Not To Be Trusted In a Bookstore With a Credit Card

Summary:

For Lucian “Lucky” Spark, Recruitment Day means the Establishment, a totalitarian government, will force him to become one of five Recruits competing to join the ruthless Imposer task force. Each Recruit participates in increasingly difficult and violent military training for a chance to advance to the next level. Those who fail must choose an “Incentive”—a family member—to be brutally killed. If Lucky fails, he’ll have to choose death for his only living relative: Cole, his four-year-old brother.

Lucky will do everything he can to keep his brother alive, even if it means sacrificing the lives of other Recruits’ loved ones. What Lucky isn’t prepared for is his undeniable attraction to the handsome, rebellious Digory Tycho. While Lucky and Digory train together, their relationship grows. But daring to care for another Recruit in a world where love is used as the ultimate weapon is extremely dangerous. As Lucky soon learns, the consequences can be deadly...

4/5 Stars

This book was really good but also really frustrating. The setting was fairly well developed, in the beginning of the book you get a good idea of how bad the conditions are in the world. The explanation of the government is a little rushed but you get the main idea of how things work, although it's not very well explained about why things are the way they are.

The characters were interesting and their stories were explained, even if a little rushed at times. Some of the side characters could have been fleshed out more but the two main characters were explained nicely. Only one or two characters had what could be considered character development but they all added something interesting to the story.

Some of the descriptions of violent acts in the book were a little graphic but there's nothing wrong with that. The romance was amazing. It's probably the one thing that I adored about this book. The main character is in love with a boy and the fact that they're the same gender is not even an issue. In fact same sex marriage is mentioned as if it is perfectly acceptable in the society they live in. I loved how much of a non-issue it was.

By the time the book was over I wanted to stab someone (the author) for making me cry but I will still go on to read the next book in the series. Hopefully it will make things better.  

Summary:

Summary:

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.
 
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
 
Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.
 
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
 
Everything is going to change.
 
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.
 
Remember. Survive. Run.

5/5 stars

So I only decided to read this book because I found out Dylan O'Brien was going to be portraying the main character in the movie. I am really glad that I decided to read it and not just waited go see the movie when it comes out. I didn't know to much about what it was about when I started reading it and I'm glad that I managed to avoid major spoilers or the experience would have been ruined for me.

The most frustrating thing about the book is probably that pretty much all the characters are teenage boys. They could be very arrogant. But after a while I just got used to it. It's frustrating that we don't find out too much about the situation the boys are in until closer to the end but that's also kind of necessary for the story. So I guess it helps you relate to the characters frustrations a bit. 

Now I haven't read the other books in the series yet, so this might come back and bite me in the ass but there was one major hope I had while I was reading. I just really don't want Teresa and Thomas to be romantically involved. I loved that there was a female character added but it also frustrated me because I was hoping to read a book series with little to no romance in it. I guess I'll have to wait and see for that one.

The only other issue I had was that the one character I didn't want to die ended up dying. I actually cried, I was so upset by it. 

Other than that I loved the ending. It really left you hanging and I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens. The whole concept was very interesting and even though there are a lot of young adult dystopian book series coming out of the woodwork I didn't feel like it was boring to read. It had some twist and turns that I felt made it worthwhile to take the time out of your day and read it.

Summary:

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, Will Grayson crosses paths with . . . Will Grayson. Two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, and culminating in epic turns-of-heart and the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high school stage. Told in alternating voices from two YA superstars, this collaborative novel features a double helping of the heart and humor that have won them both legions of fans.

5/5 stars

This was a really great read, it was incredibly heartfelt and despite some crazy situations it was still very down to earth. One things this book had going for it was the way it was written in alternating voices. The authors, Green and Levithan, each took turns writing from the point of view of their respective Will Graysons. And they wrote the characters in completely different ways, the way the chapters are written corresponds with and illuminates the differences between the two Will's.

The characters themselves were amazingly easy to understand. Even though I could actually relate to any of the situations they were in I still felt like the feelings were conveyed really well. The depression one of the Will's suffers was explained very realistically in the book and was handled in a way I haven't seen in many books before. He isn't discovering his depression, he's just at the point where he's living with it and it isn't romanticized. The other Will is going through problems with his love life (with Jane) and his friendship (with Tiny). I connected really well with the problems he was facing with Tiny and I felt it was solved in a wonderfully touching way.    

Overall I read this book in only a few hours, so it was a pretty quick read for me. I just didn't want to put it down. It was incredibly funny to the point where i actually was laughing out loud and by the end I had cried at least once. I would recommend this to most readers as a great book about love and friendship.   

Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

5/5 Stars

I loved this book so much. I read it in one sitting, took me four hours. I am most definitely going to be buying the second book in the series soon. I adored how they remade the story of Cinderella to fit into a plotline that was revolving on disease and war. While the book did have some elements that seemed to come directly from the fairy tale, it wasn't an exact retelling. 

I loved the way she wrote the characters, especially Cinder. She was written as a strong protagonist who ends up needing to help the prince instead of the other way around. Plus any version of Cinderella where she is a cyborg mechanic seems pretty kick ass to me.

I enjoyed the world the author created, in a way reminiscent of Firefly in that it combined the Eastern and Western cultures. And the addition of androids and people living on the moon fit very well in the new world and made for a great story.    

Overall I thought it was an great book and very well written. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone. 

Summary:

Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . .

After. Nothing is ever the same.

3/5 stars

Out of the books John Green has written I have only read this and The Fault In Our Stars. Out of the two this one was not my favorite. The main reason I probably didn't adore this book was because I didn't really connect to any of the characters. The main male is a teenage boy who I thought was a bit annoying. He had his moments but overall I wasn't a huge fan. I found him a bit too whiny too times to truly be able to like the character. The main female was much of the same. She was all over the place and again I didn't connect to her in any way. And the main male put her on such a high pedestal that at times I wanted to throttle him.

(spoiler)

One thing he did nicely was how he wrote the characters dealing with death. Especially teenage characters. Miles didn't know Alaska for a long time but when she was gone he acted as if his life ended and they had something special and he was the only one allowed to be upset. That was a very immature way of looking at things but stays true to how some teenagers would have handled it. I liked that they even addressed that viewpoint in the book and said how childish and wrong it was.

But overall I thought the book was a little on the boring side. They do a lot but not much happened. It was a nice enough read once but it's not a book I'm going to keep coming back to over and over again. 

Summary:

Locked in a coffin-like darkness, there is nothing to distract me from my memories of killing Reyad. He deserved to die—but according to the law, so do I. Here in Ixia, the punishment for murder is death. And now I wait for the hangman's noose.

But the same law that condemns me may also save me. Ixia's food taster—chosen to ensure that the Commander's food is not poisoned—has died. And by law, the next prisoner who is scheduled to be executed—me—must be offered the position.

3.5/5 stars

This book wasn't what I expected. When I originally found out about it I was under the impression that it was a romance novel. After reading it I would not place it in that category. While there is a "love interest" nothing really happens until the last couple chapters. So initially I was disappointed that I hadn't got what I was looking for but after getting over that I realized that it was actually a pretty good book. Especially since I tend to enjoy books that have magical elements in it.

The main character, Yelena, isn't very whiny or generally annoying and the plot was actually quite interesting. Like most books it took me a few chapters to really get captivated but it was good enough that I stayed up all night until I finished it. 

This is the first book in a series.

Triggers in book for sexual assault 

Summary:

 In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

5/5 stars

This book is amazing. I think everything about it is amazing, it's definitely one of my favorites.

The story follows Melinda who is entering her first year of High School. The book follows her through the entire first year as she narrates what happens to her. I felt that the way the book was written was really great in how it allowed us into her mind so easily. Although Melinda doesn't speak very often she still manages to tell us a lot in her silences. Slowly through the book we learn about what happened to her that caused her to become friendless and so quiet.

(spoiler)

The author tells the story of a girl who has survived being raped very well. It is a very delicate topic to write about and she managed to tell the story in a believable way.There are some parts of the book that could be hard to read as Melinda has flashbacks to the event. The descriptions given are vague but powerful. The antagonist, Andy, and the encounters that she has with him are incredibly well written. To the point where I could almost feel Melinda's anxiety myself. You spend pretty much the entire book rooting for this girl. And when she starts to feel more empowered it makes you feel amazing and like you want to give her a hug.

Summary:

Dante Walker is flippin' awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of Hell's best--a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp.Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that's a permanent ticket out of Hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he's come to collect--he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

2.5/5 stars

This book had such great promise. When I read the summary I was so excited and when I actually started reading the book I got even happier. By the end of the book I lost those feelings.

There wasn't anything really special about Dante. He's the typical bad boy character who also has the advantage of working for Hell. He's the guy all the girls want and he knows it. That's why I was excited when we first met Charlie. In most books the bad boy falls for the pretty "girl-next-door" and Charlie didn't seem like that kind of character to me. She's described as a good girl with few friends and who is an all around good person. But mainly she's not pretty. That was kind of shocking for me, that there was a main character in a romance novel who's a great person and who the bad boy falls for but who is also not conventionally pretty in any way. But she still liked herself.

I enjoyed that. I will admit that at times the naivety of Charlie's character bugged me a bit but that's not why things went down hill.

Things went wrong when they started changing Charlie.

(spoiler)

The way Dante was supposed to collect Charlies soul was to get her to sell it to him in exchange for wishes. At first she's reluctant but in the end she signs it over to him anyway. Dante convinced her to start wishing for things like better hair, and better skin. And once she starts she can't stop. By the end of the book she's described as a model. This perfect type of girl who has perfect everything. It would have been nicer if she could have stayed the way she was in the beginning. By the end of the book there's not much left that's special about it.

Other than changing Charlie's appearance the last thing that bugged me was the ending. The author introduces way too many characters in the last couple of chapters and doesn't wrap everything up very well. I know that it was done to first introduce characters that will be in the next book but it just came off as very rushed.

This is the first book in a series. 

Summary:

In this screwball romantic comedy, Haruhi, a poor girl at a rich kids’ school, is forced to repay an $80,000 debt by working for the school’s swankiest, all-male club—as a boy! There she discovers just how wealthy the six members are and how different the rich are from everybody else…

5/5 stars

So far this series has been one of the few manga series I have been able to fully finish. I managed to stay interested throughout the whole series. probably because it was just so damn cute and funny. When it comes to my manga I like it lighthearted and filled with cute boys. This series delivered on both.

Like I have found with most mangas the main character, Haruhi, has moments where I want to strangle her. But you know, in a fond way. The boys in the series are outlandish and you would never meet anyone like them in real life. That's okay though because they're adorable.

The story arcs are heart warming, make you laugh and sometimes make you want to roll your eyes.

This is one series that I made a point out of having all the books on my bookshelf so that I could have them all whenever I wanted.

I'm going to cut straight to the point and tell you all that this is my current favorite book. Now I like a lot of books but this one tops them all.

5/5 stars

Summary:

The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, a parent may choose to retroactively get rid of a child through a process called "unwinding." Unwinding ensures that the child's life doesn’t “technically” end by transplanting all the organs in the child's body to various recipients. Now a common and accepted practice in society, troublesome or unwanted teens are able to easily be unwound.

It's a dystopian novel set in America several years after a civil war changed the laws on reproductive rights. It mainly follows the lives of the three main characters Connor, Risa, and Lev.   

The characters are well written and it's easy to connect with them throughout the book. I really enjoyed how the point of view switches between characters for each chapter. The author even gives us some chapters from the point of view of side characters so we get to see their side of the story as well. He does it in a way that makes sense though and it doesn't come off as unorganized or confusing.

I think this book brings up a good argument about what it really means to be alive and how society can change its views on what's morally correct. And I have fun thinking about that every time I re-read it.

Now that's all I'm gonna say because I don't want to give away too much about what happens.

This book is the first in a series.