Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Genre: YA Dystopia

Synopsis:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review:

Alrighty then....I am jumping on the "fan girl" band wagon!  I LOVED this book!  I'm really glad that I paid the extra money to have it arrive at my house on release day.  Best $28 I've spent in a LONG time!  FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!  And just for effect I'll add a SQUEEEEEEEEE in there too!

This book has literally jumped its way to the top of my MUST READ list to all of my friends/family/co-workers.  Divergent has been compared to The Hunger Games trilogy and I can honestly see a lot of similarities between the two series.

Leading up to me purchasing Divergent I hadn't heard much about it.  But when I looked it up on Goodreads close to its release date I saw a plethora of "Awesome," "YOU MUST READ THIS," "It will hook you and not let go" type of reviews.  I was still a little skeptical, because its sort of a natural tendency for me to be a little bit leery about purchasing an item that gets so much positive hype.  Let me tell you this....Divergent DEFINITELY earned all that positive hype.

I mean look at the cover!  The cover is what sold me on buying the book.  I'm a sucker for a great cover!  If you haven't picked up this book yet you should!  What are you waiting for!?

There are so many great things about this book that I really don't even know where to start!  Honestly, there isn't just one or two things that stand out to me that make this book great.  It's the total package.  The characters, the story itself, the world that the author creates...all great things that meshed together in a solid bond to create an UNFORGETTABLE book!

This book REALLY does have the power to suck you in and not let go.  It happend to me and it has happened to others who have read Divergent.  The only drawback is that we have to wait until 2012 for the next installment of the series:(

RATING:

5+/5

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss
Stephanie Perkins

RATING: 3.75/5

Synopsis:

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she’s less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

Review:

I received Anna and the French Kiss a couple of weeks ago as part of Book Soulmates RAK program.  I had been wanting to read this book for a long time and I could never get my hands on a copy.  I am very happy that an unbelievable nice individual sent me this book as an .epub file so I could read it on my Nook.

I really wanted to love this book.  I really did.  I thought that all of the characters, even the not so good ones, were written in a way that made them seem like they are actual people and not fictional characters.  My personal favorite character was of course, St. Clair.  The good-looking American with an English accent and a French father that he doesn’t like.  At times I had a hard time liking Anna.  I thought she could get a little bit too whiney and wishy washy.

I really enjoyed the beginning and end of the book.  Though I did think that the middle was a little bit to repetitive.  Then there was Anna’s relationship with St. Clair….I thought that it was at times a little bit rough to the point of being rushed.

Overall, I did enjoy the book.  Once I got started reading it I had a hard time stopping, I just didn’t LOVE the book.  Though I can for sure say that I am looking forward to the next book by Stephanie Perkins.

ARC Review ~ Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

Title: Griffin Rising
Author: Darby Karchut
Release Date: June 28, 2011

Synopsis:

For Griffin, it's time to angel up.

For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.

But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever. It is their father-and-son relationship, sometimes turbulent, often hilarious, always affectionate, that sings through the story like a pure note.

Masquerading as the average teen next door, Griffin struggles to learn his trade, navigate the ups and downs of modern life among humans (including falling in love with the girl next door), and prepare for the ancient trial-by-combat every apprentice must pass at sixteen or be forced to become mortal.

Review:

I was approached a few months back by the author to read and review Griffin Rising on my blog.  Up until that point I had not even heard of this book.  I'm really glad that the author approached me, if she hadn't I might have missed out on a PHENOMENAL debut YA novel.  Griffin Rising is what my co-workers and I refer to as Awesome Sauce.  Let's put it this way, the "Awesome Sauce" list is REALLY short....The Hunger Games trilogy, No Mercy, Mercy Kill and Griffin Rising are it.

What I really liked about Griffin Rising is that the book is actually a coming of age story disguised as an angel adventure. Once I started reading I was instantly attracted to characters, even the evil Nicopolis.  I also felt that I was better able to connect with the characters via their journal entries.  I really enjoyed at the contrast that Darby brought to the character of Griffin.  I enjoyed following Fin through his struggles as not only an angel apprentice, training for his ultimate test, but also a teenager.  At times Griffin showed that he was wise beyond his years and at other times he was kind of a smart ass and your "typical" teenager.

One of my favorite parts of the whole book was the actual relationship between Griffin and his Mentor Basil.  Basil comes into Griffin's life after Griffin is removed from his former Mentor Nicopolis who happened to be extremely abusive and rooting for Griffin to fail (Nicopolis sounds like a real winner!).  When Basil enters Griffin's life everything starts to change for the better.  But it still takes Griffin a long time to start opening up to his new Mentor.

Then not long before Griffin is scheduled to take his test a mortal teenage girl, Katie, moves in across the street.  A sweet teen love develops which adds a whole new dimension to the story.  That is when things get real interesting between Basil, Griffin and their new neighbors.

Shortly before Griffin's test, Basil receives word that Griffin's past is going to come back to haunt him.  Does Griffin pass his ultimate test?  To find out your going to have to pick up a copy of Griffin Rising.

Rating:

5+/5

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Title:  Where I Belong
Author: Gwendolyn Heasley


Synopsis:


Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed.

Review:

I got this one out of my local library.  When I started reading it I had a hard time putting it down once I got started.  I thought it was that good.  Though I did find a couple things that I didn't care for...Not many though.

In the beginning of the book I thought that Corrinne was pretty much a wanna be "Paris Hilton" (you have no idea how much Paris Hilton annoys me.).  I didn't really care for her very much at all. Then her dad gets laid off from his job.  And life gets really REAL for Corrinne.

