Review: Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.


To be honest, I didn't think I'd like Bitter End to much but I actually turned out really liking it. Jennifer Brown definitely knows how to write teenagers without making them sound cheesy or unrealistic. And she truly knows how to write about a tough subject and letting you see through the victim's perspective instead of from the outsiders.

The best thing in the whole book where the characters. Like I said before, she did an excellent job writing the teenagers in this book. They were so realistic and familiar. My favorite character was definitely Zack. He cracked me up! I literally laughed out loud at some of the things he would do or say. And yes my least favorite character is Cole. I felt no sympathy for him at all when he came back apologizing nor did I feel bad for him because of the dad he had.

 The friendship that Alex, Bethany, and Zack share is the thing that I most related to. I have a little group like that and I know what it feels like when one of them gets a boyfriend and then things change and you feel like they've been taken away from you. So I feel like I connected with Bethany and Zack the most even though Alex was the main character. I was very depressed with the ending. I kind of hoped that everything would just go back to normal but I guess it ended in the more realistical way.

This is a great book that I would recommend to anyone. Not just teenagers but even adults because abuse realtionships can form in any age group.

Rating: 8

In My Mailbox

I found this cute mailbox picture over at Call Me Crazy  book blog.

 

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren

This week I got:

 

   Legend by Marie Lu

 

 

  The Girl Who Was on Fire by various authors.

 

   Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Review: Graceling By Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.



What an adventure Graceling was! I can't think of a moment in which I was not anticipating what was gonna happen next in the story. Cashore wrote an action filled novel with just the right amount of romance to make the story magnificent and intriguing.

The Plot was great and I really enjoyed it. It captured my attention very well. I also loved that it was based in medieval times. That just added more interest to the story. A lot of people said that this book reminded them of The Hunger Games but honestly, I don't really see the comparison to it. The only thing I found familiar was Katsa and Katniss, and only because they're both such strong female characters. They kind of reminded me of one another.

The characters were very well written and developed. Katsa was strong, independent, smart, and brave. I found Po very charming and I liked that he wasn't ashamed of being beaten by a girl. I found their romance in the book absolutely adorable, I could not get enough of it. If I had to pick a favorite character though, it would have to be Bitterblue. I found her to be so adorable and smart. I cannot wait to read her book next year!

Overall, it was a great book. I recommend it to anyone who like medieval times and who enjoy fantasy. I Can't wait to read Fire and Bitterblue next!

Rating: 8

Follow Fridays!

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

A:  I didn't have any pet peeves before, but recently I think I've discovered one. I've seen this happen in many books. Many. When the male protagonist is described for the first time in a story, a story in which the main character is usually a young girl, the words beautiful, gorgeous, or incredibly handsome are always used. And I always have to roll my eyes at it.

I've noticed that YA has mostly done a good job with relating to girls. In most stories the girl is always plain and has a low self esteem and then some incredible hot guy always falls in love with her. Sure we girls don't mind those types of books but what about guys. Can you imagine a boy reading a book like that and just thinking, "Well no wonder girls don't like me. I'm not beautiful and gloomy." How would we like it if in every story we read, the female was always described as hot, sexy and absolutely out- of - this world gorgeous? Yeah I don't think we'd like it to much.

Don't get me wrong, I love YA but I've had a couple guy friends tell me this and I could see what they were talking about.

In my Mailbox

I found this cute mailbox picture over at Call Me Crazy  book blog

This week I got:

  Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

 Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

 Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

Follow Fridays

Q: If you could have dinner with your favorite book character, who would you eat with and what would you serve?

 

A: I love questions like these! I would love to have dinner with Sam Roth from the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I'd actually consider it a date and I would bake all sorts of things specially for him. I'd bake lasagna ( cause that's my favorite!) and I would make us my special extremely delicious homemade apple pie. It would all be in hopes of him falling in love with me (which would most likely not happen).

Follow Friday



Q. What super hero is your alter ego?

A:  Well, I think I would most definitely like to be Sue Storm from Fantastic Four. I would love to be invisible and listen in on conversations. I would be snooping around everywhere! And protecting myself with force fields would be pretty cool too.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten  Books that I bought based on their cover or title.

1. Fallen by Lauren Kate. That cover is absolutely beautiful. I had to buy it as soon as I saw it. 

2.  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer By Michelle Hodkins.

3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis. It reminded me of the movie so that's actually what made me want it.

4. Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin. Its so shiny! I had to buy it!

5. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter. Both the title and the cover grabbed my attention with this one.

6. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. The title sounds so romantic so I had to buy it.

And I think that's It. I cant think of any other ones.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.


How awesome was this book?! I can't even begin to tell you how good it was! The writing, the characterization, the plot, everything was absolutetly great! I loved that Roth was able to introduce this new world to us and yet still keep the book at a decent pace. There wasn't a single dull moment.

I loved Tris and the change we get to witness in her. She goes from being a weak, conservative girl to a brave girl who's full of courage. I also loved Four! I love that he's so collected and cool. He's a Badass! And all the other characters were also great and very well characterized.

Overall, this book was just amazing! And thanks to the way it ended, the wait for Insurgent, the sequel to Divergent, is absolute torture! This is a book that lived up to all the hype so if you haven't read it, do it!

Rating: 9

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

This week its Top Ten Books I wish I could read again for the first time

For me there are only 2 books ( or more like book series) that I really wish I could read again for the first time and those are:

  1. The Twilight Saga. I remember being so happy and so obsessed when I read this series. It was in December when I started the series and I remember being snuggled up with a warm blanket, drinking coffee as I read the books. I really wish I could go back to when I first started reading the books so that I can feel that anticipation and giddiness again.. 

   2. The Hunger Games Trilogy. All the surprises and shocks that I encountered while reading these books were so amazing! How I wish I could read them again for the first time. I wish I didn't know what was gonna happen already! I envy the person who is reading the series for the first time! They don't know how lucky they are.

I'm sure there are a couple more but these two are the ones that always come to my mind.

Top Ten Tuesday



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

This weeks top ten: Endings in books that left my mouth wide open.

1.  Unwind by Neal Shusterman- The ending was so open. I MUST know what Conner plans on doing against unwinding.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth - The ending left me shocked. I couldn't believe everything that happened. Especially since it happened so fast.

3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver - I kind of saw it coming but it still left me surprised.

4. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater- This one left me so stunned. I couldn't concentrate on any thing else the whole day.

5.Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - All I could think was "OMFG!" Its a good thing I had already bought Mockingjay or I don't know what would have happened.

6. Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin - I was incredibly surprised when the whole mystery was being surprised. I wasn't even close with my guesses.

Well that's all I could come up with so I guess its top six for me :)

Follow Friday

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

A: I think that Unwind by Neal Shusterman would be a really good movie. I thought the book was awesome so as a movie, it would probably be just as awesome. And I think that it would make people think more deeply about abortion. Conner was my favorite character and I don't know who I'd cast for his role.

In My Mailbox



I found this cute mailbox picture over at Call Me Crazy  book blog

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren

This week I got:

  ARC of Eve by Anna Carey

Release date is October 4th 2011

  The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

And Thats all for this week :)

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.
                                                                          - Goodreads

You know those books that keep you thinking about them long after you've read them? Well, Delirium is one of those books. Months have passed and I still find myself thinking about it.

What I like most about this book is the idea of love as a disease. Its such a clever idea! And just thinking about a world without love makes my head hurt. I love so many things! I love food, I love movies, I love books, I love my dog, I love my friends and family! I just can't imagine a world without love! I didn't think about love as a precious thing until I starting imagining it gone. That's when I realized what an incredible and powerful emotion it is. How its all around us, and how its in everything we do. That's what I love most about Delirium, that it got me thinking about all these things that I hadn't paid attention to before.

This book to me was absolutely fantastic. As soon as I started reading it, I just couldn't put it down. Every time I tried to stop, Something else would capture my attention and I would continue reading. I loved Lena and I especially loved her growth of courage throughout the whole book. I cannot wait to read Pandemonium and find out how Lena's story continues.

Rating: 9

Follow Friday

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

A: I do have a few favorite series that I keep going back to. One of them is Twilight. I will never get tired of rereading my favorite parts in all four books. The Wolves of Mercy Falls series is another one that I always find myself looking over. I love Sam so I especially like going over his povs. Another series is the Hunger Games series. I love it and will never get tired of its awesomeness.

Booking Through Thursday



Do you carry books with you when you’re out and about in the world?

And, do you ever try to hide the covers?

I do carry books with me. I always take my book to work so that I can read during my breaks. I also take a book with me to family members houses just because I always end up bored there. Also, when I was in school last year, I always had a book with me. I would read in between class assignments and would get in trouble for it all the time.

I will admit that I do try and hide the covers sometimes. I don't know why. I just don't want people seeing what I'm reading. Like I said, I don't really know why. Its just something that I automatically do.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine! Each week, bloggers spotlight what upcoming release they're eager for.

 

What I'm waiting for:  Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 28th 2012

 

 

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

 

 

 

Divergent was amazing and I cannot wait for this next book in the series! And how awesome does that cover look? I think I like it more than Divergent's cover!

In My Mailbox



I found this cute mailbox picture over at Call Me Crazy  book blog

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren

This week I got :

 Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

 Fire By Kristin Cashore

Follow Friday

 

Q. If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? Why and to what?

 *Spoilers*



A: I think I would have to change the ending to Matched By Ally Condie. I felt like the ending was so boring and plain. Sure  Kyle had beem taken away, creating drama, but I just wasn't left anticipating the next book. I wanted Cassia to have actually come up with a plan on how she was going to save Ky because I don't understand how she's going to go about that.I don't know... I dont really have any ideas, I just know I wanted the ending to be different to what it was.

TGIF



This Friday's Question:

 

Book Associations: 

Which genre, authors, or particular books do you think 

people associate with your reading style?

 

 

Q: I think I'm more associated with the Twilight Saga just because I'm the one who got all the women in my family hooked on it. Thanks to me they're all obsessed with the movies and some have even read the books. And I'm also the person they all come to when they want to know something about the series. I'm even gonna go as far as to say that I've gotten some of the men in the family to like it as well. And that's really hard to do since just the mention of sparklilng vampires makes them dislike it instantly.



Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

A: Werewolves! But the cool kind, not the icky monster ones. I would love to meet one! I would ask so many questions about them and how they came to be. I'd want to know everything!

In My Mailbox

I found this cute mailbox picture over at Call Me Crazy  book blog

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren

This week I got :

  Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barret.
 Its release date is September 19, 2011.



 Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Review : The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Its really hard to describe how you feel about a book that you love so much without seeming like a total fan girl. That's how it is for me with this book. I'm gonna try my best to not sound like a babbling fool.

This book is the best I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I am so glad that I listened to my friend (the one who recommended Fallen as well). She knew what she was talking about. I read this book in two days. I would have finished it sooner but I was trying to make it last as long as I could. Everything about this book is amazing. The writing, the characters, the action scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat. Everything is incredible. Katniss is officially on my list of all-time favorite characters. She's brave, smart, and overall just bad ass!

Once again, The Hunger Games is incredible and absolutely amazing. It has set the standard for all other books I read. Its screwed me for life but I like it! If you haven't read it yet, then what are you waiting for?! Do it now!

Rating : 10

TGIF



This Friday's Question:

The Reviews We Don't Write: 

Have you ever read a book and not wanted to review it? Are some books too personal that we want to keep our thoughts our own? 

When I love a book, I do write a review for it because that's how I can express how I feel about it. Its how I can explain my love for it. But when I don't like a book, then its hard for me to review it. Why? Because I end up just saying a bunch of negative stuff about the book and then I feel rude and bad because of what I wrote. So I'm actually the opposite of the what the question asks.

Follow Fridays

 

 

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

A: If I had a part in a book, my part would have to be epic. I'd want to be a total Bad ass character. And if possible, a werewolf. I love werewolves, so if I could be a werewolf in a book that would be pretty cool. For example, if I could be one of the werewolves from the Twilight Saga, I'd love that. I think they're the luckiest werewolves out there. They don't eat people, look like giant wolves,not monsters, can phase whenever they want, and don't age until they decide they want to. Very lucky compared to other werewolves. So I wouldn't mind being one of them.

Booking Through Thursday

Q: You’ve just had a long, hard, exhausting day, and all you want to do is curl up with something light, fun, easy, fluffy, distracting, and entertaining. What book do you pick up?

A: Honestly, when I have an exhausting day, any book is good for me to curl up with. Books are my escape from reality. They make me forget about my problems and worries and let me live a life thats not mine. Books in general relax me.



Top Ten Tuesday



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Its a Freebie this week and chose to do

My Top Ten Favorite books!

(In no particular order)

1. The Outsiders

    This book is responsible for my love of reading. If not for it, who knows how long it would have token me to discover the joy of reading.

2. Unwind

    Whenever I tell someone about what this book is about, they look at me like I have issues. But this book is SO much more than about kids being ripped apart. It made me think about things I hadn't put much thought into before. I love it.

3. The Wolves of Mercy Falls

    Usually when I read books about wolves, I always wish to be a werewolf but these books made want to stay human instead. I really like it when a book can change my mind about something that I like so much. Plus... I LOVE SAM!

4. Water For Elephants

     There's something about this book that warms my heart. I want to be like Jacob Jankowski. I wanna have something amazing to remember when I'm  in my 90's. Or 80's at least.

5. The Hunger Games Trilogy

    I cannot believe how amazing this series was. The word " Epic" cannot describe how incredible this series is. I was completely mesmerized by it.

6. Oh, The Places You'll Go_

    I love it. It makes me shed a few tears every single time I read it.

7. The Twilight Saga

     Yes, Its on my favorites list. I don't care what anyone says. I love it!

8. Divergent

    It was so good! I hadn't read something that good in a while. I cannot wait for Insurgent!

Well I've only got eight. So I guess its my top eight favorites.

Follow Fridays



Q: How has your reading habits changed since you were a teen? Or If you are still a teen what new genres are you in love with currently?

A: Well since I'm still technically a teen, I'm gonna think back to when I was a kid... As a kid, I didn't read to much. I read a couple books but that was it. Then around 14 or 15 I started to really get into reading. Right now I'm really starting to like Dystopia. It just appeals to me for some reason.