by Taherah Mafi
Published: 10. 2. 12
Pages: 340

I don't even know where to be begin! After all the hype and the pressure to read this book, I have nothing to say that hasn't been said I really don't know where to begin. This book was good, but it was not perfect. It's not something that will stick with me for ages, but it is fresh and enjoyable, and I did indeed find myself enjoying it.

Let's start with something that becomes obvious from basically the first sentence. The writing style. I adored it. As a writer, seeing and comparing styles is big for me, when done right. And I found that Taherah had beautiful writing. Her style of strikethrough text was fascinating. It seemed to add layers to the story and Juliette that wouldn't be there on first glance. So I found Juliette to have a beautiful voice that was engaging.

But as a character? I'm not sure what to think of her. She's strong and has been dealt a heavy hand in life. And yet, sometimes I didn't know what to make of her. It seemed to me that she was a bundle of feelings that escape through the story. However as good and true as this all was, I wasn't as connected to HER as I was to her voice. Make sense? That's basically how I can describe it so we're gonna leave it there.

Of course like any good dystopian we gotta fall in love with the hot boy. I feel kinda lucky going into this prepared and knowing that Adam has center stage in Shatter Me and Warner is like the thing in Unravel Me. However I still know know what to make of either of them. Since Jessi you're probably dying to know, I liked Warner. I don't appreciate him as a love interest....yet. His character is fascinating. Of course he comes off as the villain. That's what we're supposed to see. But he's a strange villain in a way that makes me curious about the layers under the Warner we see. And dang, his very forward lovey-dovey interest in her. Where did that come from? So I can't say that I'm Team Warner yet.

As for the other side of the triangle, I can't say that I'm Team Adam either. Sorry Eileen. Honestly? I don't care for him that much.He's a boy toy. He comes in. Juliette is already in love with him, so is Adam. So once they get past the issues it's kiss-me-love-me-touch-me and I was just sitting here like okay then. Sure he's got a dark past don't they all but.....he's just Adam.*shrugs*

Kenji though, HA! Notorious sarcastic Kenji. The humorous bone in the book. Gotta love him. I heard all about him and as soon as he came on the scene, I totally jumped on his bandwagon. He's not a love interest, thank goodness, but he's classic, and added a spark of like to the story. Team Kenji all the way.

Now the plot? It's a Dystopian, what do you expect. As far as elements and twists go I felt like it followed the generic pattern of the genre for the most part. Although there are some things set-up that have me interested to see if anything comes of it in the next book.

So Shatter Me. The final analysis? I liked it. It was an enjoyable read. It had an engaging plot and a nice cast. But at the end of the day, some emotions lacked for me. However I'm very curious about this infamous Unravel Me, so I will be getting my hands on that one, at some point. Probably next year when Ignite Me is all the rage. Because reading the books a year behind everyone is totally the things these days you know?

Content: Moderate
[Language including the s word at some points. Kissing, touching, innuendo.]
There you go, all you peeps who were dying to know. What do you think? Agree? Disagree? XOXO,

The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
Published: 488
Pages: 12. 18. 12

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Before reading this book, I'd heard so many good ravings about this book. However I wasn't sure what I'd think of it all, Now, having read it I still don't know what to think. What to say even. This book leaves me so confused. It's good...then slow...then picks up...then FEELS. I can't decide if I LOVE LOVE it or if it's just average. Maybe that's why this book was so good? I don't know. Maybe writing all this out will help me figure it out. Spoilers, if any, will be highlighted in Green.

This book starts off with a good buildup and introduction to our dear Ruby's predicament. It was very interesting to read about, but to be honest. I wasn't feeling that gung-ho about this book. It was well-told but I was just hanging on for the action to kick in. Which brings me into the pacing. This book is steady and driven. It's not rushed. Oh there is some action and intensity, but it's not a GO-GO-GO kinda book. Especially as we see Ruby on the run. To quote Ashley, it's like a "glorified road trip." Being on the run takes up a lot the book. And though incidents happen and we learn things, I didn't feel that it was all that it cracked up to be. There were times when I felt weighed down with the somewhat slow pacing.

