Reached

Reached by Ally Condie is the last book in the Matched Trilogy (eep!).

(Summary from Goodreads)

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

10/10 Oh gosh. Oh my gosh. This was my favorite book after I read it. It was one of those books that sits in the back of my mind days after I finish it, and I'm mourning the loss of a story that I loved so much...this happens a lot with final books. I'm reading The Fault in Our Stars right now though, and it's a close contender, (I'm not here to talk about that right now) but I really wanna read Reached again. Condie really stepped it up in this book. It was beautifully written, the type of writing that I wish I was capable of (or will be someday). I really enjoyed this book...all 512 pages of it--which brings me to my next point. The only thing not positive I have to say about this book is that the first 300 pages or so seemed like mostly filler. I mean, I didn't get bored reading the first half of the book or anything, but in retrospect, I felt like the beginning was pale in comparison to the ending. Matched is my favorite out of the three for that reason, but Reached is by far the most beautifully written. Oh and I loved the tri-perspective with Xander.

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
This is the last book of a trilogy, so of course I have to talk about the ending and all of the surprises.

 Hey, well I saw this neat idea thing on some other book blog and just highlight the text to see the spoilers. (genius)

Okay well, Cassia ended up with Ky, which is no surprise. I mean, c'mon, Xander said it himself in the book that why would Cassia choose someone who was chosen for her. I felt so bad for Xander during the story, but I was so glad that he ended up with Lei (I never would've guessed her true identity). I personally never really shipped the whole "Xander Indie" thing. Okay Indie. I CAN'T BELIEVE INDIE DIED SHE WAS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER. NO. JUST NO. Condie really surprised me on some things, like how it turned out Cassia sorted for her own Banquet. She did a really good job with tying everything together, such as the "Red Garden Day". Like whoa. The ending was beautiful. It was amazing. It was breathtaking. I also felt pretty satisfied...the only things that I wanted tied up were Hunter, and who wins the vote. But, I was satisfied, and sad that the journey had to come to a close, but I couldn't have asked for a better final book. 

  

(End spoilers) 

♥Skittlez

I'm Back!! && The Book Thief

Hello peoples!! It's been quite a while, but after my last post, I got somewhat busy...my cousin came over, I had tennis tryouts and practices, and of course, school started which has just swamped me with all sorts of work and stuff. I'm trying to start reading again though, and hopefully posting more reviews for you guys!!

By the way, just saying, I read The Book Thief over the summer as my "pre-course reading assignment"...after that I don't remember reading much that wasn't for school.

(Summary from Good Reads)

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery....

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found.

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

10/10 Okay...this book was downright amazing. I didn't even mind that I had to annotate and write a paper on it. It was really nice and refreshing to have a break from the typical dystopian young adult romance novels. This book was like nothing I had ever read before. How it was written, the story, everything was just...I can't even think of the right word. It was very, very sad though. Just a warning. Also, I found this book to be quite...heavy, if that makes any sense. It's not a fast read by any means. But it was so worth it. 

And hey, I got 100% on my paper too. :-)

Coming Soon:
-To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (possibly)
-Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (possibly)
-Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (possibly)
(those three I read for school fyi)
-Reached by Ally Condie
-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
-Every Day by David Leviathan

♥Skittlez

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

(Summary from Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

10/10 Oh gosh I probably looked like a bad case of PMS reading this book. It had me crying, laughing, and everything in between. I loved this book, everything about it. Nelson's writing, for one thing, was so descriptive and full of amazing word choice that had me dictionary.com-ing things at two am. The story, Lennie's story, was so compelling and deep and amazing and I completely fell in love with it as well as the characters. The poetry that was intertwined into the story just added so much compassion and emotion. Anyway, I feel like this review was so scattered, so bottom line, I loved this book, people who enjoy romance will most likely also love it, and I wish I could write like Jandy Nelson.

♥Skittlez

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

(Summary from Goodreads)

Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much---if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.

But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle---who already has six wives---Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever.

8/10 I could give this a higher rating, since I really did like this book, but there were a few things that bothered me. One being the format. This was another book with interjecting flashbacks, and sometimes it worked, but sometimes it was just kinda inconvenient almost. Also, religion is a big part of the plot, but I got annoyed by the constant mentions of God etc. and how the religion just constricts everyone's lifestyle. Maybe that's just me being Atheist, but I dunno...and now I'm gonna stop being controversial and continue with the review. The ending was also a huge disappointment for me. I know I've mentioned this before, but I hate endings where you have to interpret what happens to a character. Also, the whole situation at the end was just so random to me. However, the story was so unique and captivating and the theme of family and love and happiness were executed very well. 

♥Skittlez

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard

(Summary from Goodreads)

The beguiling fourteen-year-old narrator of IN ZANESVILLE is a late bloomer. She is used to flying under the radar-a sidekick, a third wheel, a marching band dropout, a disastrous babysitter, the kind of girl whose Eureka moment is the discovery that "fudge" can't be said with an English accent.

Luckily, she has a best friend, a similarly undiscovered girl with whom she shares the everyday adventures of a 1970s American girlhood, incidents through which a world is revealed, and character is forged.

In time, their friendship is tested-- by their families' claims on them, by a clique of popular girls who stumble upon them as if they were found objects, and by the first, startling, subversive intimations of womanhood.

6.5/10 Eh, I don't know...this wasn't a bad book, but I never really got into it. The beginning went slowly to me, but it got slightly better. Beard's writing style was good though, and I thought captured the mind of a fourteen-year-old pretty well.

♥Skittlez

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

(Summary from Goodreads)

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

8/10 Yeah, I liked If I Stay better than this book, but it was still good. However, I didn't start totally liking this book until the second half. The flashback in the book seemed a little excessive, but I still enjoyed it. The story was just as compelling and full of emotion and captured my heart and mind. 

♥Skittlez

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent  by Veronica Roth is the second book in the Divergent Trilogy. (this might contain spoilers if you haven't already read Divergent)

(Summary from Goodreads)

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

10/10 Oh gosh, after reading this I came to the conclusion that these are the best books I've read since I read The Hunger Games Trilogy last summer. I loved it. I don't even know what else to say, except that I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT OVER A YEAR FOR THE LAST BOOK!! Waiting is gonna kill me, but I know once I get my hands on the book, I'm gonna have that "third book feeling" where I don't want the trilogy to end, but I wanna know what happens so badly. 

Okay, that was a pretty crappy review. Basically, I love how in the second book of most trilogies, everything just gets more complex and interesting, and you're just waiting to read that third book to see how it'll all come together in the end. This book definitely did that for me.

♥Skittlez

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

(Summary from Goodreads)

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

8.5/10 I really liked this book. It was captivating, deep, haunting, and full of emotion. But honestly, I can't say that this is a book I loved. I can't put my finger on why though. Anyway, to focus on the positives, the way Forman tackled the point of view during the story was, I thought, very witty. I'm also a sucker for a good use of flashback, and this book satisfied that. Overall, a very emotional story that was a quick read.

♥Skittlez 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth is the first book in the Divergent Trilogy.

(Summary from Goodreads) 

In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

10/10 Wow. You see dystopian novels a lot these days (I think it should be it's own genre), but this book just blew me away. I absolutely loved it. I really liked the idea of a future in which the population was separated into five factions (from a reader's standpoint of course) and I suppose the fact that this book is dystopian Chicago made the impact of the story so much greater. To top that, there's Roth's writing, which was just amazing; Tris, who is another kick-ass female protagonist; and of course, that young adult romance that I love. Haha.

♥Skittlez 

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han is the final book in The Summer Series.

(Summary from inside flap)

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

10/10 This is maybe the first trilogy that I wasn't like crying over because this was the end of the series. I'm not saying that I disliked the series in any way, shape or form, I mean, I loved it. I guess I suppose that the ending was just so satisfying for me, that it didn't matter that the story was over. So yeah, I can't say that this was my favorite out of the three (the first one probably was), but I definitely liked it a lot. After putting off reading this (specifically for the dread of it ending), I finished it in a matter of days (I know, not that short of a time period). Jenny Han definitely captured my attention and my heart in her Summer series, and also made me wish I had Fisher boys of my own. Haha. 

Coming soon:

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth

If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman

The Book Theif by Markus Zusak

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard

And some other books too.

♥Skittlez

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Set in the 24th century, Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of Guy Montag. At first, Montag takes pleasure in his profession as a fireman, burning illegally owned books and the homes of their owners. However, Montag soon begins to question the value of his profession and, in turn, his life.

3/10 I'm not sure if I can even say I read this book. I read half of it, and used Sparknotes for the rest (we read this for language arts too). It was really confusing and hard to understand. Oh well...I suppose the theme was okay.

♥Skittlez

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm is a book representing the Soviet Union and Communism. It begins on a farm where a bunch of mistreated animals and an irresponsible farmer, Mr. Jones, live. Soon, the animals rebel against Mr. Jones, taking over the farm. At first, everything was great. All of the animals were equal, not being ruled by anyone else. They worked on the farm and made commandments. But soon, Napoleon, one of the pigs on the farm, takes over, turning the farm into a dictatorship rather than a democracy. 

7/10 We read this for language arts class, and I actually really liked it. The only thing that disappointed me was the ending, which was really kinda creepy. Not the kinda of book I'd usually read, but it was still pretty good.

♥Skittlez

The Hunger Games Movie

Okay, I know this is a book blog, but I'm going to review The Hunger Games movie because I just saw it today and I really really loved it. :D

*IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE OR READ THE BOOKS, FIRST OF ALL, SHAME ON YOU, AND SECOND, THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. SO BEWARE!!!*

This is also going to be EXTREMELY long and brought out.

Let's start with the cast. There wasn't anyone who was a disappointment for me. I knew Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) would be awesome, and they certainly were. I was blown away at the scenes where Lawrence was shaking or crying, and you can see it in her eyes how afraid she is. You didn't see much of many characters; Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne) for example. I'm not sure what I think of him as Gale yet, since he only appeared for a short time at the beginning and for moments during the games, but he's such a major character at the same time. I really liked Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Amandla Stenberg as Rue, and Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman. Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy) and Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket) were good, but I think they could've been better. One of my favorite castings and one of the most surprising was Alexander Ludwig as Cato. My gosh he was amazing at the end scene with the mutts.

I really don't know what happened to Katniss's styling team though. Their names weren't mentioned, when in the book they were, and they become more important as the series progresses. I also wish there was more time to see more of a bond between Rue and Katniss. I'm not a big fan of how they changed how Katniss gets the Mockingjay pin, but it did strengthen the bond between her and Prim. The avoxes are also really minor in the movie, but that didn't bother me.

Now I suppose I'll talk about the different scenes. I loved the reaping scene. How Prim was screaming, how Katniss started screaming too, but knew she had to compose herself, and how Gale had to carry Prim away. The interviews, though you only got a few lines of the other major tributes, I really liked. You got a glimpse at the other tributes, their strategy, and how they fell about the games...and I loved Katniss's dress. Rue's death was good, though I imagined Rue and all the tributes for that matter, to be more dirty and bloody and she didn't scream or wail or anything which seemed unrealistic. I also loved the end; the whole final battle with the mutts and Cato. Oh...and the Katniss and Peeta scenes weren't bad either...like the cave scene. :) I could go on and on about all the scenes that I liked...

I also loved almost all the scenes that weren't in the book.
-Effie saying, "That is Mahogany!" when Katniss stabs the knife into the table. Nice comic relief.
-Haymitch watching the Capitol children play with swords. He was basically watching them having fun pretending to be violent when the same violence ruined his life.
-I loved the scene where Katniss and Foxface collided. Just the expressions on their faces...
-I also loved Cato's ending monologue. This was amazing in my opinion. It showed how he is a Career, he is from District 2, he trained for the games for most of his life, but he's still just a kid. He's afraid and dying.
-The tracker-jacker hallucinations were good, but kinda overdone. If you hadn't read the book, you might not understand what was going on and how her father died in a mining accident.
-I really liked how you could see more of Seneca Crane and the other "gamemakers" (I guess you could call them that) creating all the twists and turns of the arena. For those who haven't read the book, it kinda gives reason to the fire and the mutts that they might not have understood.
-I loved when Seneca Crane and President Snow were talking in the rose garden. "The only thing stronger than fear is hope."
-The uprising in District 11 was just so moving. It leads into the later books when all the districts start rebelling.
-The scene near the end where Seneca was locked in the room with a bowl of nightlock because he basically failed in the aspect that Katniss and Peeta were both close to committing suicide. It was just so ironic and perfect.
-This technically wasn't in the book, but near the end when Katniss is hunting and Peeta is picking berries, and she hears the cannon and then sees the Nightlock, and is terrified thinking Peeta died. I loved that scene.

