Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave
(The 5th Wave #1)

Author: Rick Yancey

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: G.P. Putnuam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction

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Synopsis:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Thoughts: I read this one for my monthly book club.  Well, I listened to the whole thing on audiobook rather than physically read it but same difference to me.

At first, I wasn't sure how I would like this book.  I usually tend to stay away from Science Fiction novels and especially alien-type SciFi books - they just aren't my shtick.  I must say that The 5th Wave left me with a pleasant surprise.

I instantly liked Cassie.  She comes of as a paranoid hard-ass most times but I was like: "Yeah, I would be like that too, given the circumstances!"  The book shows her descent from a regular, high school teenager to one of the few survivors of the human race after the "Others" decide that the human race was something that was unnecessary to Earth (to say the least).

Personally though, as a mother, this book really hits you hard and in the heart and gut (the movie too - if you haven't seen it, you should!).  A sister who is willing to do anything to get to her little brother and save him from his fate, the "others" planned use for the human children and everything else in this book is just terrifying and terribly, terribly sad.

The author, Rick Yancey, certainly knows how to weave a tale.  This book was enough to have me paranoid of every character in the book (and I still am, a little bit).  The thought of an alien race making it so that humanity couldn't even trust another human really freaks me out.

All in all, this was a pretty amazing book (even if I hate aliens in general).  I definitely enjoyed the whole story and it had me on the edge of my seat.  I would most definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to sink my teeth into the sequels!

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky

Publication Date: February 1st, 1999

Publisher: MTV & Pocket Books

Genre: Contemporary/YA

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Synopsis:

Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

My Thoughts:   I never heard of this book really until  I heard about the movie. Which I feel kind of bad for, but I did the right thing and I read the book before I watched the movie, so I don't feel as bad about it anymore. It also happens to be on a list of top 100 YA books I am attempting to tackle, so it was a good excuse as any to crack it open.

I really haven't read many contemporary books. I've definitely read more just this year though than I ever have. That being said, my total amount read is still pretty low. I never had much of a taste for them before. I always wanted  fantasy, paranormal or sci-fi. But I am beginning to really like them. The few I have read this year I have extremely enjoyed. Including this one.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was definitely written with the teenagers in mind. I'm sure it was aimed at them specifically, but I also think that it makes for a good read for any age really. It's a story about finding yourself and also a story about losing yourself. It's dual messages don't stop there either because I found it to carry good messages for not letting other people take you down, but also, not letting you take yourself down either. It showed us that message that is so popular lately, it gets better. And again it's teaching us two things at once because it's brutally honest as it shows us that things usually get worse before they get better.

Charlie has a lot going on in that mind of his. He has experienced so much emotionally and he doesn't have the ability to talk about it. Charlie doesn't talk much at all period. He's an observer and he is really good at taking things in. But in is where they stay and that doesn't work out so well for him.  It of course doesn't help that he doesn't really have any friends. Not since his closest one committed suicide unexpectedly. Until one day he comes upon Sam & Patrick and his life takes on a brand new light. He finds people who can actually accept him for who he is, people who make him feel normal, and even loved.

The method in which the story was written was so unique and  made the it all that much more interesting. I think it takes some pretty good ability to be able to tell the story in such a fashion. We are the readers of letters that Charlie is writing anonymously. As a means to alleviate the endless thoughts he has in his mind, a way to talk about his feelings on daily events without feeling judged. It's such a different idea and Chbosky pulls it off so well.

For once my favorite character wasn't actually the main character.  My favorite character was definitely Patrick. I fell in love with him right away, and at times I even sympathised more for him than I did for Charlie.  I could easily read a story written about him and his own experiences. I almost wish I could read the whole book again, but from his point of view. Not that I didn't enjoy Charlie's character as well, but I definitely had a major soft spot for Patrick.

This book is an oldie, but if you're like me and you still haven't read it. Than I really think you should :) Especially those of you out there who are also just beginning to discover yourself and find your place in the world. It's not easy task, but a book always makes for a great companion!

