The Fault in Our Stars : review

John Green

Someone asked me if I had read The Fault in Our Stars and I had yet to. I had heard So much great things about it and I wanted to read it, but I kept pushing it away in thoughts of reading it sometime. I guess I wasn't prepared to cry, as I had heard that I would. Then the movie release date came, and I had to read it before it. So I started to read it. And I read it in one sitting during a lovely evening. I was compelled to read the whole thing. And I did. And I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I can't even express my gratitude to John Green for writing it! I don't know how to express my love toward the book either. No it didn't have "fiction" in the world but it was compensated by the contemporary setting and all the romance and heart-break.
I cried and laughed, shared the joy and grief, I was nervous yet anxious, and most importantly I Loved It!

So onto what it is about if you do not know:  (GoodReads)
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Yeah. That pretty much explains it.
If you still haven't read it and aren't planning to will this help?:

literary awards

Buxtehuder Bulle (2012), Odyssey Award (2013), ALA Teens' Top Ten Nominee (2012), Indies Choice Book Award for Young Adult (2013), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Preis der Jugendjury (2013)

Dioraphte Jongerenliteratuurprijs (2013), The Inky Awards for Silver Inky (2012), Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2014), Goodreads Choice for Best Young Adult Fiction (2012)

AnYwAy:
My point in this rambling (Yes, I actually have a point) is that everyone should read it and that all the crying will be worth it. Since after you have read it you will feel happy and lively I suppose...

.5

Love,

Sally

Alphas : review

Lisi Harrison

Firstly I want to say sorry that this post is a day late, but I had a goal of finishing four books during two days. Quite a challenge but I pulles it of :) I wanted to wait writing this until I finished them all, and now I have.

So I read the Alphas quadrilogy: Alphas, Movers & Fakers, Belle of the Brawl and Top of the Food Chain. I made a "deal" with a friend that I read one of her old favourite series and she read one of mine (Divergent).

Goodreads:
At OCD the losers are tormented.

At Alpha Academy, they're sent home.

Skye Hamilton has scored an invitation to the ultra-exclusive Alphas-only boarding school where beta is spelled LBR . What happens when the country's best, brightest, and hawtest begin clawing and scratching their way to the top?

My first impression was being interested but not really too excited. It seemed like a cheesy book about a school for girls. And when I started it was exactly that, but I kept reading since there was something in it. The first book turned out to be really good, second and third not so much, and the last one was just simply fantastic. It had twists and turns in parts where you thought you knew exactly what was coming. It did not have action as I like books to have but it had a whole lot of romance. I was quite giddy at those parts :)

One thing that I noticed I didn't hate so much afterall was the change in the point of character all the time. I HaTe books where every other chapter is someone elses view but I kind of liked how it rotated in these books.
The main characters were: Charlie (whom I loved!), Skye and Allie A.
They were accepted to Alpha Academy all in their own ways and came room-mates and best friends? Not exactly at first.

After reading the last book (and having a break of sitting trying to figure out how on earth anything like that as a twist at the end could be possible!) I gave 3 stars to the quadrilogy. It was well written yet still I had moments during the second and third book where I just wanted to stop. But I couldn't. I wanted to see how some of the romance related problems turned out. Which is why I gave those stars. Overall I enjoyed these two days of reading the Alphas.

Love,

Sally

Divergent : review

Veronica Roth

Today I started reading Allegiant, final book in the divergent trilogy. I am not sure what to think about it before reading it since I have heard some thoughts on it from poeple who've read it... I decided to do this post on Divergent to recap for myself what "I'm getting into" again, so to say...

As a note here I'd like to say, no I'm not stopping blogging I just had a break of Christmas. Many of you did mail me about this, and I'm glad, but I did realize that in the future I will tell you of breaks. So you don't need to wonder... My mail: stuff931@gmail.com

So back to Divergent. The summary, taken from GoodReads:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Usually, as you might know, I summarize it in my own words into a shorter version, but I wanted to try taking it from GoodReads and seeing what you guys think...
So, first of all I Loved this book! I was very happy when I went into reading it without knowing anything about it. I had been pushing of anything said related to it to keep the suspence for me. Now for thoughts on the book, other than loving it, and why's too:

This book captured me into it, which I haven't had for a while. I read it in a day and insurgent, second in trilogy, the day after. It was very remarkeble how insurgent started right where Divergent ended! It was perfect for those who were captivatd in divergent and had access to Insurgent immediatly to read, which I did. Most continuations of books start of weeks after where the last books ending, sometimes frustrating me. I would like to know what happens in between! (That is partly why I love novellas).
So Divergent had everything I adore in books: Romance, Action and a sprinkle of Fantasy. It did not have flaws, major ones at least, and it was notable.
One thing I hated, well strongly disliked, was that I was thrown off byt he factions. I could not remember them and the differences of them. My bad memory frustrated me and so I referred to the factions as colours, the ones they wore. I made a list and had it as a bookmark. After reading Insurgent I still could not remember them. I don' t know if it's just me though...
There was suspense in the book, which I loved, some friendship problems and thoughts on life overall. It had me guessing what will happen, especially in Insurgent I had no idea into where it was going. I loved the doubtfulness I had towards what I thought. Not knowing what to think, would be saying it in a simple way.
As a whole Divergent captivated my heart. And for that: five stars.

Sally

The Infernal Devicess : review

Cassandra Clare

I am sure you have all heard of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. City of Bones being the first of the five and already as a movie.
Set in the same world she has made a prequel/companion trilogy for The Mortal Instruments called The Infernal Devices (shocker since the title is there...)

Clockwork Angel, first book, is set in 1878 and it follows a girl named Tessa.

(from goodreads):
Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....


I finished the last book, Clockwork Princess, and I loved it. Much better than The Mortal Instruments hands down. It had adventure and romance (my favorite) and even though it had lots of characters (I doubted in the beginning how it will all pull of) but it was great. The characters, even minor ones, developed and grew along the line of the books, which I find makes a better book.
The Mortal Instruments series for me was just one of those series that are New York Times best sellers not because they would be good but because the story line is good so people who don't normally read reads them. For that series I would give a 3.5/5 stars... Because I already then had Clockwork Angel I decided to read it. Because of low expectations it really suprised me in a positive way.

Love,

Sally
.5

Throne of Glass : review

Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass is a fairly unknown book *lined with sarcasm*. I, oh so much, enjoyed reading this book and its second book Crown of Midnight that came out this year.

The book is about Celaena Sardothien and how she was dragged before the Crown Prince after serving at  a salt mine for her crimes. This 18 year old assassin is given an option of being in a competition to determine who will becoming the new royal assassin. Her task is to beat the other competitors, thieves and assassins, and if she wins she will serve as the kings pet assassin for three years after which she is granted her freedom. After the contestants start mysteriously turning up dead she needs to figure out how before she becomes the next victim.

The books had lots of action yet still there was room for a bit of romance. It reminded me greatly of Graceling but still had it's differences. The next book will come somewhere during next year, and I'm already looking forward to it. Even though the books have multiple novellas, I still can't wait to read more on how everything will turn out.

Love,

Sally

Gallagher Girls : review

Ally Carter

The Gallagher Girls series is now finished. The last book United we spy (book 6) came out this year. I had been loving this series, (not from the start but close enough), and this last book was a perfect ending for the series. I laughed and cried as the adventures went forwards.

What it's about:
The series follows Cammie Morgan and her friends at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. It would be a fairly normal girl school, if all the girl schools trained girls to be spies.

The first book I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You I picked up because of the name. Honestly that is what made me pick it up and after reading the back cover I absolutely had to buy it. I was disappointed by the book but I had bought the second and third book at the same time, since they are fairly short and were cheap at the moment, so I did read them too.
And. I. Fell. In. Love.
The second book Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy was better than the first, yet it did have flaws in my opinion. Then after reading the third Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover I was full on in the enchantment of the series. I ordered the next book in the series, then the next when it came out, and the next which is the last one. The covers of them are very well done and thought of. Though the last three books I do have in the English editions I do love them too.

 

(American)                    (English)

I'm giving the series over all 4.5 stars. Even though I loved it the first one gets a 3 stars, second 4 and rest 5. As a result it would be 4 stars in total but I loved the series over all too much...

Love,

Sally

Hunger Games : review

Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games trilogy was a very pleasant read. The first book was very exciting and wonderfully written and so was the second. Even though I think it would have been nice as a stand alone I was extremely happy while reading Catching Fire. The third book then again was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it was very good, but I think the speed of the amazement (if that makes sense) went slowly downhill. It was an exciting book and all but I wasn't gripping into the story that much anymore.
I think we all are excited for the Catching Fire movie that is coming at the end of this year. The first movie was great so at least I am excited for the second one.

I think everyone here knows about the Hunger Games but here is a recap:
In a near future twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a reality TV show called the hunger games. In these games that are held once a year there is only one winner who afterwards get glory.
There is only one rule in these games: kill or be killed. 
Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games. This is more like a death sentence.
Can she survive all the other twenty-three battlers all trying to survive? What will happen when she leaves home, her mother, sister and best friend? Will she meet new friends at this arena of death? Everyone's thoughts are on food and shelter. Oh, and not getting killed.

                                                                                           Sally