One thing I loved about this book was the diversity of character in this novel. The cast was wonderful! Ruby's friends are some of my favorite people. Zu is so unique. She is sweet, strong and vulnerable all in her own ways. It was so sweet to see Ruby's bond and need to protect her, similar to what Liam does. Which brings me to Liam. Gotta love him. He is one of the sweetest boys in YA. He's kind of like a Jane Bennett character type. Yes I'm so comparing him to a girl. Liam has this need to help and see the good. He's naive in his own way, but he's also strong and the passion to stand for his loyalties and those he cares about. I adored him also for being smart, and not acting stupidly when Ruby did something completely annoying. Go you. And then there's Chubs. He's the funny sarcastic one. The guy who tries to come off as prickly, but you just love anyway. Kudos to Alexandra. All these characters had a definitive character ARC. We see the their strengths, and we see their weakness and because of that, it just makes it so much better.

However, despite my love this gang, my feelings about Ruby confuse me. Ruby has had a pretty rough going and she gets a chance to escape it all. She's got some kick-butt powers and strengths. I loved those scenes. But she also has this mindset that almost ingrained in her. It's the flight and protect mode. She pushes away what she wants and does what she thinks needs to be done without   necessarily considering alternatives. To me this resulted in me feeling disconnected from her. I would get ticked off at some of her choices, and just plan wanted her to get over some of her issues and show us the fierce and strong Ruby on the inside. Don't get me wrong, I liked her, don't get me wrong. But this back and forth mood swing going on? Not gonna cut it.

My biggest complaint with this book would have to be the lack of explanation in a few places. There are all these kids with powers and we're led to learn that there are levels of these powers. And yet, I felt like we never got a specific description of what they could actually do. It goes unsaid and it's that hard to figure out, but I would have appreciated explanations. Other than that, there only a few scenes where I would be confused, as if I was missing something. But it was never to the extent that I would be forced to put down this book.

So my feelings about this book were like a pendulum. I loved certain aspects and disliked certain others. And then the climax builds. And then it ends. And the climax, that kinda explodes in your face makes you start to scream. It's this mash-up of a choice and cliffhanger that just makes you want to tear your hair out! I'm not saying anything, but GOSH. I don't even know. It made me so scared of Never Fade to be honest. I don't want to read and find my hopes dashed. Alexandra kinda took my heart and put it on a ledge where it could fall at any moment. I just love it and hate it at the same time.

Am I even making sense you guys? This book was great! But it wasn't everything I had anticipated. It was very interesting and I enjoyed the concept, but certain developments kept it from perfection. I'm very excited to dive into Never Fade, and the novella, which I will be reading. You can't just finish a book with that kind of end and then not have even the slightest curiosity what happens next. You just can't!

Content: Milderate
[A few instances of language including a few of the F and S word. Some kissing.]
So that's me. What about you? I'd love to know your thoughts on this book! Link me to your reviews if you've read it! XOXO,

The Fault In Our Stars
by John Green
Pages: 321
Published: January 10, 2012

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind

Night School
by C. J. Daughtery
Published: May 21, 2013
Pages: 400

Allie's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away. And she's just been arrested.
Again.
Now her parents are sending her away to a boarding school where she doesn't know a soul. But instead of hating her new school, Allie finds she's happy there. She's making friends. And then there's Sylvain, a suave French student who openly flirts with her. And Carter, the brooding loner who seems to have her back. Soon, though, Allie discovers Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Nothing there is as it seems. And her new friends are hiding dangerous secrets.

Nantucket Blue
by Leila Howland
Published: 5.6.13
Pages: 304

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams. Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t. When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer. But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

The Hallowed Ones
by Laura Bickle
Published: 9.25.12 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 320
Goodreads / Purchase

Inky's Blurbings:
This was my Random Read for the month of October and needless to say, it was perfect. I'd heard some great reviews about how scary it was, and having a full on Halloween mood I was set to go. I came out of it with a few issues, but overall this book was very interesting story and take on a kind of apocalypse.