Review: Sam Cruz's Infalliable Guide to Getting Girls by Tellulah Darling

Sam Cruz's Infalliable Guide to Getting Girls

Author: Tellulah Darling

Publication Date: October 17th, 2012

Publisher: Te Da Media

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

Why the hell can’t chicks be more like guys?

That question plagues high school senior Sam Cruz. Sam is perfectly happy being a player. He just wishes girls wouldn’t change the game from sex to relationships. It makes him look like an asshole. But when Sam’s best friend, Ally Klinger, gets dumped, she begs him to transform her into someone who can screw around then screw off. No risk of heartbreak that way. It’s Sam’s chance to create the perfect female AND cheer up his best friend. Armed with Sam’s Three Step Guide to Backseat Success, Ally gets the game better than Sam thought she would and before long, Sam has his wish: the female version of himself. Too bad it’s driving him nuts. Told from Sam’s and Ally's alternating POVs, Sam Cruz’s Infallible Guide to Getting Girls is a fast-paced romantic comedy that follows these teens as they navigate the minefield of sex, love, and friendship.

My Thoughts:  Ok, just going to start off by saying this is NOT a book for the younger teens. There is a lot of sex going on in this one. That being said, I really enjoyed it! It was a bit easy to predict how the book would end though. Although, it didn't quite go how I was thinking it was going to go in middle of the story, it was better! This was one of those books that was hard for me to put down and I just dragged my Kobo around all day as I tried to get things done.

There are two PoV's in this book. The first being Sam Cruz, of course. Sometimes he is a bit crude and a pig, but that's his character. He's not looking for relationships, he just wants to have his way with the girls and leave them there. Ally, his best friend is the other PoV. Ally is the only girl that Sam won't even think about in that way. She is dumped (on her birthday, WTF! Jeremy is a JERK!!) and wants to become more like Sam to avoid the hurt in the future. He agrees and takes her for a makeover and helps her learn to be a seductress rather than the geek she is. Both characters are hilarious, making me laugh out loud with their banter. They know everything about each other and have been friends since they were babies. Sam might have bit off more than he can chew by doing such a great job changing Ally, she's like a sister to him and he shouldn't be having these unpure thoughts about her!! I really liked both characters (even if Sam is a player) and enjoyed seeing the struggle with the new sexual tension between them. Ally is almost Sam's only friend, he doesn't want to mess that up.

Overall, this book is a quick, fun read that will keep you laughing. Tellulah Darling definitely knows how to write some great entertainment. There are many sexual innuendos, sexual encounters and some drama. It's hard to put down and has a cute story, if predictable. There are a lot of little surprises and it's just great overall. This is definitely a book that I will be recommending (just not to younger teens!). I hope to read more from Tellulah Darling in the future!

Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners
(The Diviners #1)

Author: Libba Bray

Publication Date: September 18th 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Historical Fiction / Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies." When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

My Thoughts: This was my first Libba Bray book and I have to just say, it was great! There were a lot of characters in the book, but once I figured out who was who, it easy to follow along. This book is based in the 1920's and was actually my first historical fiction taking place in this era. I really enjoyed it. I felt like my mind was in the 1920's the whole time that I was reading. Libba Bray does and excellent job setting the background and tone of the book. While I really liked this book, I wasn't attached to it to the point  that I was unable to put it down, it actually took me a week of picking it up multiple times to finish it (although I did have a very busy week, so that could be it too!). It was fairly easy to pick up on where I was left off and get back into the mindset of the era.

As I said, there are multiple characters in The Diviners. My favorites would have to be Evie (of course), Theta, Sam and Jericho. Evie was a character that I liked right away. I loved her snark and attitude and she just made me laugh from the beginning. Then she grows as a character and really starts becoming more responsible and thinks more of others. Theta is impossible not to love, especially after you find out her story. I felt so bad for her, but through it all she is a strong, independent female character. Sam is the good "bad" boy of  the book, how can I not love him? Jericho is a complicated  character and it took awhile for me to like him. He's another character who has been through a lot and knows that he could lose everything at any time. He's a great guy and clearly loves Evie! There are also many other characters, but it's really not that confusing once you meet them all!

Overall, The Diviners is a great story that just pulls you into the era. It's a bit disturbing in some parts (the murders are a little gross) but Libba Bray brings the 1920's to life for you. There is just the right amount of mystery and the romance isn't right in your face (it's barely there even). There is a paranormal aspect, but it's not overdone like it sometimes can be. It was a refreshing read for me that left me wanting more. Although it's a little slow to start out, it's necessary to know the characters individual stories. It's a great read that I will definitely be recommending to others!  If you like historical fiction with a touch of paranormal and mystery, this one is for you!

Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: July 12th, 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: YA/Romance/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

then. When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives. now. That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be kill in one final, spectacular hunt. forever. Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

My Thoughts: So here is the third and final installment in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. You can read my review on Shiver here, and Linger here.

If you've read my other reviews, it's no secret that I'm intensely in love with this story. With each installment this love has only grown. This series will rank high in my top favorites for a long time, I can't even put into words the connection I feel with the characters in these books. Maggie Stiefvater has written this, in my opinion, masterpiece that if you are a fan of YA or paranormal  at all, you have to read! No question, you just got to read these books. The relationship she has created between Sam and Grace is unrivaled. I can't even think of a love story I love more than this one. I can't even think of a love that seems more like true, real, passionate, and unbridled. I felt my heart break over and over, but it also kept getting put back together with the amazingly detailed affection, that was so gentle yet so intense that takes place between Sam and Grace.

Their relationship has just been one big war, the world just seems to not want them to have their complete happiness that they so deserve. I'm sitting here, reading this book, and I just want to enter it and beat some of the characters up side the head for being so unbelievably dense!  I wanted to just enter this world and do everything I could to help them. Sam is  trying to adjust to being human again, which is no easy task, and he can barely even decide if he's happy or if he misses galloping through the woods in his wolf form surrounded by his pack.  And now Grace and Sam's situation has totally switched! Grace is thrown into this world, which she always felt like she was supposed to be a part of anyway, but what she really wants is for Sam to be there with  her, like he was when she imagined it.

The theme of constantly saying goodbye shows up in this book a lot, but Steifvater really hit the nail on the head with that one. It does feel like we're just always saying good bye, it's gut wrenching and heart breaking. My insides were just aching and twisting with all the raw emotion that was spilling off these pages. I tried to read this book a little slower, cause I was just not ready for it to be over. I wasn't ready to say good bye. Just like Sam and Grace always feel the goodbye is impending, I felt the same way about this book as they felt about each other. I wasn't ready for it to end, and now that it's over, I am still not ready. I read the last page over and over, because it was all that was left and I didn't want to close the book and admit that there would be no more Mercy Falls. I read the Author's note at the end, and in the last sentence when she said "So this is good-bye to Mercy Falls" my heart just broke. I probably sound so corny right now. But I'm serious. I just fell completely in love with this world and all the people in it. Maggie Stiefvater just did such an amazing job, I can't even come close to giving it the credit it deserves.

The random poetry and song lyrics placed strategically in this book, really drives that emotional hammer even  deeper. Sometimes, an event would be taking place, and Sam would associate it with this line of poetry and it would just hit you, like woah. The poetry would open this doorway and let everything that just transpired stroll right into your heart.  There was this one moment, where I was stunned by how beautiful and meaningful and how perfectly the poem  fit with what was happening that I had to stop and just consider it and appreciate how wonderful it was. I want to share it with you without going to much  into detail of what was happening. The thought that was hanging in the air was of the wolves who lose their human self to wolf form after so long, with no memory of who they were before, and then this poem was added.

"Empty houses don't need windows

'cause  no one is looking in.

Why would a house need windows, anyway

If no one's looking out again."

I thought this was just beautiful, so perfectly placed and perfectly suiting. I know I haven't even said anything about what happens in this book yet. But I just don't want to give anything away. The main idea though is that, the end is coming for the pack, and they have to try to save everyone, but that would be pretty much impossible. My stomach was in knots almost throughout the entire book, even now, I finished it about 10 minutes ago, it's still in knots. The ending is, difficult, I was a disappointed. Mostly because, after everything that happened, I just wanted to know that Grace and Sam would get the happiness and life they fought so incredibly hard for. But we don't get to know that, which makes saying good-bye even harder. I guess we get to decide for ourselves, I know what my decision is.

