Hope you're all fabulous! Have a great week and read some awesome books. :)
Reading Goal Updates and Cozy Vibes
44 minutes ago
Hope you're all fabulous! Have a great week and read some awesome books. :)
If you just answered "no," then you're in luck! You can go to this here link and check out some questions I answered for Jessica @ YA Book Haven.
Happy weekend!
P.S. I'm going on vacation next week and don't want my blog to go dull, so if you'd be interested in writing a review or guest post please send me an email with a link to a recent review. I know, I know. This is such late notice, but I figured I'd try. Thanks!
"Dreaming With A Broken Heart"-John Mayer,
Sometimes I get backed up with books I need to review. This means that some books I want to review fall to the wayside. Mini reviews usually consist of two to four books I don't remember enough details from for full reviews. Basically, they help me recommend books I've read but haven't had time to review!
Spellbound by Cara Lynn Schultz:Spellbound. I really don't know what to say about Spellbound. It definitely isn't for everyone. I don't think it was completely for me. It's a cute and at times dramatic paranormal romance. The characters were well-developed and interesting. The banter between them all was pretty good. I liked the paranormal element. Honestly, I believe I just read this at the wrong time. I'd just read a string of paranormal romances, most of which had a "together through eternity" romantic theme. By the time I got to Spellbound I was exasperated.
I can definitely see many readers falling in love with Spellbound and it's charm. It's overall a nice story and I expect a lot from Schultz in the future.
P.S. Absolutely hated the epilogue/last few pages. I read an eGalley, so who knows if it'll be included, but alas.
I'd recommend it for> Fans of paranormal romance and backstory heavy novels, tweens.
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Witch Song by Amber Argyle:I was surprised by how much I adored this book. I'm usually not one for kingdom/princess stories outside of fairytales and Disney, but Witch Song won me over completely. The MC, Senna, has been added to my list of "Kickass Chicks I Have a Slight Girlcrush On." And let me tell you, it's tough to get on that list.
Within pages I was drawn into the world of magic Argyle had created. The plot was interesting and believable, the characters tough, and the action constantly progressing. If there's no sequel to Witch Song I will be seriously irked! {Also, I'll be 80-years-old apparently. Who says 'irked'? I guess I do...}
I'd recommend it for> Those who enjoy high fantasy adventure books with badass heroines and singing. Lots and lots of singing.
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Happy Thursday!
P.S. I'm sorry these reviews lack the funny. My funny does not come out of hiding unless my reviews are at least four paragraphs in length. ;)
"Took The Night"-Chelley,
What I want in my mailbox is my version of Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.
This week I want Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs & Fracture by Megan Miranda in my mailbox!
Summary:
A mysterious island.
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A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
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Ahhh. Every time I've gone into Barnes & Noble since its release, Miss Peregrine's has mocked me with its beautiful cover and amazing synopsis. I really need to get my hands on this one and experience the awesome for myself.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was released June 7, 2011.
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Summary:
A lot can happen in eleven minutes. Decker can run two miles easily in eleven minutes. I once wrote an English essay in ten. No lie. And God knows Carson Levine can talk a girl out of her clothes in half that time.
Eleven minutes might as well be eternity under water. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probable at seven. Definitey at ten.
Decker pulled me out at eleven.
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I'm pretty sure Fracture has one of the best blurbs I've ever read. So so so good. I seriously want to meet the person who doesn't want to read this book after a blurb like that.
Fracture will be released January 3, 2012. AKA, too freaking far from now.
What are you waiting for?
P.S. I don't know why Blogger is PMSing right now, but I apologize for its bad manners and ugly formatting.
"Back Against The Wall"-Cage the Elephant,
Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB over @ Should be Reading. Check out her blog to get the rules! There's no way I can just share two lines, so most of these will probably more like paragraphs.
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This week's teaser is from My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent!
"'Do you have some kind of disorder? Some synapse misfiring up there-' he gestured vaguely toward Nash's head '-that makes you incapable of keeping your mouth shut? Or are you just a garden-variety fool?'"
-pg. 146
I'm re-reading the first book before I finish the rest of the series. This line is from one of my favorite scenes in My Soul to Take because we get to meet one of my favorite characters! :)
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Recently on the blog:
>I reviewed Cryer's Cross and Incarceron, posted a list of my top ten favorite male YA protagonists, and talked about why I cannot stand books about teen pregnancy. Also, I have some books to swap and a new poll in my sidebar. Thanks for stopping by!
"Sweetness"-Jimmy Eat World,
♥ Summary: Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...
♥ Favorite Line(s):
>"Underground the stars are legend." - One of my favorite lines in a book ever.
>"Despair is deep. An abyss that swallows dreams. A wall at the world's end. Behind it I await death. Because all our work has come to this." - Again, beautiful.
I loved so much of Catherine Fisher's prose. It's freaking fabulous.
♥ My thoughts:
Incarceron: A Love/Hate Story>
Let me start off by saying that prior to reading Incarceron I did not have a 'mixed feelings' shelf on Goodreads.
Now I do.
Because of this book.
And it's Pages of Confusion.
From the start, Fisher's prose made me all goo-goo eyed and weak in the knees. I was, and continue to be, completely in love with her way of bending words into sentences, phrases and paragraphs so pretty I have an entire file full of tidbits I loved and wanted to remember. Besides the lovely writing, the premise of Incarceron drew me in absolutely. I was so, so excited to find out how the plot would unfold within the first ten pages. Seriously. So. Excited. I adore dystopians, but I really have a thing for dystopians in which Protagonist is trying to get from Hellhole A to Greener Pastures B. So I believed Incarceron to be right up my alley.
Within a few hours I was happily engulfed in Incarceron, flipping pages like a crazy person. Then came the wall. DUN DUN DUN. This here wall came at me about 100 pages into the novel. My interest began waning and only fifty pages later did I realize why. I was being eaten alive by descriptions. Long, long, long descriptions. About everything. And everyone. I found myself skipping pages of the book because I was thinking, "If I read another description about a room in this place, about one more funny-looking tree, one more door, I will cut something." I also looked a bit like this:
Now I do.
Because of this book.
And it's Pages of Confusion.
From the start, Fisher's prose made me all goo-goo eyed and weak in the knees. I was, and continue to be, completely in love with her way of bending words into sentences, phrases and paragraphs so pretty I have an entire file full of tidbits I loved and wanted to remember. Besides the lovely writing, the premise of Incarceron drew me in absolutely. I was so, so excited to find out how the plot would unfold within the first ten pages. Seriously. So. Excited. I adore dystopians, but I really have a thing for dystopians in which Protagonist is trying to get from Hellhole A to Greener Pastures B. So I believed Incarceron to be right up my alley.
Within a few hours I was happily engulfed in Incarceron, flipping pages like a crazy person. Then came the wall. DUN DUN DUN. This here wall came at me about 100 pages into the novel. My interest began waning and only fifty pages later did I realize why. I was being eaten alive by descriptions. Long, long, long descriptions. About everything. And everyone. I found myself skipping pages of the book because I was thinking, "If I read another description about a room in this place, about one more funny-looking tree, one more door, I will cut something." I also looked a bit like this:
It was a rough period in my love affair with Incarceron. I felt that the book I fell for had changed. We were different people now and I didn't know how to handle the change. I knew I still loved the plot and wanted to see the book through to the end, but I knew the descriptions would also be the end of our love. So I decided to keep skipping the lengthier descriptions. The rest was infinitely more enjoyable after that, and I really did love it by the end.
Claudia, Jared, Attia and, in the beginning, Finn were the only characters I genuinely liked. Claudia because she's nosy and curious and has a backbone. Jared for his helpful nature and overall badassery I found awesome. Attia's just plain interesting and I always wanted to know more about her. Finn, what do I say about Finn? I loved him in the beginning and he did have his moments throughout when I thought, "I kinda like this kid." Mostly though, I began to hate him by association. I really, I mean REALLY, hated both Keiro and Gildas. I waited anxiously for the moment both of them were put out of commission. Throughout the novel I just could not understand why Finn consistently put up with their shit. I was baffled by his need to help them when he was being constantly used and abused by the two of them. Though, maybe that says more about me than the book. I couldn't connect with Finn's need for tweedle dee and tweedle dum and therefore I couldn't connect with the masochist himself.
The plot kept me interested when the characters and endless descriptions could not. I loved the plot line completely and it's one of the only things that has kept me interested enough to want to read the sequel. Catherine Fisher definitely knows how to weave twists and turns into a story seamlessly and jerk a reader off a certain path within a paragraph. Her plotting skill shines through in the fact that I couldn't stand half the characters and filler descriptions, yet I still finished the book with a good feeling about what I'd just read.
