Review Wednesday: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver
1st Date of Publication:  March 2, 2010

ISBN: 9780061726804
# of Pages: 490

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Age Rating: 15+ (Language, Mild Violence, Mild Sexual Content)

Buy on Amazon 

Book Description:
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Point of View: 1st person- Samantha "Sam" Kingston

Goodreads Rating: 3.92

My Rating: 4.10

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The girl's eyes are very piercing and pensive. Why is the girl laying down on the grass? Why does she look worried? What is she contemplating?
View on Title: Questions went through my head. What fall is she talking about? And what does she have to do before she can fall? Why does she fall?

Pros:

• I loved this book because it's unique. When I read this, I immediately thought of Groundhogs' Day and Mean Girls. I love how a girl who has it all but loses it and must figure out what she has done wrong in the past and immediately that day.
• How would you feel if you had to relive the same day but die because of your past? This book truly shows that the little decisions you make in life change how things become in the future.
• I love how quickly Sam's character grows as she learns from her own mistakes and that the reason why she has not moved on from her death because she is part of something more.

Cons:

• The only real issue I had with the book was that it felt really long. That could be because the of the way the chapters were set up. I thought that the chapters should have been split up into parts where it said something like "Day 1" with chapters that follow under that day to help people go at their own pace rather than scrambling by just trying to find where they left off in the book.

Critics' Reviews:
“Oliver’s debut novel is raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful....readers will love Samantha best as she hurtles toward an end as brave as it is heartbreaking.” -Publishers Weekly
“Samantha’s attempts to save her life and right the wrongs she has caused are precisely what will draw readers into this complex story and keep them turning pages until Sam succeeds in living her last day the right way.” -VOYA
“Oliver, in a pitch-perfect teen voice, explores the power we have to affect the people around us in this intensely believable first novel...This is a compelling book with a powerful message and should not be missed.” -ALA Booklist

Lauren Oliver's Website:
http://laurenoliverbooks.com/

Other Recommendations:

Saving June by Hannah Harrington
Shine by Lauren Myracle

Review Wednesday: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

*DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ RED QUEEN. THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILER. If you want to read this series, read my review about Red Queen by clicking on the link: Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Glass Sword (Red Queen #2)

Author: Victoria Aveyard
1st Date of Publication: February 9, 2016

ISBN: 9780062310668
# of Pages: 444

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 13 (Death, Bullying)

Buy on Amazon 

Book Description:
If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Point of View: 1st person- Mare Barrow

Goodreads Rating: 4.01

My Rating: 3.90

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: I think that the crown looks really cool with it made of glass and blood running down. It makes me wonder why there is blood dripping.
View on Title: Since Mare is the Red Queen, it made me wonder if she is also the Glass Sword.

Pros:

• There is a lot more action in this book compared to Red Queen. It made the read a lot faster and easier to read.
• A bigger glimpse of the Scarlet Guard and the world around the reds and silvers makes the book series more interesting. While Red Queen shows a town filled with reds and a town of silvers, but you see many villages of reds and the silvers that live among those.
• Mare's relationship with her not-so-dead brother, Shade, is shown and how much she truly loves him. A lot of her identity is based on her relationship with him.
• Cal's character is interesting as he deals with a world full of reds who absolutely hate him because of his brother, step mother, and father's oppression but also somewhat respect him for killing his father, the king.

Cons:

• The way Mare reacts to everything really bothered me, but they were typical reactions to those kinds of situations.
• I was hoping for more character development. I felt that the characters seemed flat from the beginning of the novel to the end. Sure, they go through some pain and suffering but their responses are the same and do not seem to grow very much. They just get angrier.

Critics' Reviews:
“Aveyard certainly has a flair for the dramatic… The action hits the ground running and doesn’t stop until after the last page is turned.” -School Library Journal
“High-stakes excitement and sharp plot twists… make this a fast-paced, exciting read and a thrilling sequel.” -Booklist
“Fast-paced and action packed, Glass Sword is compelling and strong, guaranteed to gratify anxious readers of the series and fans of dystopian and fantasy literature.” -VOYA

Victoria Aveyard's Website:
http://victoriaaveyard.com/

Other Recommendations:

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Review Wednesday: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Title: The Sea of Tranquility

Author: Katja Millay
1st Date of Publication: September 5, 2012

ISBN: 9781476730943
# of Pages: 434

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Age Rating: 15+ (Language, Mild Violence, Mild Sexual Content)

Buy on Amazon

Book Description:
Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

Point of View: 1st person- Nastya Kashnikov, Josh Bennett

Goodreads Rating: 4.37

My Rating: 4.50

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The spilled ice cream bowl seemed very interesting to me. It made me wonder if it was about summer and why it was spilled over and melting in a little stream of ice cream.
View on Title: I know that there is a place named Sea of Tranquility where Apollo 11 landed on the moon. I also love the ocean and the idea of peace so I thought it would be a pretty good read.