Anyway, I've been blabbering forever about these books. But seriously, go read them, do it for me and for yourself :). I, in even sense of the word, love these books and I am positive this won't be the last time I read them. I'm sure I'll find myself wandering around in Mercy Falls a few more times yet. I look forward to reading more work by Maggie Stiefvater and I wish I had of found her, and these amazing books sooner. I could go on forever about these books, but for now I will stop.  If you read this far, thank you! Good-bye for now, Sam & Grace.

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: July 13th, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: YA/Romance/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

SYNOPSIS HERE!!In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

My Thoughts: If you've read my review on Shiver, you already know I'm going to tell you how much I love this book. Shiver was incredibly wonderful, and Linger was even better! In Shiver the narrating was switching between Grace and Sam, which was so wonderful, to see events from two different minds! In Linger we get to add to more views and insights. We get a deeper peek into the mind and life of Isabelle, and a brand new character Cole. I absolutely love reading the story from all their perspectives, and getting to see inside every character's head, the characters easily become real people, and they slip right into your heart and yank at it!

Now, I really can't go into to much here without giving away anything, so this may be a short and sweet review. In Linger Grace and Sam think the finally have what they wanted, but life is constantly throwing obstacles in their way. Grace's parents find out just how serious their relationship is and they decide now is the time to start being parents. This results in strict rules, and even stopping her from seeing Sam. This literally broke my heart. Her parents going on and on about how she is only 17 and she doesn't know what love is blah blah blah, she'll survive. I hate that. I really really hate when people decide for you how capable you are of being in love. No one knows how you feel but you! Besides, it kinda hits a soft spot for me I was 16 when I started dating my now Husband. He even proposed to me, and we moved in together. Ya, I was still in high school, but when it's the one, you really just know. and Here we are now, married, with 3 kids, and even more in love than we were back then! I'm not saying everyone in love at a young age is in real love, but I'm saying it does happen! Me and Jenn both met our now Husbands in high school.

Anyway, enough of that rant =P. Aside from that, Sam now has to assume the role as leader of the pack. As Beck's adopted son,  it's his place to start taking care of everyone now, and with a bunch of new wolves, that won't be so easy. Especially with one new wolf in particular, his name is Cole. Cole comes in with a whole lot of baggage and a very troubled past. All he wants is to just be a wolf full time and escape his life. That is until he meets Isabelle, she finds a way to get inside him like no one ever has, and just maybe, he can try to become the good person, that deep down inside, he really wants to be. It doesn't help though that he's carrying a secret that if discovered could expose the entire pack for what they are. Grace is also carrying her own little secret. Something is wrong with her, and getting worse all the time. She is trying to keep it secret because when her and Sam do get to see each other, she doesn't want to ruin their limited time together with her scared thoughts.  But things just keep propelling downward, and she may not be able to keep it secret for much longer. Will Sam find out what's going on before the worst imaginable happens? If he does find out, will he be able to help her?

This book is so jam packed with emotional story line. My emotions were all over the radar! I could not put this book down! when reading the last 30% my husband was trying to talk to me, and I told him whatever he had to say was going to have to wait because there was no way I could stop now! So I stayed buried in my book until the end. Then I closed it, hugged it, and I cried. I sat there and cried, and then my husband teased   me so I had to stop crying =P.

This is a love story you won't soon forget. These are books you are going to want to have on your shelf. They have easily made it into my top favorites. You'll want to own them not only because they are amazing, but they are so beautiful to! amazingly designed covers, and the font inside matches the color of the book! I got so excited when I opened Linger and found green font, how cool is that? I  might be easily entertained, but I thought that was just awesome!

Without a doubt, I recommend this book, go read it. right now! Add it to your TBR so you don't forget! If it's already on there, make it your next read, you won't regret it, you may even thank me :). This series is going to have a special place in my heart, that's for sure.

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: August 1st, 2009

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: YA/Romance/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance.

