The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us
by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Date Released: November 21, 2011
Pages: 356

Summary:

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

My Review:

Okay, so I was wary about reading this book because right before I checked it out of the library I read a couple review of it and a good number of them were on the negative side. But I ignored that and read it anyway because I've noticed there are times when books get horrible reviews, but I end of loving them.

I did end up liking this one. I loved the whole concept of seeing what your life is like in 15 years through Facebook. And despite some things that annoyed me, the plot was pretty good. And the things that did annoy me weren't the plot's fault, but the character's. Not that that sentence made any sense.

One thing I liked about how the characters saw their future, was that it was through Facebook instead of an alternative like actual time travel. Their glimpse into their future lives through Facebook really left a lot of things unsaid, which could be a good or a bad thing. So the plot was good.

I wasn't too keen on the character of Emma. She really bugged me. I mean she took things WAY too seriously and overreacted about pretty much every single thing she read about her future. She freaked out when she saw her future husband and got rid of him because she thought he was a jerk. She had never met the guy and would have no way of knowing that! For all she knew he could be the awesomest guy on the planet. But no. She decides that she hates him. Along the same lines was how she manipulated her job and the city where she lived. She found out she was a marine biologist and she was excited about that. But when she saw she was living in Ohio she automatically assumes her husband is being completely inconsiderate of what she wants to do. By reading that one fact she just automatically assumes that she isn't happy with her career in the future. For all she knows she could have a super duper cool job swimming with dolphins at the local aquarium! Just because she doesn't live by the ocean doesn't mean she doesn't have an awesome marine biologist job.

Josh on the other hand was a much better character. He definitely wasn't as obsessed with his future as Emma and for the most part left it alone. Except for one thing. He tried to force a friendship with Sydney. He didn't check his Facebook constantly so for all he knows befriending Sydney in high school ruins their future together! So that little thing about him kind of peeved me off, but no where near as bad as Emma. He also acted like a girl whenever he talked about how "OMG I TALKED TO SYDNEY TODAY."

Overall this book was actually pretty good once you look past those character flaws. The one thing I wish they had told us that they really didn't was when Kellan got pregnant. I kind of wanted to know that.

My Rating:

Black Butler Vol. 1

Black Butler
by Yana Toboso
Date Released: January 26, 2010
Pages: 192

Summary:

When a terrible fire claims his parents, Ciel Phantomhive must step up as the head of his father's company and as Earl Phantomhive. It would be a lot for the young boy to handle were it not for his faithful butler, Sebastian. Ever at Ciel's side, it seems there's little Sebastian can't do, whether it's saving a dinner party gone awry or probing the dark secrets of London's underbelly. He's almost too good to be true...or at least, too good to be human..

My Review:

A small disclaimer before I start. I have never reviewed a manga before, so this is going to be quite different.

This is the first "real" manga I have read. I mean I have read all of the Maximum Ride mangas, but those are Americanized. You even have to read them from left to right. Whereas normal mangas are read from right to left, which took me a little while to get used to.

I really liked the characters. But why is there always an attractive guy in any manga or anime I see? I mean Sebastian wasn't all that bad looking, if ya know what I mean. And even Baldroy (Bardroy? I'm not sure how to spell that and don't have the book handy...) was pretty good looking. I really liked the twist that Ciel was only 12. Even though it wasn't really a twist since it told us that in the summary.

The pictures were also masterfully drawn. Some of them had much more detail than I would have expected. Example being in either chapter 3 or 4 when the Italian mobster guy, whose name I can't remember, was holding a gun. And let me tell you that. That gun was masterfully engraved, let me tell you.

I also liked the story line. It was just enough to keep me interested throughout the weekend when I read it. Elizabeth was a good addition, I really liked her. Especially after she put Sebastian in a dress.

My Rating:

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

The Near Witch
by Victoria Schwab
Date Released: August 2, 2011
Pages: 282

Summary:

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
There are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger--a boy who seems to fade like smoke--appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know-- about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget

My Review:

Throughout the whole book this movie would not get out of my head:
















And that is a good thing, because I loved (well, I still love it) this movie. But back to the book. I kept thinking about this movie because of how the kids kept walking out of their rooms at night because they were being drawn by the witch's powers was a theme in both of these stories.

This book was amazing. And it was awesome! Everything about this book was just the bee's knees, and yes I did just say that. My favorite part of it was Cole. He was an awesome and strong character. His character had depth and a story behind his actions. When he shied away from Lexi because he was afraid to let himself love again, that just made me love him anymore. I felt like he was protecting Lexi in a way by not endangering her by getting close to her....yeah that sentence didn't make much sense.

And the writing style was beautiful. I really felt like I had been reeled into the world of Near and was there as it was happening.

And the world of Near itself was masterfully crafted. It didn't sound like any world I had read about before. The idea that witches could be welcomed into society (or semi-welcomed) like Dreska and Magda were. Or they could be feared for generations after they had disappeared, like the Near witch was.

And Uncle Otto was such a good villain-who-wasn't-actually-the-villain. And of course I loved that Lexi would just completely ignore whatever he said and go sneak out to see Cole.

I could not put this book down. I read it in probably about 3 hours. It was so good! Everybody should read this book who likes YA fiction. It doesn't matter if you are a fantasy fan or not, you should read this book right now.

My Rating:

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red
by Kerstin Gier
Date Released: May 10, 2011 (American publication)
Pages: 324

Summary:

Gwyneth Shepherd’s sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon—the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the eighteenth century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

My Review:

I can pretty much sum up this book with one onomatopoeia: eh. It was just eh.

It started off awesome! I was hooked right away. The main character wasn't awesome, but I figured I would warm up to her. And the plot was interesting enough. But at about half way through the book, it just went downhill from there. The plot started to lose steam, I started disliking the main character even more. Characters I had originally liked I started disliking.

Then I stopped reading for two days because I had a bunch of tests and I just could not get back into the story. I struggled through the last fourth of it for about a week. And then 20 or 30 pages from the end, I just couldn't finish it. At first I thought it was because I was reading at night and I was just really tired, but then I tried reading it during lunch the next day. I still only got through a page in about 20 minutes.

The element that really helped this book sink down was the plot. At first it sounded so good! Time travel because of a gene was something I had never read before. But after the author tells us about Gwyneth's first time traveling incident, the plot lost all of its steam. It felt like there were holes. Whenever explanations were offered they were rushed through. And some things that need more detail were just lacking and had me slightly confused.

I would urge you away from reading this book. Do not be enticed by the pretty cover!

My Rating:

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green
Date Released: September 21, 2006
Pages: 227

Summary:

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself by Printz medalist John Green, acclaimed author of Looking for Alaska.

My Review:

So I know those of you who are big John Green fangirls are going to kill me for saying this, but I wasn't crazy about this book. There were things I did like about it, don't get me wrong. But there were also a couple things I didn't like about it.

One thing about it was it just didn't really hook me at any point when I was reading it. Normally when I read a book the story will have hooked me to the point where I will make time to read it. Whether that point comes in chapter two or half way through, it doesn't matter. But I just didn't find that in this story. I mean I guess overall the story was good, it just didn't bring the reader in as much as I would have liked.

I also didn't like the character of Hassan very much. I think I finally started to warm up to him by the very end of the book, and had this been a series book I probably would have started liking him as the series went on. One thing that turned me off from him was how a lot of the things he said were very crude. And while my tolerance level for that kind of thing is very high when I'm hearing it in person, but for some reason that tolerance level shoots way down for books, so it just wasn't flying for me.

I also found the only three characters I really liked were Hollis, Lindsey, and Colin (not TOC, I hated him, but Colin Singleton). But this ties into the things I did like about it. I liked those three characters. My favorite was by far Lindsey though. I liked her immediately after she was introduced. Colin took a couple of chapters of warming up to. Same with Hollis. But I ended up liking them both.

Another thing that John Green did really well was the dialogue. Especially in the last chapter or so when Lindsey and Colin are talking. I was really impressed with the way that the author showed that they kissed without telling us. The way he had the four lines of ellipses and some dialogue and the reader had to figure it out.

If you are a big fan of contemporary or realistic fiction, then this book is probably for you. But in my case I'm more of a fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi reader who occasionally dives into the world of contemp fiction. If you're like me, then I would advise steering clear of this book.

My Rating:

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A Million Suns
by Beth Revis
Date Released: January 10, 2012
Pages: 386

Summary:

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

My Review:

This book really lived up to my expectations. I find it hard to find a sequel that is really on par or better than the original, but this one definitely was. I loved pretty much everything about it. Probably the only thing that could have been written a little better was the way Amy solved the clues that Orion left her. I liked how he left clues and the things she found out, but I felt like the author made it sound too much like a scavenger hunt that a little kid might do. I wasn't opposed to the fact of her solving a clue then finding the next and so on until we got to the big twist at the end of the book, but the way she presented it sounded a littler younger than Amy.

Other than this, I loved everything in this book.

One thing I liked was the way Amy was reserved about loving Elder because he was her only "option." In many other books I have read the girl would have been all over the guy because of her feelings, but Amy was hesitant. She wasn't sure whether what she was feeling was real, or if the feelings were produced because of the fact that Elder was the only person on the ship her age. This made me feel like she was more than just another whiny girl protagonist. It gave the character more depth, and it added a certain element of suspense to the romance. This is also a contributing factor to make Amy a more well developed character than many of the main characters of books are.

Another thing the author did that I felt was against what many others would have done was have the people resistant to Elder becoming the new leader. It could have been just so tempting as an author to make the people automatically bow down and obey Elder's every command. It certainly would have been easier to write a bunch of perfect law abiding citizens, but it wouldn't have been nearly as realistic. Going along with this is also many of the citizens of Godspeed's disgust at Amy. This, along with their reluctance to obey, in my opinion added to the citizens. I feel like we learned a lot more about them as a whole in this book than we did in the first one, and I liked it.

A third contributing factor of my love for this book was the excellent plot twist at the end of the novel. Whenever I read a book it is very rare for me to spot someone early on as being a traitor. I am almost always shocked to find out who the bad guy is. This book went right along with that. Some people don't understand how I don't pick up on the little hints here and there of someone's deception, but I think this makes reading the book that much more exciting. So not being able to figure out who the traitor is always a good sign for me. And let me tell you, I was in no way expecting Doc to be plotting against Elder. That really shocked me and left me wanting more and anxious for the third book to come out next year.

This book was a great read and if you are a fan of sci-fi or dystopian I highly recommend reading both this book and the first one.

My Rating:

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
Date Released: April 9,2006
Pages: 335

Summary:

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

My Review:

Truthfully, I thought I would like this book a lot more than I did. It wasn't so much that the whole book was okay, it was really just bits and pieces of it that I didn't like. So, let me start with the things I liked.

I really liked the chapters that were told from the point of view from the older Jacob. In them I liked how he talked about his kids and how his wife had died, but he kept us hanging until the end as to who his wife was. Did he actually end up with Marlena? Or did their story not end in a happily ever after?

I also really liked Rosie. I liked the way Jacob fell in love with her just as much as he fell in love with Marlena. I felt like the whole story just got better in general after Rosie was introduced as a character, I just wasn't feeling the first half. But the second half I really liked. I even liked August and all his crazy problems because he added a certain dynamic to the whole story.

One thing that bothered me was the beginning of the romance between Jacob and Marlena. One second Jacob was just thinking about her beauty, and the next BAM he was all of a sudden completely in love with her. The author kind of cheated us out of the details as to how he fell in love with her. After that moment of revelation on his part, I liked their love story. It was just the start of it that bothered me.

The second thing I didn't like was the character of Marlena. The way the author wrote her it wounded like she was a secondary minor character that strived to be a main character, instead of sounding like she was the main character. She was flat and predictable, and I did not like her at all.

With all this said, I have to mention the movie version for a second. I actually liked the movie better than the book, and it was for one main reason. In the movie, the character of Marlena (portrayed by Reese Witherspoon) was actually likable. Witherspoon added a certain dynamic to her that made her a good character, instead of a flat predictable one.

My Rating:

Beautiful Creature by Kami Stohl, Margaret Garcia

Beautiful Creatures
by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Date Released: October 1, 2009
Pages: 563

Summary:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My Review:

I loved this book. When I first started to read it, I wasn't sure because I had started it once already as part of a buddy read, but soon abandoned in favor of the other book I was reading. But I am so glad I picked it up again.

One thing I loved about it was the southern location. I am a southern girl born and raised, so whenever I find a book that takes place in the south, that always gives it a couple brownie points. I especially love it when it takes place in a city I'm familiar with or a small town. Beautiful Creatures took place in small town called Gatlin.

Being the book nerd I am, another thing I loved was all of the different quotes that Marian would say when she would talk to people. Quite a few of those have been book marked for future use.

I also loved the character of Ethan. The entire story was told from the point of view of 16 year old Ethan, and I loved the way he broke different stereotypes. He showed the audience that guys can fall for someone just as much as any girl can. That they can be embarrassed about they way they feel and act nervous around girls. His personality and character were great in general, I especially like the way he would always wear the same Converse.

The one thing I didn't particularly like about the book was how the world of the Casters was so detailed and had so many parts to it. Yes, I realize that sounds really weird considering that was the point of the whole book, but it wasn't that I disliked the Casters, I just disliked the complexity, sometimes I would just have to stop and think for a second to sort it out, then keep reading. I still did like the general idea of the Casters, so that didn't take away from my rating of the book.

I would highly recommend this book to any fans of fantasy and paranormal romance.

My Rating:

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld
Date Released: October 6, 2009
Pages: 440

Summary:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

My Review:


My friend told me to read this book a while ago so she could have someone to fangirl over it with. And because Christmas was near approaching and I had yet to acquire a copy to read, she gave it to me for Christmas. I read it in about a day and a half and as soon as I finished, I went and got the second one on my Nook. Needless to say, I loved this book.

It took me a couple of chapters to warm up to the idea of the Clanker machines and the Darwinist fabs, but ultimately I share Alek’s feeling for the fabs, they kind of weird me out a little. I like the Clanker machines much better. The idea of flying around in the belly of a mutated beast is just a little too weird, though I did like the Huxleys. But I would much rather walk around in a Stormwalker.

Also, the idea of a girl disguising herself as a guy to do what she wants is not a theme I am unfamiliar with having read the Bloody Jack series, and it is one that I like to read. It always gets interesting when the girl realizes that she might be developing something resembling feelings towards one of the guys, only problem is everything thinks she is a guy too. I am anxious to see how this will play out in the remaining two books.

The art was another part of the book that I loved. While some people may say that a YA book should not have pictures, I think they really add to the dynamic of the book. I probably would not have been able to visualize the machines or fabs the way the author had without the help of the pictures.

This book was also one of those books that you can read quickly, and not because of lack of quality, it is just because of the way the author writes. His other book series, Uglies, read the same way.

All in all, this book was probably one of the best steampunk I have read in a while. I would recommend it for anyone who like steampunk, sci fi, or history.

My Rating:

Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer

Under the Jolly Roger
by L.A. Meyer
Date Released: August 1, 2005
Pages: 544

Summary:

After leaving the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston--under dire circumstances, of course--Jacky Faber boards a whaling ship bound for London, where she hopes to find her beloved Jaimy. But things don't go as planned, and soon Jacky is off on a wild misadventure at sea. She thwarts the lecherous advances of a crazy captain, rallies sailors to her side, and ultimately gains command of a ship in His Majesty's Royal Navy. But Jacky's adventures don't end there. . . .

My Review:

Jacky and I have what you would call a love/hate
relationship. At times I love her, but at others I just kind of want to punch
her in the face for her rash decisions! And this is actually a good thing,
every book needs one of those characters that annoy you sometimes, it makes it
a good book.

I have loved this series for a while now, okay
so maybe for only a year or two, and I am currently rereading them. When I got
to this one (the third in the series) it really reminded me why this one was
and still is my least favorite of the series.



I mean for the most part I really did like the
book, with the exception of two things. One, Jacky being her usual rash self
when she ran away from the horse races at the beginning of the book. My
original thoughts were that she should just go and punch the chick, though
looking back on that after finishing the book, that probably would not have
been the best idea. I mean, Mrs. Fletcher already hates Jacky so punching
Jaimy’s cousin probably would not be the best way to win his mom’s
favor…anyways. Also, she gets mad at Jaimy for being at a horse race with
another girl, but she goes and let’s Robin kiss her and what not and almost
“gives herself” to him. I guess I can sympathize, she thought Jaimy didn’t love
her, but still she just goes and finds another guy like right away.


The second thing that really annoyed me was how
Jacky pretended to the captain’s (for lack of a better work to mean the
equivalent of a boy toy) gal pal. I don’t know, the fact that she pretended to
do it with him for several days in a row just annoyed the heck out of me,
especially since she knew how it affected those that loved here (AKA Robin).


But besides those two things I enjoyed the book.
And the rest of the series is amazing too.

My Rating: