tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1977730308922163892024-03-05T08:04:23.701-07:00Bananas For BooksDanna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.comBlogger467125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-17321998263510998122016-07-08T11:49:00.000-06:002016-07-08T11:49:55.744-06:00Audio Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2Tul0JilI2enP2hIjemANYjrNO-bVqKE5tDo-Rjx-LUiHYAKuC7h_rnqnb_Y_spErbPbPaPzAewdJK2JYt0e98OklIlVoCjg0M54SxvQUI3KFaUpoX9geqcxlLFjxKuq1pWNcvCGnL9x/s1600/an+ember+in+the+ashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2Tul0JilI2enP2hIjemANYjrNO-bVqKE5tDo-Rjx-LUiHYAKuC7h_rnqnb_Y_spErbPbPaPzAewdJK2JYt0e98OklIlVoCjg0M54SxvQUI3KFaUpoX9geqcxlLFjxKuq1pWNcvCGnL9x/s320/an+ember+in+the+ashes.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.</span></blockquote>
I absolutely loved this audiobook. It is read by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West. They put so much emotion into the characters voices and it was literally addicting to hear. I listened to this with my boyfriend on our ten hour drive to California and by the time the book was finished, I was begging for more. I have already pre-ordered the second book on Audible.<br />
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The book itself is amazing. Sabaa Tahir weaves her words in a way where we (the reader) feel like we are actually there with Laia and Elias. We can feel their pain. We can feel their triumph. The characters have a lot of development and the development is actually believable. I like how Tahir made each character, minor or major, seem like an actual person. Each had their histories and personalities which made it hard to bear when a character would die.<br />
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This book is just overall amazing and you need to read it. Like, now.<br />
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READ THIS BOOK. NOW. 5 Stars<br />
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You can get the audiobook <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/An-Ember-in-the-Ashes-Audiobook/B00UKD0KA2/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1467999508&sr=1-1">here</a>Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-50959575567393405532015-07-14T16:24:00.002-06:002015-07-14T16:29:28.754-06:00Review: Finding Audrey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sophie Kinsella, best known for her Shopaholic series and her hilarious writing style, introduces her first YA novel. Finding Audrey; the not so depressing book about depression. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 24.0799999237061px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>SUMMARY: </b>Audrey is fourteen with anxiety problems that have convinced her and her family that she is basically "mental". Do we know what happened to Audrey? Barely, something to do with mean girls at school (who are never to be underestimated). She can't leave the house, talk to strangers, or take off her black glasses that shield her from eye contact. The only people that she can feel normal around are her four-year-old brother and her therapist -- two people that never judge. Her family has problems of its own though, her mother has an obsession with her sons obsession with video games, and this little feud leads us to hilarious situation after hilarious situation. And of course, a boy named Linus eventually comes along and makes Audrey feel something that she hasn't felt in many moons; happy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PROS: </b>I loved the story, and I loved the writing. However, my favorite part of this book is it's possible educational value. There are a lot of books out there -- and soon to be coming -- about depression and anxiety, about having issues that nobody understands and trying to deal with them. This one though, would be my number one suggestion for anyone who wants to learn about how to help people who are going through these things, or if you're younger and having these issues yourself. It was all very realistic; her symptoms and personality obviously belong to someone with depression, but it never becomes TOO intense. It just shows you insight and possible tools. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>CONS: </b>I personally have no complaints about this novel, Sophie Kinsella's writing is so charming that any flaws in this just didn't matter to me. but there was a complaint I heard that I thought was reasonable. "<span style="line-height: 24px;">Unfortunately, Audrey's rapid recovery once she meets a cute guy rings a bit false, or at least, a too conveniently clichéd." -- School Library Journal. My response to this? People with depressive disorders are known to have mood swings and can be easily effected by triggers. In this case, Linus triggers a positive reaction from Audrey. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>RATE: </b>Awesome. 5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). </span></span>Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-67028475900539196402015-07-08T13:59:00.001-06:002015-07-08T13:59:54.555-06:00Review: My Heart and Other Black Holes<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
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The much talked about debut novel of Jasmine Wanga. <br />
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<strong>Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.</strong><strong>There's only one problem: she's not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel's convinced she's found her solution—Roman, a teenage boy who's haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner. Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other's broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together.</strong><br />
<strong>SUMMARY: </strong>Aysel believes that she is ready to die. Her depressiveness has taken over her entire being, and the little black slug inside of her won't even let her feel happiness anymore. With her father in prison, and her mother unaware of her struggle, she feels like she has no one to turn to. Suicide seems like her only answer, but she doesn't want to go alone. She finds a "Suicide Partner" online; a teenage boy named Roman whose life is just as broken, but in different ways. As they plan their demise, Aysel starts to realize that she doesn't want Roman to die. Now she has to figure out how to stop him, while still wanting to go through with it herself. <br />
<strong>PROS: </strong>I really liked the way that this story was written, and the personality Aysel. I think that she's a very relatable person, and that her life is original and interesting. It's funny that I find her relatable, because she sees the world so differently. She sees it as one big physics equation full of potential energy. <br />
<strong>CONS: </strong>I loved Roman as a character, and I think that he was perfect for Aysel, but I also thought that he was a little too convenient. All of their issues were predictively picked to drive them closer together. <br />
<strong>RATE: </strong>It's a painful read, but worth it. 4.5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars)Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-55927250627208991732015-07-04T15:51:00.000-06:002015-07-04T15:51:17.324-06:00Review: An Abundance of Katherines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wanted to give this book a review, because even though we all know that John Green is a great author, this book seems to have been ignored by a lot of readers. <br />
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<strong>Michael L. Printz Honor Book</strong><strong>Katherine V thought boys were gross<br />Katherine X just wanted to be friends<br />Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail<br />K-19 broke his heart<br />When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.</strong><strong>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.</strong><strong>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.</strong><br />
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<strong>SUMMARY: </strong>Colin Singleton has been told his entire life that he was special; he was a prodigy. The thing about prodigies though, is that they're different than geniuses. Prodigies absorb information at a very young age, they're talented beyond belief, but only until they reach the point where the world has caught up to them. Colin doesn't feel special, he just feel lonely and heartbroken as he has officially had 19 failed relationships with 19 different Katherines. He and his best friend gather up their money and decide to just go on a road trip; escape. They wind up in this tiny town that is only still running because of the one remaining factory (a tampon factory). The whole time, Colin is just desperately trying to come up with an equation to determine successful relationships. <br />
<strong>PROS: </strong>This book was so witty and nerdy that I couldn't help but falling for it instantaneously. The story was just so incredibly interesting to me. It was the geeky kind of humor that I live for and I was laughing pretty much the entire time I was reading it. To make it even better though, it was excellently written and complex. <br />
<strong>CONS: </strong>I don't really have any complaints about this book, but a lot of people had trouble keeping up with the vocabulary and the math that you actually have to figure out to understand the novel completely, but this book does contain plenty of side notes that do help explain things without making the novel too crowded. <br />
<strong>RATE: </strong>If you have not read this yet, I absolutely suggest you do. I will go on record saying that I thought it was better than Paper Towns. 5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-76314128205396688252015-07-04T14:36:00.001-06:002015-07-04T15:14:07.765-06:00Review: Salt & Storm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong>THIS BOOK HAS ALREADY BEEN REVIEWED ON THIS BLOG BY DANNA, BUT WE DECIDED THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. I HAVE NOT READ HER REVIEW. </strong><br />
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An interesting tale about magic, love, and trying to escape the inevitable. <br />
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<strong>A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.<br />Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.<br />Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for.</strong><br />
<strong>Summary: </strong>Avery has a magic inside of her that is unique to her family alone, and she only ever really experienced it when she lived with her grandmother as a child -- the greatest witch on their island. One day her mother takes her way from it, all of magic is forbidden in what Avery would call a prison of a house with a Pastor step-father, and his overly mannered daughters. Avery has always been able to read dreams, and she has one that foretells her murder. Now her only hope at survival is returning to her grandmother with the aid of the obviously gorgeous and mysterious Tane; who has magic Avery's never seen before. <br />
<strong>PROS</strong>: Now, I know this book somewhat revolves around the likely-hood of the main character getting killed off, but it was also a very fun story. It was very lively and it involved a lot of love, let-downs, and hope. A very good combination. <br />
<strong>CONS</strong>: The ending, sadly, fell a little short for me. Which is sad when you become so invested in the beginning and middle, and then the ending is simply good but not entirely satisfying. <br />
<strong>RATE: </strong>3.6 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-53593286436472651172015-07-04T01:07:00.000-06:002015-07-04T01:07:01.610-06:00Review: We All Looked Up<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
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A humdrum group of messed up kids from all situations coming together for what might be the apocalypse. Yeah, I also thought it sounded interesting. <br />
<strong>Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel.</strong><strong>They always say that high school is the best time of your life.</strong><strong>Peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. Meanwhile Eliza can’t wait to escape Seattle—and her reputation—and perfect-on-paper Anita wonders if admission to Princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. Andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career—the future can wait.</strong><strong>Or can it? Because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. As these four seniors—along with the rest of the planet—wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present.</strong><br />
<strong>Summary: </strong>All of these kids have secrets, and things that they're embarrassed about, some of them are just better at hiding it. Once they get going though, they are all seriously driven out of passion. You get to envision what the world would be like if it was only going to be there for 90 more days. <br />
<strong>PROS: </strong>It's not easy to write a book from the perspective of six different people and have it still make sense, but Wallach did pretty well. I thought that it was one of the best love concepts to be considered in a long time. <br />
<strong>CONS: </strong>Even when you're reading a fantasy novel, you still want things to add up, make sense, and be explained, but there are a lot of holes in this. It became very dramatic for a moment and then turned sort of numb. <br />
<strong>RATE: </strong>3 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). <br />
Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-85576001651951707202015-07-03T16:56:00.002-06:002015-07-03T16:57:46.130-06:00Review: Coldest Girl in Coldtown<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
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<span id="freeText8924497445689388222">The vampire book I had been waiting for. </span><br />
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<strong>Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.<br />One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.</strong></div>
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<strong>Summary:</strong> Tana hates nothing in the world more than vampires. As far as she's concerned, they're simply murderous, evil and ancient; that, or they're just stupid kids that wanted to be 'cool', and got themselves changed. Most of the vampires lived in Coldtown's though; large quarantined cities. Tana finds herself mixed up in all of this one day though. She risks her life for what she reveres most; a vampire. <br />
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<strong>PROS:</strong> Holly Black wrote vampires in a way that made sense. They're not loving creatures, not any of them, but that doesn't mean they can't feel love, however, they're bloodlust can get in the way. This was the perfect amount of thrill, fear, excitement, and romance. The romance was pretty much the least substantial part in the book, which was a nice break compared to every other YA novel. <br />