I thought after she and her little brother arrived in Texas, that as much conflict as there was when they first arrived between Corrinne and her grandmother, that she became pretty "normal".  She wasn't doing the things that she was able to do in her old life.  If she wanted to survive she had to eat her grandma's fatty food, which meant she had to stop counting calories and watching her carbs.  She actually had to work, GASP SHOCK!  She actually had to go to PUBLIC SCHOOL, GASP SHOCK!  It turns out her first friend at public school is a cheerleader!

The farther I got into the book the more like able Corrinne became.  She started putting others before herself.  She did have a slight "relapse" when she met a rocker and thought they should be together, though it didn't take her long to see through him.  Then there was the "normal" guy who saw right through her from the start and by the end of the book there is potential there for a relationship.

Besides the Corrinne from the beginning of the book, I didn't really like the scene where Corrinne's friend from her B.R. life comes to visit.  Here Corrinne is turning her life around and making due and here comes her friend purposely trying to make things difficult for her.

I hope that there is another book.  The end of this one was to me anyway, a cliff hanger.

RATING:

4/5

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Title: Intrinsical
Author: Lani Woodland
Genre: YA ~ Paranormal
Series: The Yara Silva #1
Source: Extreme Reader Reviews blog tour

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

Review:

I signed up for this tour a LONG time ago (DANG YOU WINTER WEATHER!) and had kind of forgotten about it until the book arrived in the mail on Tuesday.  When I signed up for the tour I had seen all these reviews for the book that were pretty much glowing reviews and I had to know for myself if the book was really THAT good.  What you are about to read are my thoughts on Intrinsical's "Awesome Sauce" or lack there of.....

So when I started Intrinsical it IMMEDIATELY sucked me in and when I had to put it down to get some things accomplished for some things that were going to be happening in REAL life, I had read close to 100 pages and it felt like I'd only been reading for about 5 minutes.  I found that this book was VERY difficult to put down.  I constantly had to know what was going to happen next.  I was CONSTANTLY thinking about it, when I wasn't reading it.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters.  I really want to know more about Yara's grandmother!  She sounds like a really cool lady with an exceptional gift! I really enjoyed Yara a lot.  She's just trying to be a "normal" 16 year old and doesn't want any part of her families "gift."  Then she goes to Pendrell and her "gift" kicks in.  I also got a pretty big kick out of Cherie, Yara's "crazy" friend who wanted to go to Pendrell because of it's supposed curse.  Then there's Brent, the love interest. I thought that he was a pretty great guy all the way through. 

The relationship between Yara and Brent is another thing that I really thought was well written.  The relationship developed over time and it wasn't a "we've just met but we're hopelessly in love" kind of relationships.  I've read a bunch of books with those types of relationships and it was VERY refreshing to not have that happen in this book.

The only part of the book that I was lukewarm on was the "bad guy."  I thought he was a little bit to "James Bondish" with a shot of "creepy" thrown for my liking.  Other than that I thought that the book was the bee's knee's.  I soooo want to get my hands on the second book in the series!

RATING:

5/5

Other Reviews:

Miss Remmer's Review

Extreme Reader's Book Reviews

That Bookish Girl

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Title: The DUFF

Author: Kody Keplinger

Series: 

Genre: YA, YA Romance

Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy Books

Release Date: 2010, September 7

Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

Source: Public Library

Rating: 4/5

Challenges: 2011 YA Challenge, 2011 Outdo Yourself Challenge, 2011 YA Romance Challenge, 2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.  
But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Review:

I started this book really early this morning (for those who are new here I work third shift so when your up I'm sleeping and vice versa) and I could NOT put it down. It was one of those that I really liked but at the same time it annoyed me.  It's difficult to explain really.

When I picked up this book at the library I thought that the premise was interesting. Life at home is rough for Bianca so she goes looking for an escape....and finds it in her enemy Wesley Rush.  I guess what annoyed me about there relationship is that from the beginning it pretty much entirely sexual. Which I didn't find out until I started reading.  That's what started it...Oh, but there's more.

I really liked the characters a lot (with a few annoyances thrown in).  I think that the author did a pretty good job of depicting a marriage that's not so great, as well as being a child of divorced parents.  I do think that at times the main characters were written in a negative manner....I don't know if it was because the author was trying to write from the mindset of a teenager or what, but there were times that Wesley came off as pretty much 100% teenage man whore and Bianca came off as pretty selfish and, in my opinion, needy at times.

Overall, I thought that the premise and writing as a whole were really pretty great for a debut author.  If you've seen what I've rated this book above (4/5) you might be asking yourself...What the heck?!  There's a fair amount of negativity in this review how did it score so high?  But like I said above...I REALLY liked this book even though it annoyed the heck out of me at times.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This review was originally posted on The Book Junkie's Bookshelf on July 28, 2010.


WHERE HAS THIS BOOK BEEN "ALL MY LIFE?!" Since I've started book blogging I've come across many reviews of this book and the vast majority of them have been really shining reviews. But it wasn't until last week that I actually took the book off my shelf and read it. I'd like to thank my co-workers for that....They were talking about the book at work and started giving me crap cause I hadn't read it yet. As my co-workers say....."It's Awesome Sauce!"

I really don't know what to say beyond the above words that are in all capital letters. I don't want to say to much because I don't want to give anything away....I'm occasionally bad about putting in unintentional spoilers. I LOVED this book. I LOVED the story line, I totally felt like I was there. The main character is very real and relatable, you totally feel her pain. The secondary characters are also written in a very real and relatable fashion. The games themselves are written in a way that it paints a vivid and brutal picture of what it must be like for these kids. I guess the only problem I had with the book was the end....I didn't want it to end....cause when the book came to an end I'd have to wait to start reading Catching Fire because I lent it to a friend to read.