Scenes that were a disappointment:
-The Girl on Fire scene with the chariots was just too brief. And they totally did not look on fire.
-The berry scene I liked, but it was also too brief. Though I could feel how to Peeta it was an act of love and to Katniss it was an act of rebellion against the Capitol, it just felt way to short for such a major turning point in the series.
-I didn't really like how the conversation in the train home between Katniss and Peeta was toned down. I just didn't feel like you could grasp how betrayed Peeta felt when he realized that Katniss's love was just an act.
-The mutt scene. I was so disappointed because in the book, Katniss recognized each mutt to look like a dead tribute by eye color, fur color, and the collars they were wearing (ex. Glimmer's collar had a "1" for District 1 in rhinestones and Rue's collar had an "11" in straw)

Random tidbits that bothered me:
-Ugh the camera was shaking so much!! Not only during fight scenes, which because of that were hard to focus on, but in the pre-game scenes like in District 12. It was just unnecessary.
-I thought that everyone would look dirtier and bloodier. Katniss, Peeta, and Cato were fine, but other than that, everyone looked like average people off the street who were clean and such.
-The Capitol fashion was a little over the top.
-How every time Katniss and Peeta kissed, they flashed to Gale.
-This kinda goes with the camera shaking, but the violence was sorta toned down too and it seemed like they shook the camera to cover up the fact that it was toned down.
-They cut the lamb stew. How Katniss said it was her favorite part of the Capitol was the lamb stew and how Haymitch sent her and Peeta a picnic with lamb stew, and even in Mockingjay when Katniss is looking around for a can of soup to eat, Peeta hands her a can of lamb stew.
-How they showed the "boy with the bread" flashback three separate times in pieces.
-They took out all of Peeta's witty lines (ex. "Ah yes frosting: the final defense of the dying.")

Random tidbits that I liked:
-The score was subtle, but so fitting.
-God Peeta was so well camouflaged.
-Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith's commentary on the games.
-I loved the relationship between Cinna and Katniss.
-How you got to see what else is happening with Haymitch, Seneca Crane, and in District 12.
-Haymitch and Effie. Not their relationship, but just when they're together.

Overall I really loved the movie. Though there were things that bothered me, they didn't bother me to the extent of ruining the movie for me. It was a really good book to film adaptation, especially considering that the book is in first person and Katniss's point of view and she explains a lot of things as you read to help you understand what's going on. The acting was amazing and the movie was so true to the book.

Excited for Catching Fire!!! 11/22/13

Congrats!! You read the whole thing. In case you haven't noticed, I'm sort of a die-hard Hunger Games fan. ;)

♥Skittlez

It's Not Summer Without You

It's Not Summer Without You is the second book in The Summer series (I think that's what it's called).

(Summary from inside flap)

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly was the last summer, it should end the way it all started--at Cousins Beach.

10/10 I've realized a couple things. First, sometimes the books I love, people comment on their absurdity (that didn't happen with this particular book), but when they do, I'm lost. It's because I don't think about how believable and event is when I'm reading (which might be a bad thing), especially when I'm reading a really really good book. Secondly, there are many things that make me love a book; the plot, the characters, etc. And, you may or may not know this, but I'm very emotional and cry at a lot of books. But with these books, I find myself smiling and laughing and occasionally yelling at Belly for being so mean to Conrad...in addition to crying. :P That's another dead giveaway that I love a book; it got to me so much, that you could see it on my face.

Anyway, I really can't say whether I liked this book or the first better. I loved how you get to hear Jere's point of view...maybe the third book will have Con's too? I don't want the series to end, but I really really wanna know who Belly ends up with!! (I'm personally hoping Conrad)

Also coming soon...

-We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han (AHH last book!)
-The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

♥Skittlez

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is the first book in The Summer Series

(Summary from inside flap)

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

10/10 I loved this book. I was obsessed with it. But it drove me crazy. Anyway, that's a personal life reference. I love books like this. It's kinda like realistic fiction with romance and drama and complicated feelings, but you still catch yourself smiling while you read it. I really liked the flashbacks and the ending and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

Thanks Jellybeans for the recommendation! :)

Here's just a little note: I realize that I've rated many of the books with 10s and 9s and high numbers. The thing is though, is that I base how much I like my books based on other ones that I liked more or less. My ratings out of 10 aren't really based on comparisons.

If you guys really cared about that. :P

Coming soon (or at some point or another):

-Witch and Wizard by James Patterson
-Ordinary People by Judith Guest
-Animal Farm by George Orwell
-The Death Cure by James Dashner
-Divergent by Veronica Roth
-All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
-It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
-Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter (when it comes out, of course!)

♥Skittlez

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

15-year-old Elizabeth Marie Hall awakes to find herself aboard a cruise ship named the SS Nile with no recollection of how she got there. As she and her roommate Thandi explore the ship, both of them begin to remember what has brought them aboard. Liz's bald head and the stitching at the back of her head only solidifies the fact that Liz is truly dead and that this is not a nightmare. The ship docks and Liz soon finds herself in Elsewhere, a place very similar to Earth. While Liz is filled with grief over her own death, she finds out everything there is to know about Elsewhere and meets many new people, but still finds herself longing for her life back on Earth.

9/10 I really really liked this book. It was nothing like I've ever read before...a nice break from all the dystopian/sci fi (though this might be classified as fantasy, I'm not sure) novels I find myself reading these days. There wasn't a whole lot of action, but it kept me reading. It was so weird trying to wrap my mind around the idea of Elsewhere and what life would be like there.

♥Skittlez

The Power of Six

(Summary from inside flap)

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me...he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us--if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another...but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio--and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

10/10 I liked this even better than I Am Number Four, but that was awesome too. I really liked the multiple perspectives and all the new characters that were introduced (I have to say my favorite is Ella, but I love Six and Héctor too). But the end leaves you totally hanging and The Rise of Nine (the next book in the series) doesn't come out until August.

♥Skittlez

The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner is the second book of The Maze Runner Trilogy.

(Summary from inside flap)

Solving the maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. but no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.
In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety...until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.
Burned by sun flares and baked by a new brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated--and with it, order--and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim...and meal.
The Gladers are far from done running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.
Thomas can only wonder--does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

9/10 I really can't decide whether I liked this or The Maze Runner (which I forgot to do a review on...sorry!) better. They were both really really good. You never know what's going to happen next. James Dashner's writing is so unpredictable and keeps you wanting more.

♥Skittlez

Gimme a Call

Ok this is a very good book for all the girls out there! (boys would be bored and stop reading after the first page)

Devi Banks is a normal girl, who has just broken up with her boyfriend. she threw everything away for him (friends, a good relationship with her sister, and good grades) then, when she was wishing she could talk to her freshman self, her phone fell into the malls fountain!!! she wades in and takes it out, and turns the on button. nothing. she hits send. it calls a number. HER number. Devi is astounded, and a little bit excited as she thinks of all the mistakes she could fix by telling her younger self what to do!!! But will freshman devi believe her, or think its a prank? Does she get into a good college, get her friends back? Well, you gotta read it!!! I realize that was a bad summary, but i dont want to give anything away!!!! Its a little cheesey at the beggining with the magic part, but i think its worth waiting till a few chapters have passed :) i hope you enjoy this book!!!!

A Tale Dark and Grimm

hey this book i'm about to summarize is very disturbing. just a warning. Ok i haven't finished it, but i'm far enough.

these are the tales of Hansel and Grettel. but they arent toned down. fairy tales in a new perspective.

Ok so Hansel and Grettel have run away from home! They are royalty, but they felt unloved at the palace (because their dad cut off their heads and put them back on again) so they go to the candy house where the old lady tries to eat them. then they go to a nice home where the brothers are turned into 7 sparrows, so they go and find them to make the parents happy again (Grettel has to cut off a finger) and they go find a new home. they find the forest of life, and are happy! but Hansel keeps killing the animals, turns into a half wolf, and is killed by hunters. Little Grettel is all alone! she travels a little ways and finds a widows house. she takes her in and is happy!! Grettel develops a crush for an older man in the town. (I'm not gonna tell u the disturbing part there) and a couple of ravens from the beggining tell her that her family is cursed!!! thats as far as i am in the book, and if you like blood, gruesome events and funny commentary from the author, this book is for you! I do not like blood and gruesome events, but im still reading on. Why you may ask? HAHA i really dont know. Well bye!!!