For one thing this book was not  as creepy as I would have anticipated. Sure, there were vampires, which had more zombie like traits, hence my nick-name ZOMPIRE, but they weren't as prominent as I would have thought. Lol, there was even one scene that made me think so much of Jurassic Park Raptors. Maybe they should be Rompires. At the end it didn't feel like that the Vampire aspect of the book had resolved enough and that it was left hanging for book two. *gag* But there were still a few chill moments for me, so it wasn't a loss.

I thought the Amish community was really interesting. I've never know much about them, but I feel like this could be an accurately portrayed look at them. It was like Amish was more a religion than a lifestyle. I really liked it. Thumbs up for that.

This book seemed more about Katie changing from the ways of her Amish society as the world around them changes. It was the more prominent plot versus the Vampires. I was really impressed how well this was carried over. It wasn't an overnight change and it felt very realistic to me. So I'd have to say that I like Katies character for the most part. At the end she got a little dull and stupid I guess? I don't know. She just dropped off a cliff, and I wasn't about to jump after her.

I wasn't sure the romance, if that's what it is, worked for me as I would have liked it too. At first it felt like a companionship, because you aren't sure where things are going with her other guy friend. Then that takes a serious twist (Darn, I liked Eli.) and things with Alex change. Really fast. Half of it felt like she was trying to disobey on purpose, some of it was attraction and some of it was kinda like stupidity.

Everything just rushed at the end confusing me to heck. But that makes it sound like a dump. It wasn't....It was...it wasn't. :D I was a little crazy but it was also a very interesting ending that left off in a good way for the next book. I will probably be interested to see what happens but I won't be hopping mad. :D Haha. So it was a good read that I enjoyed, but I had some problems.

Content: Moderate
(Some language throughout - Sh**, Deity, Da**, He**, As*.Innuendo. A few kisses, they fall asleep next too each other, implied sex.)


This review is for the week-long meme Haunted Week. I failed and am posting late! Haha. Don't miss my other stops on this hop.

Thoughts anyone? Excited to read this? Have you read it? Like it better or worse than me? I'd love to hear! XOXO,

The Shadow Society
by Marie Rutkoski
Published: 10.16.12 by Farrar, Strauss &Giroux
Pages: 416
Goodreads / Purchase
Inky's Blurbings:


And there you have it folks! Have you read this? Like? Not like? Do you want to read? I'd love to hear what you think! Toodles! XOXO,

Author: Laura DeLuca
Published: 3.30.12 by Pagan Writers Press
Pages: 262
Inky's Blurbings:
I got a copy of this from the author and I was really excited. Phantom of the Opera has kind of taken over my life. So naturally I was very excited by the prospect of this Teen retelling of the classic tale. It was a very enjoyable read and I went through it in about a day.

We start off with the main character Becca, about to audition for Christine in her school's upcoming performance of Phantom of the Opera. Becca is that rare talent hidden in the body of a girl with a very shy, somewhat awkward character. But she lands the part of her dream, since...she's pretty much obsessed with the story as well. From there on we have the book playing out with mysterious threats and murders from their own Phantom as well as a love triangle with her co-stars, the actors who play Raoul and Phantom ironically.

It's quite obvious who Becca is drawn to from the start so I found it a little annoying that she doesn't just stand up for herself. But then, of course, all romance needs a little hesitation to make things interesting. Honestly, Justyn has not competition with Tom. :D He's the best, and coolest even if he is kinda Gothic. :D And he can sing.

I liked Laura's writing. It was clear and to the point most of the time. But I found there were a couple moments when it was just a little too-descriptive. Like the sunset or the colors of a storm. Then there were times I wanted some description. In regards to character development and romantic relationships. But it wasn't botched. It was still a very enjoyable and smooth read for the most part. One thing I found interesting is that the play is never really specifically called Phantom of the Opera. Most of the time it's called Phantom. And I didn't really recognize any of the lyrics in the book! Probably because I only know the main songs though and she didn't pull from them. But I did love how the music was fit in.

Aside a few cheesy moments, I could connect well and I enjoyed this thrilling tale of the Phantom! I'd suggest this for fans of the story.

Content: Mild
(Some language and a bit of innuendo. A gay character/kiss. Kissing.)

Do you like the story of the Phantom? Have you read the book? Seen the play? Would you like to? Do you want to read this? I'd love to hear any thoughts you have! Happy Wednesday!