My Thoughts:  I love love love loved this book! There is this thing I do, that pretty much tells you on a scale what I thought of the book, I don't even do it consciously, but at the same time, I am aware that I do it. If I finish a book and just plop it down beside me, I didn't care for it much at all, or am even relieved to be done with it. If I hold it and look at it for a little while, I liked it - it was a good story. I always sit and think about a good book for a few minutes after I finish it. But here's what I did in this case, and this is what I do when I really, really love a book: I close it, and I hug it! Seriously, don't laugh, when I love a book, I hug it when it's done, like I am trying to absorb the awesomeness of the story into me, or bring myself even close to the characters I fell in love with. So here I was at 2am laying in my bed, clutching this book to my chest and re-imagining all my favorite parts of the book. This can last for a little while. Then I had to convince myself to go to sleep rather than go upstairs and grab the second book, Linger, off my shelf. If I didn't have three little munchkins that love to wake up early I assure you I would have proceeded to the next book without hesitation!

So as you know from reading the summary, it's a love story between a girl and a werewolf.  I really enjoyed the werewolves in this story. They are essentially the same as we commonly read of them, with their own few unique additions that make them stand out to you, along with the rest of the story.  These wolves only turn when it's cold, so they are only wolves in the winter time, and human the rest of the year. They only get so many years of changing back and forth before they stay wolves permanently. They are also unaffected by all that stuff from lore, like silver bullets and such, and they have rapid regeneration. And of course you are turned by being bitten.

The two characters in love are Sam and Grace, and I love both of them! Typically for me, in love stories, I tend to love either the male or female role more. But in this case, I loved them both in large equal amounts. Grace is  amazing, independent, strong, determined, and very compassionate about those she loves, mostly the wolves and namely, Sam. Sam shares these same qualities as Grace, but they are also almost opposites. Sam is artistic, creative, musical, all those things that go hand in hand, whereas Grace is very logical, straight-forward, put order into things type of person. Together they create this amazing pair that you  can't help but feel attached to. They have a connection that is so incredibly sweet you will get a toothache haha. Some of the times, I feel this can be overdone, and almost ruins the effect of how connected these people are supposed to be. In this case however, I felt it was done perfectly, with little touches here and there, wonderfully detailed, and  pieced together perfectly. Their love is really wonderful. They both have parental issues. Sam's is very much more intense than Graces, but they share this nonetheless and I think it plays a part in their bond. Grace's parents are just pretty much non-existent. They run around and do their own thing like they don't even have a child, which pretty much leaves Grace to raise and fend for herself. But it also leaves room for Grace and Sam to not be hindered by parental supervision ;). Then there's Sam's parents, when they discovered him shifting as a young boy, after being bit, they reacted in the most horrible way possible. They tried to kill him....You will have to read the story yourself for the details on that!

Of course, their relationship can't be easy! This is a YA paranormal romance after all, we all know it can't just be happiness all the time! So Sam's a werewolf, and he's pretty sure that this will be his last year and when he changes this winter, he will remain in that form forever. So the story is mostly about Grace and Sam and their struggle to spend as much time as possible together, to try and fight him becoming a wolf for as long as possible. They obviously have some real rough patches in trying to fight the inevitable and I found myself in tears three times while reading this.

But that is not all that happens in this story! A teenager is turned to a werewolf and doesn't handle the situation so well, and the entire pack is at risk of being exposed. Sam feels it's his duty to protect his pack, but how will he do so when he is trying to fight becoming his wolf self?  Sam also discovers the man who essentially raised him after he became a werewolf, may not be the amazing person he always thought he was. Grace's friends who are aware of her obsession with the wolves, begin to distance themselves when her obsession becomes even deeper than usual. And a female werewolf in the pack, who had already assumed Sam was going to be her mate, decides to put up a fight.

I absolutely recommend this book! If you are a fan at all of paranormal, YA, romance, get your hands on this book! I am so glad that I got the entire set at once so I don't have to wait to continue on. If you couldn't already tell, this book is being added to my favorites!
Also, I forgot to mention, I am in love with the cover of this book, as well as each one in the series, it's what drew me to them at first. Beautiful covers!!!