I liked the story, disliked most characters, and think 200+ pages could've been cut. Overall Incarceron is a good read and I'm looking forward to the sequel, Sapphique.
Technically, 3.5 stars!!
P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll in the sidebar!
Happy Monday!
"Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall"-Coldplay,
In My Mailbox is a meme started by Kristi @ The Story Siren, inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie. >From The Story Siren: The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox and books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.
Thank yous a plenty to Rachel from Fiktshun! I love her blog and if you check it out, I'm sure you will too.
Happy Saturday!
"Young Blood"-The Naked and Famous,
The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen at Crazy For Books! Check out her blog for the complete rules and details about this week's hop.
Hello hoppers, I'm Cara. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Q. What's the one genre that you wish you could get into, but just can't?
A. This one's pretty hard for me to answer, because I generally like a good amount of books from most genres. There are types of books I can't get into inside certain genres. I guess that can count?
I hate books about teen pregnancy. I refuse to read them. Sounds harsh right? I don't know why, but I just don't have any interest in that topic. It probably stems from the fact that I never want to think of having my own child at any age, so reading about people my age having babies is WOAH, NO, LET'S NOT DO THAT. I turn into the health teacher from Mean Girls when I read about teens making babies.
I don't want to act like a crazy health teacher, ergo I avoid teen pregnancy contemporaries like the plague.
Have you participated in the hop this week? Leave your link and I'll be sure to stop by your blog!
Happy Friday!
"Cups"-Lulu and the Lampshades,
♥ Favorite Line(s):♥ Summary: The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.
Everything Kendall and Jacian say to each other. Seriously, everything. One example:
"So, ah, I'm not sure if you know this, but you're not wearing a shirt."
"Distracting, isn't it?"
I wish I could include one of my absolute favorite Jacian/Kendall lines, but it's all spoilery and such. Another favorite is the very last page, but it's also spoilery.
♥ My thoughts:
I've been having some trouble writing this review. Mainly because I don't know how to express how much I loved this story but only liked this book. I absolutely loved the world and characters Lisa McMann created, yet it wasn't a book that made me go, "Holy bananas, this is totes an amazing novel." But I don't know why. The writing style flows well, the plot was paced incredibly. I really adored all of the characters. But alas, I still only liked Cryer's Cross.
The story itself is imaginative and had me completely on the edge of my seat. I finished it in one sitting, barely stopping to shove some food down and continue. Kendall is a relatable, honest protagonist and she's my homegirl. Love her so much. There aren't too many minor characters, but in Cryer's Cross it works. Instead of trying to juggle 12,000 personalities and subplots, the few minor characters are each special and pretty well-developed. Plus, Jacian? Added to my mental list of "Fictional People I Would Stalk {in a totes non-creepy way}." He's all sorts of awesome.
I'd also like to point out the fact that I read this in the middle of the day and was still freaking the hell out. It is creepy to the max and definitely not a great choice for before bedtime reading. Unless you're into that whole being scared silly thing. I'm cool with a good ghost story-love them actually-because usually the ending has some kind of closure for all the spooky stuff. And then I read Cryer's Cross. And for about a week I was worried I was going to start hearing furniture talk to me. I realize that sounds really crazy if you haven't read the book, but bear with me.
I really did enjoy Cryer's Cross and its pacing was so refreshing for me at this point. I've recently read a lot of Nana Driving books, aka the pacing is gas/brake, gas/brake, gas/brake. Sporadic. Not fun to read in. Headache inducing. Cryer's Cross was easy to read and follow and gave my brain a break. Between the beautiful pacing, realistic characters, and super awesome ghostliness, Cryer's Cross was a much needed reading vacation.
I really loved the story, but like I said, liked the book. Am still confused by how that is possible.
P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll in the sidebar!
Happy Wednesday!
"Indigo Girl"-This Century,
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This week's teaser is from Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder!
"My heart dropped into my stomach and ran laps. Lieutenant Commander Karla and three Pop Cops followed my supervisor. The LC's smug expression and the terrified fury on my supervisor's face told me all I needed to know. Without hesitating, I ran."
-pg. 196
I actually just finished this book about five minutes ago and I absolutely loved it. Badassery is abundant and I'm so excited to start the second book in the series, Outside In. Maria V. Snyder's writing style is flawless and her protags. are always fierce. Love love love.
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Recently on the blog:
>I reviewed Adios, Nirvana and Tris & Izzie, posted a list of my top ten favorite male YA protagonists, and talked about how I reallyreallyreally want to read Dead Rules by Randy Russell. Also, I have some books to swap and a new poll in my sidebar. Thanks for stopping by!
"The Coldest Summer"-Fairline,
Hi, I'm Cara. And I'm in love with lists.
They are nifty.
And organized-like.
And easy for my easily distracted mind to keep track of.
But, they're always a cool way to talk about bookish things I like. Which is exactly what I'm going to do.
Once a week, hopefully, I'll be posting a new list of _____.
This week's theme is a top ten list of my favorite male protagonists in YA.
{Just to clarify, for all intents and purposes male protagonist to me means: male YA character who has all or a large part of a book told from his perspective. Had to add some limitations or the list would be Top 100 instead. Sad I can't include Puck and St. Clair though!}
{Just to clarify, for all intents and purposes male protagonist to me means: male YA character who has all or a large part of a book told from his perspective. Had to add some limitations or the list would be Top 100 instead. Sad I can't include Puck and St. Clair though!}
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10.} Harry Potter>
Where to find him: The Harry Potter series
Why so special?>
It's Harry Potter. He's a WIZARD. Need I really say more here people?
9.} Thomas>
Where to find him: The Maze Runner series
Why so special?>
Thomas. How do I describe Thomas? Thomas is awkward. Thomas kicks some serious Griever ass. Thomas thinks your cute. He's an honest character. I love reading a book and thinking, "I can completely picture this person in my head." And Thomas is one of the most realistic protagonists this side of the Mississippi.
8.} Percy Jackson>
Where to find him: The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series
Why so special?>
For about a year and a half I had a slightly unhealthy obsession with the Percy Jackson series. It's an Epic Journey series {love me some epic journeys} and throughout the books Percy grows and learns and we, as readers, learn with him. I absolutely love the adventures he and his crew {did I really just write 'crew'?} go on and loved seeing Percy as well as all of the other characters develop over the series.
7.} Benny Imura>
Where to find him: The Benny Imura series
Why so special?>
First of all he's in a book about zombies. If you've been following my blog for a little while you'll know I have an intense obsession with zombies. Blogging commandment #2: Thou shalt never turn thy nose up at thee books of zombie. Well, that would be #2 if I had any blogging commandments. #1 would be: Thou shalt never attempt to blog whilst Pirates of the Carribean ist on thy television. I'm breaking that one right now.
ANYWAY, Benny is one awesome protag. He's a smart kid who's also pretty damn brave. At first he was a smug little idiot, but his character developed and grew into the person I wanted to cheer on. Bravo, Jonathan Maberry. I love your book.
6.} Clay Jenkins>
Where to find him: Thirteen Reasons Why
Why so special?>
The fact that when I saw Clay was next I squealed, "Aw, CLAY," says more than anything, me thinks. Clay is just plain sweet, which is rare these days in YA. Most novels I've read lately have a dark, mysterious bad boy. Which isn't bad when done right, but just because a character likes arson, kicking puppies, or whatever other morbid hobby doesn't mean he is swoon worthy. Case in point: Clay. He is a nice guy. Like, genuinely nice. And that makes him different and worthy of my love.
5.} Cole St. Clair>
Where to find him: The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy
Why so special?>
*le sigh* Cole St. Clair. Mm mm mm. I love me some Cole St. Clair. He completely fits my "Fictional People I Would Stalk {in a totes non-creepy way}" guidelines: A.) He's pretty. We all know that counts for something. 2.) He's a musician. With a tortured soul. Tortured soul is optional. C.) He's got snark running through his veins.
4.} Nick Ryves>
Where to find him: The Demon's Lexicon trilogy
Why so special?>
Nick's not the typical bad boy with a deeply hidden heart that makes tween girls across the globe fan themselves. He really doesn't care about anyone for the most part. And I respect that. I appreciate blunt honesty in the real world and in the books I read, so The Demon's Lexicon was very refreshing. I can see reasons why some may be put off by him: he shows no remorse, finds fun in threatening people to the point of peeing their pants, and he's violently angry basically all the time. But those are the reasons I love him. Because he doesn't put up a front like most people, real or imagined.
3.} All of John Green's MCs>
Where to find them: Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns and Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Why so special?>
Miles "Pudge" Halter, Colin Singleton, Quentin Jacobsen and Will Grayson. Let's face it, they all have much in common. They're awkward, nerdy, mildly attractive teenage boys. But I adore them all. They're funny, clever, endearing, and play off the other characters wonderfully. John Green knows how to write a realistic protagonist.
2.} Jonathan {does he even have a last name?}>
Where to find him: Adios, Nirvana
Why so special?>
Jonathan's voice is so distinct in Adios, Nirvana. I felt I was truly inside his head throughout the novel. He became a friend for the time being and I became one of his "Thicks." I can't not like his character because it feels like by saying that I'm saying I don't like one of my friends. I feel like I know him. A truly stunning YA voice.
1.} Cassel Sharpe>
Where to find him: The Curse Workers series
Why so special?>
Cassel Sharpe is the HBIC, okay? He can do no wrong in my book. I am a card-wielding member of the Cassel Sharpe fan club. Hell, I'm probably the president. He is a BAMF and all other acronyms and initialisms that pertain to high levels of badassery. He is pretty and smart and funny and broken and mending and trying to be a good person in a family of selfish individuals with hidden agendas. Guh, my weak fangirl heart. I don't think I can even begin to describe how much I love this character. I met Holly Black once right after White Cat was released and I literally just rambled on and on to her about Cassel's ability to make me weak in the knees. I think I scared her a bit. But alas, Cassel is the greatest and if you haven't read the series you are missing out.
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So, who are your favorite YA male protags.? Feel free to leave a comment with your faves or even make your own blog post and link to it. I wanna see who you all love!
Happy Monday!
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So, who are your favorite YA male protags.? Feel free to leave a comment with your faves or even make your own blog post and link to it. I wanna see who you all love!
Happy Monday!
"Blindsided"-Bon Iver,
I decided against a vlog this week simply because I only received one book this week and didn't want to film myself for one book.
Anyway, this week I received Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen. {Thanks Harlequin Teen!} I'd read Past Midnight last year while it was on NetGalley--you can read my review. I enjoyed the story, but I'm not quite sure I want my own copy, so I may be giving it away. Look for it in future contests!
What did you get in your mailbox this week?
Happy Saturday!
"Bruised"-Jack's Mannequin,
♥ Favorite Line(s):
♥ Summary: When you piss off a bridge into a snowstorm, it feels like you’re connecting with eternal things. Paying homage to something or someone. But who? The Druids? Walt Whitman? No, I pay homage to one person only, my brother, my twin.
In life. In death.
Telemachus.
Since the death of his brother, Jonathan’s been losing his grip on reality. Last year’s Best Young Poet and gifted guitarist is now Taft High School’s resident tortured artist, when he bothers to show up. He's on track to repeat eleventh grade, but his English teacher, his principal, and his crew of Thicks (who refuse to be seniors without him) won’t sit back and let him fail.
"That's the secret--to close your hand on jagged glass, then open it and find a butterfly."
"As a poet, I know that truth hides in the nuance."
"The nurse looked up from her clipboard.
'Who are you?'
'Good question,' I say."
♥ My thoughts:
I honestly do not think I can review this in the way I've been doing most of my reviews lately. ADIOS, NIRVANA is too lyrical, too raw, too poetic, to be discussed in a list format. That being said, this is one of the best books I've read in not only the past year, but ever. The story of Jonathan's triumphs and downfalls is up there on my list of "books I would marry if it were legal."
I am a huge fan of contemporary YA. Although I read more books with a supernatural element, I can honestly say I enjoy reading contemps. way more. I feel that it's harder to get a plot moving in realistic fiction. In paranormal romance, someone can vamp out or blow something up and BAM! there's a new challenge, a new plot twist waiting to be steered in the right direction. Contemporary twists and turns {when done well} seem more subtle, more sinuous to me. Almost lyrical in their delivery. I love the soft, smooth styles of Jandy Nelson and Melina Marchetta, love the raw, blunt style of authors like Hannah Moskowitz. When an author manages to weave both of these somewhat clashing elements into one story, he has my heart. Hence why John Green forever owns my soul {and I still think KATHERINES is one of his best and deserves to stop being treated like the middle child}. Ahem, anyway. Conrad Wesselhoeft manages what many struggle with, in ADIOS. He twists and bends the story into a completely believable, relatable, and utterly engrossing tale without losing sight of the message he wants to get across.
Throughout the novel, we see life through the eyes of Jonathan, 1/2 of the polar opposite pair he makes up with Telemachus. The twins are light and dark. Telly is talented, Jonathan's okay. Telly's a confident leader, Jonathan hangs in the back. Sounds cliche, right? Except it totally doesn't feel that way while reading. Jonathan's voice is so crisp and distinct that absolutely nothing seems overdone or cliche. And my lord, the internal dialogue is to. Die. For. While music is a big part of this novel, even the story itself seems like a song. The words practically flow from page to page. It's completely addicting, and I had a hard time taking a break half-way through because I felt I would lose the rhythm I'd grow accustomed to.
I know throughout this review I haven't really said much about the plot. Mostly because it's so simple when described. Twin dies. Remaining brother finds a kind of peace in the last place he imagined. So simple. Wesselhoeft's writing and language takes the simple plot and transforms it into a coming-of-age story for the ages. Had anyone else tried to pull this story off...well, I highly doubt I would've enjoyed it half as much. I cannot wait to read more from this author as he is now one of my favorite YA voices.
♥ Summing it up:
If you couldn't tell from the review, or didn't read it, I absolutely adored this novel. I want to marry this book.
P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll on the side of my blog!
P.P.S. I'm not posting about DH until I've seen the movie with my momma on Saturday. Afterwards, expect a lengthy, spoilery tribute to the books, movies, and world of Harry Potter in general.
Happy Friday!
"Here Comes the Sun"-The Beatles,
My first ever readathon is now over and I can't help but be disappointed in myself. Usually much of my day is spent reading. I read like, all the time. So I thought having a big TBR list was no sweat. I go through books like nothing. Except I kind of had a social life this week. Between college admissions calls , actually seeing my friends and *le gasp* going outside I haven't had all that much time to read. Also, the TBR list was daunting for me and really made me want to read less. I mean, it felt like I was giving myself summer reading. Yikes. So I have to say that I loved the whole idea of a readathon, but they just really don't seem like the thing for me.
Anyway, the stats:
Books started>
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Hunger by Michael Grant
Books finished>
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Total pages read>
866
So yeah, that's my first, and last for at least a while, readathon wrap-up. Do you enjoy readathons? How many do you do annually on average? Let me know!
"Howlin' for You"-The Black Keys,
For my first and only challenge for this readathon {I have been BUSY these past couple days} I will be participating in the challenge at Wicked Awesome Books!
Basically the goal is to set up two characters from two different YA books. Which I love doing. A lot. I actually have a post about doing just that. I still stand by all of my choices in said post and therefore am stealing my number one.
Nick Ryves {Demon's Lexicon trilogy}
+
Alaska Young {Looking for Alaska}
Can you picture it? Can you? Aren't they perfectly imperfect for each other? I just think their personalities would clash wonderfully and we all know in YA yelling, fighting, arguing = passionately in love with each other. So there you have it! That's my pick.
Who would you put together?
"My Friends Over You"-New Found Glory,
The annual readathon is hosted by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel, and Candace's Book Blog!
Books {partially} Read:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Pages Read:
176 +
28 =
204
Didn't have a lot of reading time today unfortunately. Which means I have to crack down on this pile tomorrow!
Books {partially} Read:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Pages Read:
176 +
28 =
204
Didn't have a lot of reading time today unfortunately. Which means I have to crack down on this pile tomorrow!
"Bad Dream"-This Century,
It's here! The annual readathon hosted by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel, and Candace's Book Blog is my first ever readathon so I am EXCITED. I won't technically start until I wake up after eventually going to sleep {it's currently 12:51AM, I usually fall asleep around 4AM}*, but I thought I'd post my TBR list now. Have I mentioned I'm excited?
TBR:
Witch Song by Amber Argyle
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Hunger by Michael Grant
If I finish all of those:
Cute Eats Cute by C.B. Murphy
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
For anyone else attempting this rather daunting challenge, link me up in the comments. We can support each other in our struggles through TBR piles and mini-challenges. As always, happy reading and happy monday!
*Don't judge the sleeping schedule. I am Very Pale which means I am a creature of the night, okay?
"Set Fire To The Rain"-Adele,
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