Pros:

• I love how this book explores both the female and male protagonists. Both characters are obviously lonely and in pain from their pasts, but the way they notice each other screams that they both need each other to heal from their pain.
• Nastya is a very cryptic character and the complete opposite of Josh. She keeps to herself most of the time except when she's with Josh where she actually opens up little by little and talks. I love her obsession with names since I like to know what people's names mean to see if it fits that person. In my opinion, I think her name obsession is a replacement for her skill in music, which she lost from her past.
• Josh is a very sensitive character but he has no secrets to hide. He is obviously afraid to allow himself to get close enough to someone so he makes himself isolated from everyone else. His obsession for carpentry is interesting and adds a lot to the story.
• Their romance together is not your typical love story. Even though they obviously are very interested in each other, they don't invest in it until a long while after the book has already started. You see the friendship and the partnership first before the real emotions and physical affection is seen.

Cons:

• There is not much I did not like about this book. It is one of my favorites and it's fairly unique to many of the books I have read. I think the part that I liked the least was Nastya's attitude and reaction to some things that she pushed herself away from. I felt that it was a little unnecessary, but I guess it has a purpose.

Critics' Reviews:
"Alternating first-person narratives allow Millay to delve into the minds of both of her main characters, and she keeps readers on the edge of their seats...Populated with perfectly realized teen characters–not a stereotype in sight–this is the ideal crossover novel." -School Library Journal
“The Sea of Tranquility reminded me that books aren't just entertaining; they're more than that. This was more than that. It caused me to feel, invaded my thoughts, my heart...it became a part of me.” -Tough Critic

Katja Millay's Website:
https://www.goodreads.com/KatjaMillay

Other Recommendations:

Easy by Tammara Webber
First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky

Review Wednesday: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen (Red Queen #1)

Author: Victoria Aveyard
1st Date of Publication: February 10, 2015

ISBN: 9780062310637
# of Pages: 383

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 13 (Death, Bullying)

Buy on Amazon

Book Description:
This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

Point of View: 1st person- Mare Barrow

Goodreads Rating: 4.11

My Rating: 4.00

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: I thought the cover was pretty interesting. The background color is almost bland, but it makes the crown so stark and sharp. I was wondering why the crown looks upside down and why it's covered in blood.
View on Title: The title made me think that maybe this "Red Queen" is vindictive and causes many of her citizens to die.

Pros:

• I really enjoy Mare's character. She wants to provide for her family and not become a number of the lowly citizens sent to war. She has a deep sense of purpose and justice.
• The distinction between the citizens that are higher and lower is interesting because of their blood. Mare is a lower citizen because she has red-colored blood which makes her inferior. The silver-colored blood citizens are superior because they come from nobility and have super-human powers. The silver bloods aren't nice to red bloods and oppress them.
• I love how this book is like a rags to riches books even though Mare didn't really do anything to gain status. She was just at the right place at the right time. She becomes an inspiration for every other Red.
• The Scarlet Guard was an interesting and necessary part of the story. This group is full of red bloods who seek justice for the way the silver bloods treat those who are red.

Cons:

• There is a love triangle in here and almost a love square (I think you can call it that) and I wasn't a fan of that. I feel bad for Mare since she really has no choices and is forced to comply to the king.
• This book is really hard to get into, at least for me. It seemed very slow and that may have been purposefully done because it could be done to set up the storyline in the following books in the series.
• I also wish there was a little more character development which I think would add more depth to the book and make it a slightly easier read.

