat healthy and ends up eating Mcdonalds that they are not the only ones. That there is always hope. Also this book encourages teenagers to talk to a trusted person about their problems because they might help.

However, what I didn’t like about the book is that the dialogues didn’t sound realistic. I just don’t think 

teenagers speak like that. I know its been 3 years since I left high school but I don’t think the way I hear teenagers talk had changed and this book didn’t deliver this aspect. Yup, that’s all.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: January 17th 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 403 pages

Source: Borrowed

I had hard time falling in love with this book. You know why? Because I already fell in love with Tucker in the first book. So it was hard for me to see Tucker fading into the background, while Christian taking on the lead. I knew this was going to happen. I mean, Christian is…fine. Whatever. And I understand the dilemma that Clara is facing right now. I mean Tucker or Christian. I vote for Tucker because…well, if you had read book 1 you would know.

Anyways, this book is sad. So sad. Because Clara loses the most valuable person in her life. And even though she knows about it for few months, it still hits with a rock when it actually happens.

I still have to come clean and say that it wasn’t as good as the first book. But it was still gripping and a page turner. 

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

Release Date: February 2^nd 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 272 pages

Source: ARC

I don’t know how to review this book since its not really your typical read that we are familiar with. It is a book composed of images that reflects a story. And this book proves that a picture is worth a thousand words.

What I really liked about this book is the fact that every reader will read it differently. Every reader will translate the images in the book differently which will create a unique storyline for everyone.

The pictures were all beautiful and captured something along the lines.  They were like Instagram images. Just beautiful. They weren't all images of humans; they were images of objects that symbolized something. so keep your eyes open for that.  

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: January 2^nd 2012

Publisher: Poppy/Little Brown

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 256 pages

Source: Borrowed

 I didn’t enjoy it like I thought I would.

I think my expectations were really high for this book thanks to all the reviews and tweets but it didn’t deliver. I just felt if it was longer, it might have added depth into the story for me.

It is one of those 1 day love story, though to me, it felt really rushed. Maybe I am not a believer of love at first sight. I just think it's hard to fall in love with someone at the airport, but maybe since Oliver is British it might make sense.

But there was something in this book that I loved so much. And that is the relationship between Hadley and her father. The author did a great job in creating this amazing relationship that stands out among others. We see how Hadley is mad at her father for leaving them and how her emotions changes over the course of the novel. Now this relationship was well-developed.

Also this book was a reminder of how traveling could be awesome, sometimes.