Mini Reviews: After Math, Crash, & The Elite

Title: After Math (Off the Subject #1)

Author: Denise Grover Swank

# of Pages: 250

Publisher: Createspace

Publication Date: March 12th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: New Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

My Verdict

I’m normally not a fan of the New Adult genre. I am one of those people who feels it is just an excuse to throw in some explicit content to what would normally be YA. As I read this book, I was beginning to think maybe I had misjudged the genre but than it took a turn for the predictable (a.k.a. explicit content.)

I loved the slow build of Scarlett and Tucker’s romance. It started out as a tutoring job, grew into a friendship, and then exploaded into a romance. I loved watching their relationship grow, the way they looked into one another's eyes and could see each others deepest secrets, the tutoring sessions, and gym workouts. Sadly, this all disappeared once they became a couple and the only thing they did was have sex.

Title: Crash (Visions #1)

Author: Lisa McMann

# of Pages: 233

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: January 8th 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 3 Hearts

My Verdict

Interesting concept but slow paced, fairly predictable, with average characters. Your typical Romeo & Juliet style romance with Jules and Sawyer being forbidden to see each other because their families run waring restaurants. As for the visions, one day all of a sudden Jules sees a vision and it just keeps playing over and over on every billboard, TV screen, window. Not only was the cause of Jules visions never explained, but it also got extremely monotonous to have her describe the same vision over and over for 200 pages. While the second book is on my TBR, I'm in no rush to read it. 

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass

# of Pages: 323

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: April 23rd 2013

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

My Verdict

Ugh, America Singer you may just be the death of me! Your inability to choose who it is your in love with makes me SO angry. I thought a decision would finally be made in this book but no, America continues to bounce between Aspen and Prince Maxon like a ping pong ball. At this point, I'm going to feel bad for whatever guy gets kicked to the curb because they've both been lead on for so long. The one good thing about this infuriating love triangle is that I do like both guys, which pretty much never happens, so either way I'm happy. 

Cass continues to do a great job of drawing the reader into the world she has created and leaving us emotionally invested. After all that's what it's all about right? Getting lost in another world, caring about the characters as if they are real, feeling all the different emotions when things go bad or things work out. Even though it drives me crazy most of the time,  I still love it. 

Hope you enjoyed these mini reviews! I'll probably  be doing a few more before the year ends to help me catch up. 

YA Review: Find Me by Romily Bernard

Title: Find Me

Author: Romily Bernard

# of Pages: 307

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: September 24th 2013

Source: ARC from Goodreads

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

“Find Me.”

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.

Because it just got personal.

My Verdict

I picked this up with the intention of just reading a few chapters before bed but once I started I couldn't put it down!! The story hooks you right away with a tension filled opening scene that keeps you flipping pages, honestly, until the very end.

I liked Wick, she had been through so much and was so fragile on the inside yet tough as nails on the outside. She keeps a lot of secrets thinking that she needs to deal with everything alone. That is, until Griffin. Griffin is really the only person Wick lets into her life, letting him see the good and the bad. He's also the only person Wick will ask for help. 

I thought their relationship was really cute. They have been sort of friends for awhile but Wick is always hiding who she really is. It's not until circumstances bring them together that they start falling for each other. Plus their witty banter was great. 

A lot of reviews I read beforehand said how predictable this book was and how they guessed the bad guy right from the start but I don't see how. The author did such a great job of making you doubt everyone, even those who didn't match what little evidence Wick did have. Yes, I may have guessed who it was at one point but my opinion was constantly changing.

What an intense ending! I love when books finish with a bang! I was sitting in bed at 1:45am tearing through the last few chapters. My heart started pounding out of my chest when the culprit was finally revealed and didn't stop until the book was over. 

One thing's for sure, Romily Bernard definitely left a mark on the YA suspense scene. I can't wait to see how the characters continue to develop, especially Wick & Griffins relationship in book 2, Remember Me! 

YA Review: Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Shadows (Lux #0.5)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

# of Pages: 180

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: February 21st 2012

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

My Verdict

Normally the novellas released as in-between parts of a series are really short, so I was pleasantly surprised by how long this was! I seriously paid $3.99 for a "novella" once that was literally 20 pages, so when this one kept going on and on I felt like I had won the lottery.

I was so excited to get to know more about Dawson, Bethany, and their relationship before all the crap hit the fan. Dawson was so sweet and adorable, the complete polar opposite of his twin brother Daemon. It also made it so much sadder seeing how he was before and knowing how he is after, when he's an empty shell haunted by all he's been through. Bethany was actually totally different than expected. Now I don't know if it was just me being stupid but I thought Bethany was a blonde?? At least that's how I always pictured her, with pin straight blonde hair and kind of mousy. I never felt like I knew Bethany from reading the other books. Dawson was so in love with her but she just seemed so blah.  I enjoyed getting her POV and seeing that she was just as much in love with Dawson as he was with her. 

Overall, this was a great addition to the Lux Series and I'm hoping there are some more novellas to come!! Maybe one about the Thompson siblings? 

YA Review: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

Title: The Hallowed Ones

Author: Laura Bickle

# of Pages: 320 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date: September 25th 2012

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in? 

In this captivating thriller, an Amish settlement is the last safe haven in a world plagued by an unspeakable horror…

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.

Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elder’s rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?

My Verdict

I have so many feelings raging inside me on this one! It was suspenseful, it was terrifying, it was gruesome, it was hopeful, it was... truly unique! I knew little about the plot going in except it was about an Amish girl and possibly the end of the world.

The story is about Katie, an Amish girl with a large heart, and strong opinions both of which lead her into a lot of trouble throughout the book. I really loved Katie. She was so genuine; I loved that unlike others in her community who followed the words of the Elders so blindly, Katie actually thought about things. She always had good intentions in mind, and did what she believed to be right in her heart.

I always find it fascinating to read about the Amish culture. While there is so much outside influence in this story, we still get to learn a lot about traditional Amish practices and beliefs. In other books about the Amish that I've read, the language they use really grated on my nerves, but besides the use of "ja" the author didn't make it seem like gibberish.

Major violence warning on this one!! Honestly I would say 18+ the gore is so bad. I had seen it called suspense, not horror, so I wasn't expecting the amount of blood and guts that I got but Make. No. Mistake. this is horror! There was A LOT of blood and gore and let me tell you the author sparred no details. Literally, the most disgusting things I've ever read. Even when I tried to skim over passages, there was so much detail and it went on for so long, I ended up reading things I wish I hadn't. This was definitely the biggest downfall of the book in my eyes. I just don't see why the author had to be so graphic.

Overall, I loved the mystery, suspense, and romance that The Hallowed Ones provided. But the bloody violence is not easily ignored. Let's just say I'm both excited and terrified of reading the next book in the series.

YA Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Title: What’s Left of Me 
      (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)

Author: Kat Zhang

# Of Pages: 343

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: September 18th 2012

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

My Verdict

I’m so mad at myself for not reading this book as soon as it came out! It’s one of the most unique books I’ve ever read! Debut author, Kat Zhang, brings a fresh new voice to YA literature.

While I wouldn’t really categorize this book as dystopian, it definitely takes place in a very different world, a world where everybody is born with two souls (a dominant soul and a recessive soul).  That is until one of them settles. Settling is when the “recessive” soul fades away. Forever.

It was a little weird at first, getting used to two characters, two very different voices in one body. But soon you get used to it, and become so immersed in this other world that it seems normal. Our main character(s) are Addie and Eva. We see things from both perspectives and hear both girls’ thoughts but I would consider Eva to be the main focus of the story. As the recessive soul who never faded away, we get to see things from her side of things. What it was like to be forgotten and ignored by her own family, everyone except Addie of course.

Every character in this book from main to secondary was so well developed. Even the bad guys you couldn't help but appreciate. I loved Addie, Eva, Hally, Devon, Kitty, and all the characters SO much!

There is a slight romantic aspect to the book; so slight I almost didn’t mention it. With two people in each body you can imagine how awkward that is…

While this is just the start of a brilliant new series the ending was satisfying on it’s own and could be read as a standalone. But trust me, your going to want to read book two. I snagged a copy at BEA and tore right through it!

Book Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Opal (Lux #3)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

# Of Pages: 382

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: December 11, 2012

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

My Verdict

With the second book surpassing the first, I was expecting things to keep getting better and for this to be my new favorite, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. This was my least favorite of the three.

While it was nice that Katy and Dameon were finally an official couple, I got tired of reading page after page of them making out. The romance was really steamy in this one, a whole slew of descriptive make-out scenes along with one sex scene. I was really getting tired of hearing about Dameons rock-hard abs and great body. It’s book three, I’m pretty sure we all know what he looks like at this point and the fact that he’s hot! I don’t need Katy to go over these points every time he enters a room!

The story was pretty slow going. There was a little action at the beginning followed by a lot of training and build up for the big action scene at the end. And to make matters worse, that scene it had been building up to for 366 pages cuts off during the most intense moment of the book. Bam. Gone. Nothing. I cannot even believe it ended where it did. Probably one of the worst cliffhangers I’ve ever read! I was one Miss Cranky Pants that night, that’s for sure.

I loved getting to learn more about Dawson in this one. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him at first since he hardly ever talks, but he really started to grow on me by the end. I discovered that there’s a short story called “Shadows” that is all about Dawson and Beth before all the crap hit the fan. Hopefully that will give us a better look at what’s going on inside that brain of his ;)  I’ll definitely be reading it sometime during my three-month wait for book number four!

Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian (Lux #1)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

# Of Pages: 361

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: November 23^rd 2011

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts 

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

My Verdict

I can’t tell you how excited I was to read an alien book! Vampires, werewolves, zombies, there are plenty of books out there about them, but aliens? Not so many. I don’t know if any of you have seen the TV show Roswell (or read the books) it’s about a group of teenage aliens and my favorite show ever! If you haven’t seen it I highly suggest you go watch it immediately! Anywho, the synopsis of this book sounded very similar; boy saves girl, girl finds out boy is an alien, chaos ensues. So obviously I had to read it.

The whole love/hate relationship between main characters Katy and Daemon is what really pulls you in. There is something addicting about their constant bickering that keeps you turning pages.

I really liked Katy most of the time. Her snarky comebacks, loyalty to her friends, and selflessness were admirable. Plus, she gains a few bonus points for being a book blogger =) However, there was one event, (a school dance) where she made some unbelievably STUPID decisions against her friends warnings just to spite them. I was like WHY are you being so stupid?! Listen to your friends, they’re trying to protect you!! Also the way she would totally melt down and believe Dameon hated her when he would lie about his feelings for her. It was obvious he liked her, but when he would say otherwise she totally believed him even though she denied her feelings for him as well.

Dameon was a piece of work. Looked like a Greek god, acted like the biggest jerk on the planet. His attitude was infuriating 98% of the time. There were a few moments where he was actually sweet, but those moments were far and few between!

I think the alien part could have been done better. The fact that Dameon and Dee had been hiding their true identities for years was hard to believe, considering they weren’t very good at it. They said completely obvious things to Katy like “You’re not one of us” and  “I want Dee to have friends like her” but didn’t expect Katy to pick up on the fact that something was off. How dumb did they think she was? Some of the alien aspects also weren’t explained enough for my liking but what can you do.

Overall, this book kept me turning pages and dying for the next installment, which I’m probably going to end up downloading on my Kindle because the library only has one copy that’s going to take way too long to arrive!! It was no Roswell, but I’ll take what alien love stories I can get thank you very much.

Book Review: Nelson Mandela

Title: Nelson Mandela

Author: Kadir Nelson

# Of Pages: 40

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: January 2^nd, 2013

Source: Library

Level: Children’s (Pre-School - 4^th Grade)

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

One day when Nelson Mandela was nine years old, his father died and he was sent from his village to a school far away from home, to another part of South Africa. In Johannesburg, the country's capital, Mandela saw fellow Africans who were poor and powerless. He decided then that he would work to protect them. When the government began to keep people apart based on the color of their skin, Mandela spoke out against the law and vowed to fight hard in order to make his country a place that belonged to all South Africans.

Kadir Nelson tells the story of Mandela, a global icon, in poignant verse and glorious illustrations. It is the story of a young boy's determination to change South Africa and of the struggles of a man who eventually became the president of his country by believing in equality for people of all colors. Readers will be inspired by Mandela's triumph and his lifelong quest to create a more just world.

My Verdict

I know I don't usually review children's books on here but since this one was told in verse, I made an exception =) 

The biography of Nelson Mandela and his role in Apartheid is brought to life by author and illustrator, Kadir Nelson, through free verse and beautiful paintings that are rich in color and large in scale. A fellow blogger reviewed this book and when I heard it was told in verse I knew I absolutely HAD to read it!

It’s very unique to have a biography written in free verse but I think it worked really well and will help to keep kids interested. This book is a great resource for kids to learn about an important time in history but also one that I think they will thoroughly enjoy reading as well.

“Nelson stood proudly

with the wind at his back

and spoke to a colorful sea of people.

‘We must forget our terrible past

and build a better future for South Africa,

Let us continue to fight for justice

and walk the last mile to freedom.’ "

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars

Title: The Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green

# Of Pages: 313

Publisher: Dutton Books

Publication Date: January 10^th, 2012

Source: Borrowed from Mom

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumors in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumors tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Verdict

I think I may literally be one of the last people on planet Earth to read A Fault In Our Stars. I'm going to keep this review fairly short because there is nothing I could say that hasn't already been said.

The characters in this book felt so real it’s insane. The dialogue between Hazel & Augustus is pretty much what made the whole book for me. I felt like the two of them spoke their own language, it was strange, quirky, philosophical, and almost always guaranteed to make you laugh. 

After I finished the book, the first thing I did was Google whether or not An Imperial Affliction was a real book. Deep down I knew the answer was no, but I was trying to sustain my disbelief because I really, really wanted it to be real. I wanted to read this spectacular book that meant so much to both Hazel & Augustus. I wanted to connect with them even more through this book they both loved. 

My one eensy, weensy, microscopic complaint was that some of the chapters were gargantuously long. The only reason this bothered me is because I'm one of those people who doesn't like to stop reading in the middle of a chapter. So on nights I only had time for a little reading before bed it always turned into a lot of reading because some of the chapters took like half an hour.

In conclusion, while I am happy I finally read this book and enjoyed it very much, I just didn’t fall head over heals in love with it like most people seemed to. Did I really enjoy it? YES. Do I want to read it over and over and name it my favorite book of 2013? No. 

Book Review: Come Back To Me by Coleen Patrick

Title: Come Back To Me

Author: Coleen Patrick

# Of Pages: 187

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Publication Date: March 5, 2013

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

My Verdict

I’ve been in a reading slump for the last couple weeks and really needed a good book to pull me out of it. Come Back To Me was just the right book. I read the first 80% without stopping then took a small break before returning to finish it off.

The story centers around Whitney, whose voice I really enjoyed. She was honest, believable, and easy to relate to.  Having recently lost her best friend, Whitney is still trying to figure out how to move on from her haunted past, and the best solution she’s discovered is to hide out in her bedroom, drinking. After hallucinating and passing out drunk next to a ditch at her friend’s graduation party, her parents decide to enroll her in rehab. When she gets out there are only 57 days left until she moves to Colton University to start a new life, a life where people don’t know her past. Now all she has to do is find a way to pass those 57 days. In order to fulfill some outstanding volunteer hours, Whitney starts to work at a little tea shop that she wanders into when following Evan, the mysterious boy who delivered her home drunk to her parents.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Whitney and Evan. Having been the one to bring Whitney home when she was completely trashed it would have been easy for Evan to judge her, but he doesn’t. He is super sweet and reaches out to her a few times before Whitney can bring herself to face him again. The one small issue I had was that I wished their relationship had been developed deeper. I feel like the background and building up to the relationship was really great but then once they went on a first date it was like vrrroom, everything flew by so fast and then the book was over.

Overall, this was a great contemporary romance with the additional substance of a girl struggling to overcome her best friend’s death, her drinking problem, and fix the strained relationship she shares with her parents. A great debut from author, Coleen Patrick, whom I look forward to seeing more from!

Book Review: The Language Inside by Holly Thompson

Title: The Language Inside

Author: Holly Thompson

# Of Pages: 528

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: May 14, 2013

Source: Borrowed ARC

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Emma Karas was raised in Japan; it's the country she calls home. But when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, Emma's family moves to a town outside Lowell, Massachusetts, to stay with Emma's grandmother while her mom undergoes treatment.  

Emma feels out of place in the United States. She begins to have migraines, and longs to be back in Japan. At her grandmother's urging, she volunteers in a long-term care center to help Zena, a patient with locked-in syndrome, write down her poems. There, Emma meets Samnang, another volunteer, who assists elderly Cambodian refugees. Weekly visits to the care center, Zena's poems, dance, and noodle soup bring Emma and Samnang closer, until Emma must make a painful choice: stay in Massachusetts, or return home early to Japan.

My Verdict

Author, Holly Thompson uses free verse to weave together a great multi-cultural story about family, friends, love, hardship, and what to do when the language inside doesn’t match the language outside.

The main character, Emma, and her family move from Japan (the only home Emma’s ever known) when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. The family moves to Massachusetts to stay with a relative so that her mom can be treated in Boston. 

Her mother’s breast cancer, the move - it all leaves Emma with a lot of stress and she starts to suffer from severe migraines. Emma also experiences a lot of guilt having left Japan right after it was struck by the tragedy of a Tsunami. She feels she should be there with her friends to help clean up the destruction and start rebuilding.

Her grandmother signs Emma up to volunteer at a long-term care facility while she’s in town. She is there to help a patient named Zena , who suffers from locked-in syndrome, write poetry.  The only way Zena can communicate is with her eyes. Emma has to hold up an alphabet board organized by row and color, reading each one out until Zena looks up to select a letter. I found this dynamic of the story to be very heartwarming as we get to watch Zena and Emma’s relationship grow as they connect with one another through their mutual love of poetry.

There is also a small romance aspect to the story between Emma and Samnang, a fellow volunteer at the care facility. It’s a sweet relationship that develops slowly throughout the story but at times it was frustrating too because they weren’t even going out but Emma would get all worked up and upset if he hung out with another girl *insert eye roll*.

“I look at him

and he looks straight back at me

into me

and there’s a calm

between us

we are just sitting, breathing,

and I think we are smiling

with out eyes.”

As you can see, this book deals with a lot of different issues; breast cancer, locked-in syndrome, post traumatic stress disorder, and migraines, to name some, but it does so effortlessly, weaving them together into one coherent and touching story about one girl’s journey to find herself.

Book Review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Title: Shadowlands

Author: Kate Brian

# Of Pages: 336

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: January 8^th 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it.  Rory survived … and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

My Verdict

I’ve never devoured a book of this size so fast in my life! It took me just over four hours, and had me flipping pages like a lunatic.

The action starts right on the first page as the book opens with main character, Rory, being watched by a serial killer. For the first ninety pages or so I was absolutely terrified and almost stopped reading because I wasn’t sure I could handle it. As I was trying to decide whether or not to keep going, I did something I’ve never done before: I read the last page! =O (I know, I know, shame on me!) Anyways, that sealed the deal, I HAD to finish reading.

The chapters from the killer’s perspective SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! Seeing inside his dark and twisted mind left me with a dark, unsettled feeling that I wasn’t too fond of. Luckily, as the story went on his chapters became far and few between, with the majority of the story told from Rory’s point of view.

While it was both terrifying and riveting, there were also a number of instances that were highly unlikely and plain unbelievable. For example why would the police send you into protective custody without so much as one officer to escort you? Once at said “safe house” why is there no alarm system, body guards, etc. AND if you had just survived an attack by a crazed serial killer, why on earth would you a)  Go out for a jog by yourself b) sneak out in the middle of the night to go to a party! SERIOUSLY?!? Locking herself  in a room and never leaving again would be more realistic, but I guess that would make for a pretty boring book, huh?

I have to admit that when it ended I was still really confused and unsure of what was going on. After scouring Goodreads for spoilers, I sat there in shock when I found out the truth. So if you’re like me and finish the book not knowing what happened, email me and I’ll let you know ;) 

Book Review: Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill

Title: Sisters of Glass

Author: Stephanie Hemphill

# Of Pages: 160

Publisher: Knopf

Publication Date: March 27^th 2012

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Maria is the younger daughter of an esteemed family on the island of Murano, the traditional home for Venetian glassmakers. Though she longs to be a glassblower herself, glassblowing is not for daughters—that is her brother's work. Maria has only one duty to perform for her family: before her father died, he insisted that she be married into the nobility, even though her older sister, Giovanna, should rightfully have that role. Not only is Giovanna older, she's prettier, more graceful, and everyone loves her.

Maria would like nothing more than to allow her beautiful sister, who is far more able and willing to attract a noble husband, to take over this role for her. But they cannot circumvent their father's wishes. And when a new young glassblower arrives to help the family business and Maria finds herself drawn to him, the web of conflicting emotions grows even more tangled.

My Verdict

Stephanie Hemphill writes a unique and captivating story about a family of glassblowers in 15^th Century Venice. The story focuses on sisters Giovanna and Maria and their strained relationship.

Maria and Giovanna live on the island of Murano, famous for it’s glassmaking. Maria grew up helping the family business by mixing batches of glass, helping out in the furnace, and dreaming of someday becoming a blower. Traditionally, it is the eldest daughter who marries into nobility but Maria’s father specifically ordered that she be the one to marry into nobility right before his death. This causes her elder sister Giovanna to become resentful of Maria.

“ Giovanna shoots me

only a sideways glance

as I lace into my new green dress.

I want to scream,

‘I will trade positions,’

that I Desire to polish glass

and stoke the fires

and see the creation of crystal,

like I was permitted to do

when I was a little girl.

But I promised Father

on his deathbed that I would

honor his first and greatest wish for me.

I just did not know I would

lose my sister even before

I lose my Murano.”

Now 15 years old, Maria is forbidden from working with the glass she loves so much to stay indoors brushing her hair, and wearing fancy dresses, while her family tries to find her the perfect suitor. But when a young man comes to work for the family Maria starts to fall in love, but not with her suitor. 

“ To follow the head,

or the heart,

this is the question

that rips me apart.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, the writing was great, the story interesting (I really enjoyed learning about the art of glassblowing!) and I liked the main character, Maria, but something was missing that kept me from loving it.