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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer


The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Wow. This book to me is a 4.5 star book, and depending on what day, it could either way 4.5 or 5 out of 5 stars. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it, however I have a feeling that there will not really be a middle ground book. I THINK people will either love it or hate it.

WHY I READ THE BOOK:
The book trailer. I mean look: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Book trailer

I had this book on my TBR list, but it didn't get pushed up until I saw that awesome book trailer. And the cover is so beautiful!

WHAT I THOUGHT:
The official "goodreads" summary doesn't explain much, but I think that's exactly how you should go into it. And, er, that is how I went in. :) If you don't really know what you are getting into, the twists in the book are that much of a greater impact. This book is all of these: mysterious, scary, funny, exciting, paranormal, and thrilling, plus romance where what starts as a smoking, bad rap boy who's slept with basically every girl in school, that will become Mara's swoony and misunderstood love interest with his own shocking secret. The thing I like about this book is that if it is scary it is tiny-noises-startle-me scary,*raises hand* or, if it's funny, it is literally-laughing-out-loud funny that if someone is watching you read they might think you were crazy.

As I read, I kept asking is this a Young Adult book? That's not a bad thing. I (unfortunately) am not in the age group typically belonging to YA. I thank Twilight for my love of Young Adult books. As I was reading though, it had some similarities to a more "mature" Twilight. Again, I mean this in a good way. I like that they are just typical modern teens. I could see some parallels between the two stories, on some quotes, but this isn't about my love for Twilight... This book is strong enough to be classified on its own.

In conclusion, this book is exciting and a fun read. It leaves on a killer cliff-hanger though and so, as I try to stay organized, I add it to my literal excel spreadsheet of books in a series that I can't wait to get back into.

BUY or BORROW: BUY
ROMANCE RATING: SWOON



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Saturday, October 15, 2011

Review: Warm Bodies


Warm Bodies
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was a nice, very quick read. There will be no sequel. The story sounds silly, but I was very surprised how quickly I began to understand and like "R". I liked the way the book is broken up into sections and pictures of the human body. It has a bit of everything in the book : drama, humor (laugh out loud), action, love and yes, a bit of cheesiness. Yet, it was enjoyable and I rooted for the "zombies". I have absolutely no idea how this is becoming a movie that is already filming for release next year. I am not familiar with most of the actors' work, but I just may check it out.

All in all, I really liked the main characters of "R", "M", Julie, and Nora. I had no idea how the book would end because there is so much going on, but I like it. It's open and sweet and very unique.



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Monday, October 10, 2011

Review: The Maze Runner


The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Romance factor: If you are looking for romance, keep looking, dystopian romance lovers. :( There are many other dystopians that have better romances. I haven't read many books in which there is a male protagonist, and to be honest, they are usually the hardest for me to get into. I'm happy to say that "The Maze Runner" finally turned around my male protagonist bad streak. I really rooted for Thomas (Tom)and cared about the relationships he had with the others. There WERE a couple of things that frustrated me in this story, I really couldn't visualize some of the things and I always felt that there were too many questions and not enough answers, but I suppose that is the point. I stalled a bit in the beginning, but once the story gets going it gets GOING and the book is hard to put down. Too bad I had to do actual things like work and sleep and such... :) I wouldn't say this was my favorite book that I've read this year, but I definitely wanted to continue the story and cared for some of the characters. This story is definitely a first of the series, so maybe not the most exciting ever, but there are a lot of building blocks and so many questions. Overall, it is a good read and I have started the next book in the series,"The Scorch Trials" which is already a super-fast paced story that is making me excited and has me flipping the pages. Recommended.



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Saturday, October 1, 2011

You Are My OnlyYou Are My Only by Beth Kephart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, Oh, My Heart. This book made me FEEL things. The power of words are strong here...

I had the opportunity to chance upon an electronic copy of the ARC and I'm so glad I did! I'm excited for the release so others can read it an enjoy it and love it as much as I do. If you are wondering how much time it will take to read, don't worry! It's a quick read, but it packs a powerful and meaningful punch. The chapters are paced perfectly so that after each chapter there is almost a bigger cliff hanger than the previous one and there's never a dull moment.

As usual, I won't summarize the book entirely, there are "official summaries" for that.

What I thought: This story is told using two narratives, alternating chapters/characters-- Emmy who's Baby was stolen in broad daylight, and Sophie-- who is home-schooled by her mother and not allowed to leave their home. They are on the run from the "No Good" and move constantly. As we get to know the characters, we find out very quickly what connection they hold. Later, there are characters that chance into Emmy and Sophie's life who will steal your heart.

I am a first time reader of Beth Kephart's writing and I am incredibly impressed with the beautiful details and poetic way of saying something so simple. Her characters feel so real, that it almost felt like I knew them personally. To me, the sign of a good book is when I'm highlighting quotes that I want to remember and come back to. The characters are memorable and purposeful and I want to hug them and stroke their fictional hair and cry with them. Which brings me to my next point... I was reading through my tears and grasping tissues in the later part of the book. Finally, the ending was absolutely brilliant and so visually descriptive that it felt like I was right there next to them taking in the scene.

Overall To me, I know when I've read a good book when after I read, I can't stop thinking about the characters and the story. To me, it is a good story when I'm typing up a review at nearly 2 a.m. to try to capture the way I feel about it, right away. This story is fantastic and I definitely recommend to anyone who comes across my review. 5/5 stars.
THIS BOOK RELEASES ON OCTOBER 25, 2011.



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