<strong>CONS: </strong>There were definitely a few sections in this novel that got so descriptive it became confusing, but I'd simply go back and re-read it. <br />
<strong>RATE: </strong>4.1 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars).<br />
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Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-91601900183865311112015-07-03T16:35:00.002-06:002015-07-03T16:36:24.833-06:00Review: All the Bright Places<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Right here we have an absolute MUST READ. </div>
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<strong>Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.<br /> When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.</strong><br />
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<strong>Summary: </strong>Finch and Violet's first interaction is an extremely unusual situation. This made them subconsciously fixated on each other. Finch is the school freak and jack ass, as well as the well-built class clown. Violet was your average popular pretty cheerleader, with a beautiful boyfriend, but when someone close to you dies, you change. They come together and take reader's on a journey. <br />
<strong>PROS:</strong> This book was beautiful, touching, and a slap in the face. It was written realistically, and it makes you look at the world around you and wonder. I really did get obsessed with this novel and I know for a fact I will be obsessed with the movie once it comes out. <br />
<strong>CONS: </strong>The beginning seems to start off slowly, however, what you're feeling is simply nerves because you just want to know what happens. Don't blame the book. <br />
<strong>RATE: </strong>An easy 5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-9798370613750988682015-06-08T14:59:00.001-06:002015-06-08T14:59:40.388-06:00Review: Dark Inside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summary:<br />
Since the beginning of mankind, civilizations have fallen: the Romans,
the Greeks, the Aztecs…and now us. Huge earthquakes rock the world.
Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening: An
ancient evil has been unleashed, and it’s turning everyday people into
hunters, killers, and crazies.<br />
This is the world Aries, Clementine, Michael, and Mason are living
in—or rather, trying to survive. Each is fleeing unspeakable horror,
from murderous chaos to brutal natural disasters, and each is traveling
the same road in a world gone mad. Amid the throes of the apocalypse and
clinging to love and meaning wherever it can be found, these four teens
are on a journey.<br />
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<br />
In this book, four teens are trying to survive in a world of chaos. They all deal with it in different ways and more or less succeed to make it. This book by Jeyn Roberts is one of my favorites. I have read it at least three times since the beginning of the year. It's very entertaining while having just the right amount of darkness to thrill. It is very well written and not hard to keep up with. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes rather dark, exciting books and has a sense of adventure when it comes to reading. I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.<br />
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Five Stars<br />
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Reviewed by: Savannah Rose Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-47877470467438831362015-04-29T12:28:00.001-06:002015-04-29T12:28:27.664-06:00Review: Glory O'briens History of the Future <br />
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Glory O'Brien's History of the Future completely baffled me. I thought the book was going one way, and then it would take a turn in the opposite direction.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b><span style="color: red;">Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying: A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b>Summary: Glory is brilliant, and I truly believe that everyone around her is too daft to see how special she truly is, even before she gets the visions. Her best friend is the classic -- I had no other choice and this one was just there -- friend. I don't think Glory could hold it together without her though. Everybody needs somebody. Once the visions start, you get enveloped into the possibility that at any moment, we may be inches away from war. Glory isn't going to give up without a fight, though. She discovers how to help the world, by helping herself along the way. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">PRO: Excellently written. If it was legal to marry fictional characters, I would be married to Glory right now. A.S. King's brilliance shined through on every single page. I never knew what to expect. There was action, and drama, sadness, and romance. Everything led up to something, there were no loose ends. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">CON: Bad things? In an A.S. King novel? Yeah, right. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Rate: I would shoot myself in the foot before I gave this book a bad rating. 5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). (Oh, and just kidding about the foot shooting part, I like being able to walk.) </span></span><br />
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Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-7550753749726615612014-12-29T08:00:00.000-07:002014-12-29T08:00:01.530-07:00Review: Vivian Apple At The End of the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText1160770581684552175">Seventeen-year-old
Vivian Apple never believed in the evangelical Church of America, unlike
her recently devout parents. But when Vivian returns home the night
after the supposed "Rapture," all that’s left of her parents are
two holes in the roof. Suddenly, she doesn't know who or what to
believe. With her best friend Harp and a mysterious ally, Peter,
Vivian embarks on a desperate cross-country roadtrip through a paranoid
and panic-stricken America to find answers. Because at the end of the
world, Vivan Apple isn't looking for a savior. She's looking for the
truth.</span></blockquote>
I went into this book sorta blind (it's a thing I do now ever since We Were Liars) and I have to say the author did a really good job at explaining what was happening. Vivian Apple is the daughter of a couple that is apart of the Church of America, a church that says the rapture is coming. Of course, Vivian doesn't believe so when it does eventually come she has to deal with the loss of her parents and has to figure out what happened to them and if the Church was right about the end of the world.<br />
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This is more a story about self-discovery and about finding out what truly matters. Vivian's character develops very well and as a reader, you can relate to her situation in that she doesn't really know what's going on but has the strength to move forward (don't we all have those moments in life?). There are A LOT of twists towards the end of the novel and that's the spoiler I have for you guys. It's a really fun read and you will be surprised at the ending. Which ends with a cliffhanger-sorry guys, I know. There will be a second book though! As the second book is coming out in the UK this September:)<br />
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4 Stars! <br />
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<b>Source: ALA 2014</b>Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-65619239664255539502014-12-03T12:00:00.001-07:002014-12-03T12:01:26.639-07:00Review: Perfected<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This book was a book that delivered the unexpected.<br />
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<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1417632023263_1402" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<i id="yui_3_8_1_1_1417632023263_1401" style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;">Perfection comes at a price.</span></b></i></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;">As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;">Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows…and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;">But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving…and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white;">Summary: The lives of these girls are planned from the day their born. They are promised luxury as long as they behave properly. But what is behaving properly in the congressman's house? Ella is brought into situations that she was never trained for, as a pet, she knows very little, but as a person, she begins to see things for what they truly are. Even though the country labels her as property, she still has the mindset of a 16 year old girl; someone who wants to learn and experience new things, but she can't exactly show that. She is a showpiece, and if she doesn't act like it, there will be serious repercussions. </span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">PROS: The story line of this book is so incredibly unique, it's slightly dystopian, with some aspects of reality that actually make it kind of horrifying. Is this something America might actually do? It wouldn't surprise me. There are twists and turns in every chapter; things that I never saw coming, but still made perfect sense. All the characters were perfectly created; the congressman, Ella, Ruby, Penn, the congressman's wife, all of them and more. They were written by the hand of someone who knew what they were doing. Every character was necessary, everyone had a place, and a point to make. None of them were dull, they all added something even more unique to the story. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">CONS: The ending came quickly. It was a good ending, it felt right with the rest of the story, but it felt like it was just rushed in there. The book didn't lack anything, except for maybe an ending that had a little bit more explaining to it. That is my only complaint. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Rate: This book was absolutely beautiful; it was elegant, interesting, horrifying, exciting. It was all those things and more. THIS IS A MUST READ. IF YOU ARE ANY KIND OF READER, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK, 4.5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). </span></span></span></span></div>
Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-59413113541497670402014-11-24T12:35:00.000-07:002014-11-24T12:36:28.694-07:00Review: Zac and Mia <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I received this book from ALA in July, and I was absolutely thrilled to get it, I had heard so many positive things about it, I knew that it would a sort of twist off of The Fault in Our Stars, but in the best way.<br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>“When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics.” So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. Once released, the two near-strangers can’t forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Summary: Zac is sick, really, really sick, but it seems as though he is given a second chance when he receives a bone marrow transplant. He knows his odds are low, but he has a surprisingly positive perspective about it. His next door neighbor in the hospital, Mia, however, does not have the same attitude, even though she has a 90% chance at surviving and he has about 30%. They are two people that probably would never get along out in the real world, but hospital worlds are different. At the beginning, their friendship is weird, and very non-communative, but things grow slowly but surely. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">PROS: I love the way that Zac thinks. He is all about statistics and facts, and, to me at least, it's a fair perspective when you have cancer. This book sticks to reality, this isn't a gooey love story, or a sappy novel about how you can make the best out of cancer. No, cancer is cancer, and they realize that. I loved how Zac and Mia didn't automatically become the best of friends, because those type of things don't just happen. They simply seem to understand each other, and at times they can be selfish, and at other times they prove to be loving. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">CONS: I wish Mia's perspective would've been entered into the book sooner, because it was hard to figure out what was going on with her, but that's why you have to be patient with this book. You also have to be patient with Mia, I promise, eventually she will grow on you. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Rate: I love the realism in this book, I love the fact that it's set in Australia. I love that you get to see two very different perspectives on similar situations. 5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-77647698405243033482014-11-20T14:31:00.001-07:002014-11-20T14:31:36.849-07:00FrenzyJust so everybody knows (Amber speaking) I am in a reading frenzy right now, reading everything in sight. I have read three books in the last five days alone, so just know that there are gonna be a ton of reviews coming! But also, I would love to review any and all of you suggestions, so just let me know! Because I am completely obsessed at the moment and I'm not completely sure how long this will last!Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-28563003788457544592014-11-20T14:26:00.001-07:002014-11-20T14:35:47.127-07:00Review: The Stepsister's Tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a book I was definitely excited for, I love reading fairy tales, especially when they're twisted or told from a different perspective.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;"><b>What really happened after the clock struck midnight?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;"><b>Jane Montjoy is tired of being a lady. She's tired of pretending to live up to the standards of her mother's noble family—especially now that the family's wealth is gone and their stately mansion has fallen to ruin. It's hard enough that she must tend to the animals and find a way to feed her mother and her little sister each day. Jane's burden only gets worse after her mother returns from a trip to town with a new stepfather and stepsister in tow. Despite the family's struggle to prepare for the long winter ahead, Jane's stepfather remains determined to give his beautiful but spoiled child her every desire.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;"><b>When her stepfather suddenly dies, leaving nothing but debts and a bereaved daughter behind, it seems to Jane that her family is destined for eternal unhappiness. But a mysterious boy from the woods and an invitation to a royal ball are certain to change her fate .</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;"><b>From the handsome prince to the evil stepsister, nothing is quite as it seems in Tracy Barrett's stunning retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Summary: Jane is a hardworking girl who is taking care of a once wealthy, but now poor family. Instead of attending balls and being swept off her feet, she is milking cows and sheep, scrubbing floors, making meals. But, wait, wasn't that Cinderella's job? When Isabella (Cinderella) arrives, she is one of the most beautiful girls Jane has ever laid eyes on. But, she has never lifted a finger in her life. The girl is honestly spoiled, and Jane really does hate how fancy her clothes are and how she refuses to do any work. When the girls father dies, all Isabella does is mope around by the fire places, drawing pictures in the ashes. And once the royal ball comes, things just get even more questionable. </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">PROS: I loved the way that this book was entirely its own, while sticking to the original plot of the original story. Everything makes perfect sense and it all fits so well together. I love Jane, and it's important to have a main character that is enjoyable to read about, she keeps her family and the books together. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">CONS: I don't want to spoil anything, but compared to the rest of the book, I found the ending a little bit lacking, the author seemed to just cut is off short and I wish there would've been just a little more. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Rate: The book in its entirety was excellent, and a definite suggestion, but I can't really get over how much I would've loved a really good ending. 4 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars) </span></span></span></span></div>
Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-14181544138155543732014-11-02T15:33:00.000-07:002014-11-05T10:16:07.451-07:00Review: H2O<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I received this book from the ALA conference, with no knowledge of the author, and no knowledge of what I was getting myself into when I picked it up to read.<br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;">27 is a number Ruby hates.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;">It's a number that marks the percentage of the population that has survived. It's a number that means she's one of the "lucky" few still standing. And it's a number that says her father is probably dead.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;">Against all odds, Ruby has survived the catastrophic onset of the killer rain. Two weeks after the radio started broadcasting the warning, "It's in the rain. It's fatal and there's no cure," the drinkable water is running out. Ruby's left with two options: persevere on her own, or embark on a treacherous journey across the country to find her father-if he's even still alive</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Summary: Ruby is just a girl who lives in England with her slightly broken family, and "evil" step-father. She likes boys, and and partying and rebelling, but, one day, all of that is taken away from her. Toxic rain is falling from the sky and people are dying left and right. She spends the beginning just trying to figure out the basics of surviving, and things begin to get more and more complicated every second. Eventually, she is forced to leave her home and go on a journey to find her father, not knowing if he's alive, or dead. </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">PROS: A lot things that make up this book seem very realistic; there is panic, irrational behavior, confusion, and misunderstanding; even the toxic rain seems reasonable, it honestly had me thinking "oh crap, this could happen to the world, like tomorrow". I actually started stock-piling water just in case. I also love the smooth, relatable writing style that this book is written in. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">CONS: Ruby just seems a little too calm throughout this entire thing. She's just kinda like "Oh, dead body, well that sucks". I understand that each brain acts differently in terrifying situations, but still. She is also a little too focused on her image. She cares so much about what she looks like, and who she talks to, that I simply don't understand it. Why are you wearing a sequined dress while there is death rain everywhere? I do not know. The book also had a slightly disappointing ending, but it did make me want to read the next book in the series, so I will be waiting for that. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="color: red;">rate: This book was just a book for me. A mediocre book. It's in the middle of awesome and awful. 2.5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). </span> </span></span></span></div>
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Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-83212641775161741802014-10-22T23:55:00.001-06:002014-10-23T14:41:45.715-06:00Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The title sounds cheesy, and to be honest, my expectations were low for this book, saying how much I dislike the other novels from Jenny Han, but to be perfectly honest, when I got this book from ALA in July, I immediately read it, and did not put it down until I was finished.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;"><b>What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: red;"><b>Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Summary: Lara Jean is you average teenage girl, she has her crushes and her secrets and her slightly dysfunctional family, but then things kind of get turned extremely upside when a box full of love letters to every boy she has ever had a crush on has been sent to each one of them directly. She then has to cover her tracks, she has undo what has been done, she has to make the boy she's in love with think that she's not in love with him, or else, everything will turn into chaos. </span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">PROS: This book kept me guessing, I went "oooh" and "aaah" over every single chapter. I love who Lara Jean is. She isn't your classic story book girl; she doesn't have the all the bells and whistles and googly eyes, no, she's quirky and different and has a lot of flaws that make her believable. Each character is easy to understand and easy to picture in your head, which is something I love in a book. I love it when books are so detailed that they literally come to life inside your head. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">CONS: I don't have a super long list of cons, but this book was definitely lacking something. It wasn't very challenging, definitely a seventh grade reading level sort of book, and in some chapters, even though I found them entertaining, I also found them slightly unnecessary to the book overall. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Rate: This was a genuinely good book, a book to read if you're simply trying relax; a total chick novel. 3.5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars).</span></div>
Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-26926775783664950042014-10-07T02:45:00.000-06:002014-10-07T02:50:30.208-06:00Review: Fat Angie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was extremely excited about this book from the beginning, I had heard quotes, small synopses, and I just thought "This is going to be a book I'll remember", and, well, I haven't forgotten it yet.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: #cccccc;">Her sister was captured in Iraq, she’s the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: #cccccc;">Angie is broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of "crazy mad cow!") away. Having failed to kill herself — in front of a gym full of kids — she’s back at high school just trying to make it through each day. That is, until the arrival of KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn’t exist in Dryfalls, Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! A girl who never sees her as Fat Angie, and who knows too well that the package doesn’t always match what’s inside. With an offbeat sensibility, mean girls to rival a horror classic, and characters both outrageous and touching, this darkly comic anti-romantic romance will appeal to anyone who likes entertaining and meaningful fiction.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Summary: My summary is the books summary. It contains horror, love, depression, and anything else that you would want in a book. </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">PROS: This book really touched me. It was funny, I love Angie and her personality, but I also love the message of the book as a whole. What this girl goes through, and how she reacts to things, actually makes me respect her. I couldn't do what Fat Angie does. Her whole life is a mess, and I thought that it made this book much more enticing. I didn't have a desire to put it down. I read this book in two hours. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">CONS: I thought that everything that was happening to her was a bit much. I wouldn't take anything out of it, every page was important, but every page also broke my heart. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="color: red;">Rate: This novel inspired me, and made me appreciate what I have in this world. I love Fat Angie. I love the novel, and the girl. 5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars)</span>. </span></span></span></div>
Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-57350463666690981552014-10-01T07:00:00.000-06:002014-10-01T07:00:04.779-06:00Review: The Young Elites<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText7594170677099503248"><em>I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.</em><br /><br /><strong>Adelina Amouteru</strong>
is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness
swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of
the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s
black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a
jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she
is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and
standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors
are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have
mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain
secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.<br /><br /><strong>Teren Santoro</strong>
works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to
seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the
nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but
it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.<br /><br /><strong>Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society.</strong>
This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the
Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover
someone with powers like they’ve never seen.<br /><br />Adelina wants to
believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the
lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a
very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all
certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A
vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to
cross her.</span></blockquote>
OMG THIS BOOK ADSKFJIEWJVEPVJ!!!!!!!<br />
Sorry if this review is going to sound a bit rav-y, I just loved it so much which means a lot considering I didn't exactly love Marie Lu's Legend series. The whole story was just amazing and I've haven't read a supernatural-ly book this awesome in awhile. I loved the supporting characters in the book and I hope the second book will give more information about the Elites. Adelina was a character that I loved and hated at the same time. I hated how she couldn't make her mind up about decisions (which eventually got her and others into trouble), but I loved how she was such a strong female lead. The Young Elites is a book that I would recommend to anyone because it's an awesome action book infused with a little bit of romance and comedy. The ending will leave you wanting more. SO MUCH MORE.<br />
<b>5 Stars!!!!!!!</b><br />
<br />
<br />Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-16810374127392100652014-09-30T00:36:00.000-06:002014-09-30T08:52:39.062-06:00Review: Life by Commitee <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0Uyq0H__o71Q5HTLs1eEUq5D8_akJ2f78zOXReaM8lLLVkysP2zIoS5nbClQS_jO1jjIGB3e9Zi1X8vQghTKb1PukqckE4l98iyeayq61VR_ibiYiFsoj6xkgLgAbBxrbuni_fF-plfW/s1600/life+by+committee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0Uyq0H__o71Q5HTLs1eEUq5D8_akJ2f78zOXReaM8lLLVkysP2zIoS5nbClQS_jO1jjIGB3e9Zi1X8vQghTKb1PukqckE4l98iyeayq61VR_ibiYiFsoj6xkgLgAbBxrbuni_fF-plfW/s1600/life+by+committee.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I absolutely love Corey Ann Haydy. I've loved her since about the beginning of time, so it's easy to say that I had rather high expectations for this book. And, as usual, she did not disappoint me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="style2" style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tabitha might be the only girl in the history of the world who actually gets less popular when she gets hot.</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;">But her so-called friends say she’s changed, and they’ve dropped her flat. </span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;">Now Tab has no one to tell about the best and worst thing that has ever happened to her: Joe, who spills his most intimate secrets to her in their nightly online chats.</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="style2" style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Joe, whose touch is so electric, it makes Tab wonder if she could survive an actual kiss.</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;">Joe, who has Tabitha brimming with the restless energy of falling in love. Joe, who is someone else’s boyfriend.</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;">Just when Tab is afraid she’ll burst from keeping the secret of Joe inside, she finds Life by Committee. The rules of LBC are simple: tell a secret, receive an assignment. Complete the assignment to keep your secret safe. Tab likes it that the assignments push her to her limits, empowering her to live boldly and go further than she’d ever go on her own.</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="style2" style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">But in the name of truth and bravery, how far is too far to go?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="style2" style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; color: red; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;"><b>Summary:Tabitha has been basically exiled by everyone in her school the moment she becomes hot. She's not sure why, it's not her fault. The only thing that's good in her life is Joe. Joe is sweet to her, he understands her, the only problem is that he has a beautiful girlfriend who is loved by everybody. Tabitha is alone and almost depressed, and she's simply looking for a way to make her life better. One day she finds Life by Committee, and after that, her entire live begins to change. She gets tasks that she has to complete, involving her life, or she'll get kicked out. She tests herself to see how much she can accomplish, until, things start to get complicated... </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;">PROS: Life by Committee is very relatable, everyone has things in their life that they don't understand and they wish they could change, and this is a girl who does something about those things. I loved all of the characters, they were all very unique and they tied well into the story as a whole. Corey writes in a relaxing style; it's very nice and easy to read. There wasn't a moment in this book where I got bored, or even wanted to put down. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;">CONS: This book was awesome, this book was great, but, all in all in wasn't brilliant, it wasn't life changing. </span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1.5px; line-height: 22px;">Rate: THIS BOOK, THIS BOOK IS HAPPINESS. 4.5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars). </span></span>Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-51008808919492780432014-09-26T12:10:00.000-06:002014-09-26T12:10:52.542-06:00Review: The Kingdom of Little Wounds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxWR-R3FcupZS4wDNE1nWteT_7-jSxcZK_B3gGphN8V2zPldzoaeWCMsSBW-Im52DJpmDhUE5UyWbUWqiWPUbqIwAP-d9GQcO3QKPisC30K4jqq7aai_GdwKfClMzotQVZaDwY0grA3eL/s1600/833819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxWR-R3FcupZS4wDNE1nWteT_7-jSxcZK_B3gGphN8V2zPldzoaeWCMsSBW-Im52DJpmDhUE5UyWbUWqiWPUbqIwAP-d9GQcO3QKPisC30K4jqq7aai_GdwKfClMzotQVZaDwY0grA3eL/s1600/833819.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
The Kingdom of Little Wounds was my very first Medieval book. I was excited to start it because I honestly had no idea what to expect from it.This novel has received a lot of ridicule for not being suitable for YA readers, but, as an 18 year old -- 17 when I read this -- I thought this book was like a breath of fresh air.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b><span style="color: red;">On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion. Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem — and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b>Summary: This book is told from mainly two perspectives; Ava Bingen, and Midi Sorte, but there is also 2nd person dialogue so you can read about all the mysterious and questionable things happening inside this one castle. The Kingdom is in distress as one of their beloved princesses dies the night of her wedding. No one is truly certain of how she dies, but the grieving cannot last very long, for there are far too many other dramatic things happening. </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">PROS: This book is thick, about 600 hundred pages, so you know that there is no missing detail. The way Cokal phrases, and describes things is beautiful. I called this book a breath of fresh air because it contains something that many books are missing; reality. There has been a lot of negative feedback about how graphic this book is, but there is nothing in here that wouldn't have happened in Medieval times. Sad to say, but there was: poverty, disease, cruel punishment, and sexual abuse in this time period. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">CONS: I do have to admit that this book doesn't belong in the hands of anyone under the age of 16, simply because all the facts about this time period can be hard to swallow. I also had trouble getting through the entire thing since it was so big, but I can say that I finished it and was very happy with the ending. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="color: red;">Rate: This book is different from most books in the YA category, and I definitely thought it deserved the Michael L. Printz award that it won. 5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars).</span></span>Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-57322880612702053852014-09-19T07:00:00.000-06:002014-09-19T07:00:03.166-06:00Review: Salt and Storm<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText5210939238602762493">Sixteen-year-old Avery
Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island,
making the charms that keep the island’s whale men safe and prosperous
at sea. But before she could learn how to control her power, her mother,
the first Roe woman in centuries to turn her back on magic, stole Avery
away from her grandmother. Avery must escape from her mother before her
grandmother dies, taking with her the secrets of the Roes’ power.<br /><br />When
Avery awakens from a dream foretelling her own murder, she realizes
time is running short—for her and for the people of her island, who,
without the Roes, will lose their ships and the only life they know.<br /><br />With
the help of Tane, a tattooed harpoon boy from the Pacific Islands,
Avery plots her escape from her mother and unravels the mysteries of her
mother’s and grandmother’s pasts. Becoming a witch may prevent her
murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers it will also
require a sacrifice she never expected—one she might not be able to make</span></blockquote>
I was in the mood for a witch book and picking this one up was one of the best decisions I've made. I loved the main character Avery because she was very down to Earth and relate-able. I liked how the author described how the magic worked and towards the end we as readers found out how the Roes got their magic.<br />
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The romance in this book was okay. It was cute and slower paced than most (which was nice) but I honestly didn't feel that there was much chemistry between Avery and Tane. They were just there together. I did however enjoy the conversations between the two of them and I enjoyed getting to know Tane better.<br />
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My favorite part of the book was the writing. It was very descriptive and while reading it was like watching a movie in my head. Here's a quote I particularly enjoyed from the book:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...My panic makes me lurch for air again and again, but when I breathe now, blood and water spray into the air, a column of red that clouds around me, and I can taste them mix, salty water and salty blood, and just as my eyes roll back into my head, I see the bright curve of a hook, a hook the size of a man's head, and I urge every last bit of strength I have into my scream..."</blockquote>
Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and I will be buying myself a copy once it releases. Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-45349331231387444402014-09-15T08:29:00.000-06:002014-09-15T08:29:00.137-06:00Review: Belzhar (SPOILERS)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBX7Ntah-TAxRJTtbR9EzxXaGy1zUETfw2dqLBPDH9kgH6UweeTaWEC6KRH4uPKK_OzQEkkUcPnG3yDQssqqqwGgRx5rRTctv3nWUWyr3cPMHdZLK0xNgNWjr_58s9MIckWlY_XnYJMJel/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBX7Ntah-TAxRJTtbR9EzxXaGy1zUETfw2dqLBPDH9kgH6UweeTaWEC6KRH4uPKK_OzQEkkUcPnG3yDQssqqqwGgRx5rRTctv3nWUWyr3cPMHdZLK0xNgNWjr_58s9MIckWlY_XnYJMJel/s1600/a.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText16386483982912460747">If life were fair, Jam
Gallahue would still be at home in New Jersey with her sweet British
boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She’d be watching old comedy sketches with
him. She’d be kissing him in the library stacks.<br /><br />She certainly
wouldn’t be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in
rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an
exclusive, mysterious class called Special Topics in English.<br /><br />But life isn’t fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead.<br /><br />Until
a journal-writing assignment leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted
past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again.
But there are hidden truths on Jam’s path to reclaim her loss.</span></blockquote>
I had really high hopes for this book, but sadly, for me, Belzhar didn't live up to its hype. The writing was very good but the characters fell flat and the main character especially irritated me.I think the idea of going to "Belzhar" (a place the characters would go when writing in their journals) was very unique and intriguing and I'm happy the author went into detail about all the characters different experiences.I especially enjoyed how writing in the journals helped the characters develop and figure out their issues. However, Jam's character was hard for me to deal with because I've been in a similar position as her (at least I thought I had until I read the end of the book) and it was just ridiculous how she got so depressed over a boy she barely knew. Turns out that the guy who was her "boyfriend" wasn't really her boyfriend and he hadn't actually died. Jam had created a story about all that to make herself feel better about getting rejected. It was kind of an insult to me because I was with my ex for a year when we broke up and it <i>destroyed </i>me (I myself had to be admitted into a hospital for treatment (which is why I haven't blogged for awhile, sorry guys!!)). <br />
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Anyway, I would recommend waiting to get this in paperback or to check it out from the library. I think most people will either love it or hate it, but I'm sorta in the middle just because the idea was cool and the writing wasn't that bad.<br />
<b>3 Stars!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Source</b>: ALA 2014Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-48250757313749609042014-08-09T17:03:00.001-06:002014-08-09T17:03:30.291-06:00Review: Lovely, Dark and Deep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JyG6eX72tdz7bkbOOxDP9L75vSlH-f0bSALqR5z6_7zL1YrLj7DHmG4rOEA9a2N8K4bso_wVdk1yJ5HCEOj0DVwSbeQ45IJVFvXO-3U4eYhN2RwXk4o93x2dCVGd2iAGAO0F_nbmJcu8/s1600/lovely.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JyG6eX72tdz7bkbOOxDP9L75vSlH-f0bSALqR5z6_7zL1YrLj7DHmG4rOEA9a2N8K4bso_wVdk1yJ5HCEOj0DVwSbeQ45IJVFvXO-3U4eYhN2RwXk4o93x2dCVGd2iAGAO0F_nbmJcu8/s1600/lovely.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
Lovely, Dark and Deep sounds cliche simply because of it's title, and I will admit, it sort of is. (However, I would like to note that I have heard many opinions different from my own about this particular novel).<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Wren Wells is trying to outrun the accident that killed her boyfriend and wrecked her plans to live a normal life. Instead of going to college, she retreats to her father's isolated art studio. There, in the remote northern woods of Maine, she meets Cal Owens, a boy who wears his own hurt like a badge. But when their connection threatens Wren's hard-won isolation, she has to choose: open up her broken heart or join the ghosts who haunt. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Alright, I'm not even going to grace this book with my own summary of it, because I know it'll end in a rant about my deep hatred for Wren Wells, the the spoiled, narcissistic bitch (excuse my French) who turns away everyone that loves her simply because she "can't handle it". All right, I'm ranting, I'll stop now. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #666666;">Pros: Amy McNamara truly is an excellent author. Her writing style is smooth and elegant and many of the characters are astonishingly creative and interesting. Everyone -- besides she who shall not be named -- is so loving, and it sort of projects the goodness in the world. Cal Owens, the love interest, is honestly one of the greatest guys in the world, and you can actually feel that through his actions as well as his words. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #666666;">Cons: Wren is THE most annoying person I have ever read about. All everyone does for her is give, give, give, and yet she still pushes them all away, as if her problems are the only one's that exist in the world. I never thought that I could hate a fictional character this much, but I do. So basically, the main character is the biggest flaw in the book. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: red;">Rate: I want to formally apologize to the author, Amy McNamara, for all the belittling I have down, she's a great novelist, she has amazing attention to detail and emotions, but I just can't give this book a good rating when all I want to do is burn Wren Wells at the stake. 1.5 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars.)</span><span style="color: #666666;"> </span> </b></span>Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197773030892216389.post-2755850931133096882014-08-07T07:00:00.000-06:002014-08-07T07:00:00.453-06:00Review: The Green Teen Cook Book and Sticky Fingers<br />
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I absolutely adored both these books. I used the cook book to (easily) make some yummy salmon and I used the DIY duck tape book to create a cute little wallet for myself and it only took about twenty minutes to do. These are definitely things you want if you like cooking or making crafts. I loved the detailed pictures in the DIY book and the instructions in the cook book made cooking unbelievably easy to do. Not to mention the cook book had a lot of healthy meals inside it. <br />
The colors of the pages are vibrant and inviting. I actually want to make the crafts and food items because the books are so pretty:) Go and get copies now. Like, now. Even if you don't cook or make crafts, they'll sit pretty on your shelf.Danna (Bananas For Books)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03824529314628825176noreply@blogger.com0