Critics' Reviews:
“A sizzling, imaginative thriller, where romance and revolution collide, where power and justice duel. It’s exhilarating. Compelling. Action-packed. Unputdownable.” -USA Today
“Fascinating world building... Readers will be intrigued by a world that reflects today’s troubling issues concerning ethnic inequality, unfair distribution of wealth, pollution, warfare, political corruption, and the frightening power of the media.” -VOYA

Victoria Aveyard's Website:
http://victoriaaveyard.com/

Other Recommendations:

The Jewel by Amy Ewing
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Author Spotlight: Victoria Aveyard

Birthday: July 27, 1990 (25)
From: East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Currently Living: East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles, California
Education:  BFA in Screenwriting at University of Southern California

Books:
Red Queen (Buy on Amazon)
Glass Sword (Buy on Amazon)
King's Cage (Buy on Amazon)
War Storm (May 18, 2018- Preorder on Amazon)

Other Interests:
Watching TV shows
Netflix
History

Where to Find Her Social Media:
Personal Website- http://victoriaaveyard.com/

Review Wednesday: Winter by Marissa Meyer

*DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ CINDER. THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILER. If you want to read this series, read my review about Cinder by clicking on the link: Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer


Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Author: Marissa Meyer
1st Date of Publication: November 10, 2015

ISBN: 9780312642983
# of Pages: 824

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 13 (Death, Violence)

Buy it on Amazon

Book Description:
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Point of View: 3rd person- Winter Hayle, Crescent "Cress" Moon Darnel, Scarlet Benoit, and Linh Cinder

Goodreads Rating: 4.51

My Rating: 4.85

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: This is my least favorite cover of the series, but it is as predictable (that's a good thing in this case) as all the other book covers. This one is obviously about Snow White's retelling. I like how the theme of the red is continued through this cover using an apple.
View on Title: I thought the title is very clever because Snow White is a wintery sort of name so it made the most sense to rename her character wWnter.

Pros:

• I have to say Cress is my favorite book of the series, but Winter is the best written one in the series.
• I thought making Winter into a crazy Lunar princess that everyone adores was a good way to show how imperfect she is yet is still loved. It shows how Cinder can be loved as their future ruler if she wins. Plus, she is a great addition to the not-so-perfect perfect team.
• Scarlet's character shows how strong and resilient she is as she is imprisoned as basically an animal in a cage, but manages to become a huge part in Cinder's success. Her compassion for Wolf continues to astound me too.
• Cress expands her comfort zone as she is beside Carswell Thorne and learns how to fight for what's right outside of a computer screen. She becomes less naïve and obviously learns some street smarts as she keeps her expectations of love.
• Cinder becomes even stronger in this book and almost resilient throughout the book even though there were several events that she could have quit and accept defeat.
• The male counterpart characters get even better as the story continues
• Emperor Kai's development grows immensely. You could tell that he knows where his part in putting Cinder on the Lunar throne as the rightful queen. Plus, his love for Cinder is completely adorable.
• Carswell Thorne has become my favorite male counterpart. He learns from Cress's compassion and unfailing love which makes him a better man. He continues to be very protective of Cress and encourages her to be brave and fight. Who doesn't love a man like that?
• Ze'ev Kelsey, or Wolf, development changes very little like Cress. He continues being close to a zombie until he reunites with Scarlet (we all knew they would meet again). I just feel really bad for him since he has found purpose in life which got stripped away from him.
• Jacin Clay is definitely my least favorite male counterpart. I understand that he loves Winter and that he will do anything to protect her, but his best chance was always Cinder and he seemed to constantly just go against what Cinder was doing which caused more problems.

Cons:

• This book is a little slower than the other ones when it comes to the action, but once the action starts it pretty much does not stop.
• For some reason, I did not like Winter's character at all in this series nor Jacin, but that could be because I'm not really a fan of Snow White and never have unlike all the other characters and their stories. I'm just glad she wasn't perfect like the fairy tale.
• And where are her 7 dwarfs? I felt cheated that her little companions weren't "whistling while they work."

Critics' Reviews:

“In this final book in the Lunar Chronicles, the stepdaughter of the wicked Queen Levana joins Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress to defeat the Queen and restore Cinder―aka Selene―as the rightful ruler of Luna. Yes, it's another one of Meyer's very fractured fairy tales, in which she offers a new amalgam of Grimm's fairy tales, science fiction, violence, women's lib, and romance. Our Snow White stand-in, Winter, is beautiful in spite of facial scars, kind to all she encounters, mentally fragile, and in love with her lowly guard, Jacin . . . Meyer's series has sold well and achieved a degree of acclaim. This conclusion's cinder-block size should only drum up further interest.” ―Booklist

Marissa Meyer's Website:
http://www.marissameyer.com/

Other Recommendations:

Entwined by Heather Dixon
Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay