REVIEW: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)  by Tahereh Mafi
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Tick

Tick

Tick

Tick

Tick

It’s almost over

Time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her- people with gifts- and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She’s finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. decisions that might involve choosing between her heart- and Adam’s life. 

Soooooo....OMG! OMG! OMG!!! This book..THIS BOOK!!!!!! I mean there really aren't any words to describe how I feel about this book. To say it left me hanging is an understatement...it left me dead. Dead on the floor. Maybe i'm still breathing, maybe i'm not...I can't even tell right now. Like Juliette, I constantly had to remind myself to just breathe.

Unravel Me picks up where Shatter Me left off, with Juliette and Adam as the new-comers to Omega Point. Omega Point being the "safe haven" for special people like Juliette, people with powers. There are some great strides made with our main characters in this book and there are some not so great strides made. Lets get started!

Juliette: I totally loved that she regressed back to her claustrophobic, paranoid, and self-conscience ways in the beginning (and middle) of this book...ok not the nicest thing to say, but it's for good reason. I would've highly doubted that she could miraculously become a super hero over night. This poor girl has been emotionally abused her whole life! She was locked away and left alone for the world to forget about her. I would be more surprised if she didn't have a meltdown at Omega Point. When we last left off in Shatter Me, Juliette seemed powerful, strong, even understanding and full of confidence about her powers and new life when she arrived at Omega Point, but it seems completely natural for her to lose all of that when she finally settles down and realizes that Omega Point is just a cell. It's underground, full of rules and restrictions. Just like at the asylum. Plus she isn't used to getting so much attention [read: Castle can be a little overbearing at times lol] I did not, however, approve of the fact that she was constantly whining about something. She seemed so completely immature and i'm sure she was just as immature in Shatter Me, but it didn't bother me then...it bothers me now. Maybe that's because I expected her to grow up a little bit and mature somewhat but............I guess I was wrong. Stop whining Juliette and get your $h!t together, girlfriend! We're at War!!!

Kenji: I absolutely LOVED Kenji in this book. In Shatter Me, he was such an insensitive jerk, but he totally transformed in Unravel Me. Getting to know the real Kenji was so awesome. It’s like he went from being a forgettable character in Shatter Me to being a beloved childhood friend.Turns out he's strong, brave, smart, and everything else in between. Which naturally that also makes him super schmexy too!!! (hehe)

Adaaaaaam! I know, I know, I'm biased, but I swear I love my guy!!!! It breaks my heart that him and Juliette are having the “issues” they are having. It’s like, after everything they have been through, they deserve at least a sliver of a happy ending and it just never comes for them…it’s always one thing after the other. He’s such a kind, sensitive, and protective hunk of perfection, that it breaks my heart to see him so sad and beaten down about the situation. Ms. Mafi, you're killing me with this!! I can’t take the emotional distress of it all. Please, please, PLEASE help a sister out and give me the ending I want!!

Warner: OH.MY.GAW. I mean seriously Warner, why did you have to become so darn irresistible?!? I get that you’re all in love with Juliette, but becoming this sweet, charismatic, charming and honest guy is not what I was prepared for. Not that I could EVER take my heart back from Adam (because Adam literally stole my heart <3) but I have to admit that there were a few moments that I may have swayed just a tad and was just as smitten with Warner as Juliette was. Come on, talk about transformations?!?! Plus, HE HAS DIMPLES! So yea, total swoon factor going on Warner!

So here are my emotions, use what little life is left in them and be prepared to hyperventilate at least once while reading this book!!!

REVIEW: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
Publication Date: November 26, 1865
Publisher: Macmillan
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Weary of her storybook, one “without pictures or conversations,” the young and imaginative Alice follows a hasty hare underground—to come face-to-face with some of the strangest adventures and most fantastic characters in all of literature.

The Ugly Duchess, the Mad Hatter, the weeping Mock Turtle, the diabolical Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat—each more eccentric than the last—could only have come from that master of sublime nonsense, Lewis Carroll.

In penning this brilliant burlesque of children’s literature, Carroll has written a farcical satire of rigid Victorian society, an arresting parody of the fears, anxieties, and complexities of growing up.

Carroll was one of the few adult writers to successfully enter the children’s world of make-believe: where the impossible becomes possible, the unreal—real, and where the height of adventure is limited only by the depths of imagination. 

For some reason, this book was an incredibly slow read for me. I just could NOT get into it and i'm not 100% sure why.

For what it is, I can see why people were amazed at the writing style in this book when it originally came out in the 1800's. Lewis Carroll, pen name to Charles Dodson, was such an imaginative and creative writer for his time. He took a simple verbal story to a little girl and turned it into a superstar book franchise. Can't hate him for that..

Though I have to admit that this book was not my cup of tea (pun intended...hehe)

It really didn't give me the feels and addiction I was hoping for when reading. I kind of expected this book to be THE happy place of all happy places because I just knew (or thought I knew) that it would be one of the best books i've ever read....unfortunately it was not.

For one thing, I always assumed that Through the Looking-Glass was kind of a continuation to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Now I find out through this combination book, that they are actually totally different stories and that all "Alice" movies have combined into one story. I feel a little betrayed about that, but I can move on.

I wish there was more detail I could give you about the two stories, but they were both so hysterically insane that I simply just can't find any words to describe them to you.

The only thing I can say about my thoughts on this book is that we did not click! Unfortunately so, because I truly had high hopes for it and am slightly disappointed in my regards towards it. But as I said earlier, I can totally see why this book was loved during its time and even can appreciate that it will always remain a classic!

Though I did not enjoy my time reading it as much as I would have liked, I highly recommend everyone to find a copy of this book (or its variations) and start reading a piece of history that is sure to leave you feeling, if nothing else, impressed!

QUOTES (#1)

So I thought I'd try something different this week. I'm so addicted to words and the feelings they can elicit that I just HAD to start giving you a list of my favorite quotes.

I mean hey, the best way to get to know someone is by the books they read right? Well, here are some of the quotes from those amazing books I've read to help you get a little bit of a better look into the mind of Lexi :)

"Wonderland was all we had in common, after all; Wonderland was what was denied the two of us. I had denied him his; he had denied me mine." Melanie Benjamin, Alice I Have Been

"'Zach,' I said as I lay there 'Where did you go? When were you looking for me?' I shifted in his arms, looked into his eyes. 'Crazy.' His voice was a whisper against my skin. 'I went crazy.'" Ally Carter, Out of Sight, Out of Time

"'Just so you know Gallagher Girl,' he whispered softly, 'I'm going to kiss you now.'" Ally Carter, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

"'I remember everything about you,' says Peeta, tucking a lose strand of hair behind my ear. 'You're the one who wasn't paying attention.'" Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

"I think...you still have no idea. The effect you can have." Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

So that's it for today! Hope my little teasers pique your interest to read theses books and love them as much as I have...

Happy swooning :)

REVIEW: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to come by, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war - and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

This book started off a little rocky for me. I had a little bit of trouble getting past Tahereh Mafi’s style of writing. Once I adjusted though, this book was amazing. I mean it really just rocked my world with how awesome it is. There are so many factors that make this book great and the biggest one, which was what I hated in the beginning, is the strike through writing. I feel like it makes Juliette such a raw character, getting to know her in the most honest way possible: knowing every single thought she has.

And I definitely think that is the first noticeable thing about the book. the writing style is so different from any other book out there that it kind of draws you in, even if you're a little unaccepting in the beginning, like I was.

The main character Juliette, is such a great character to flow with. Seeing how she changes from beginning to end is so great to watch. From being skiddish and scared to finally embracing herself and her gifts… It’s definitely an empowering experience. I do have to admit though, she seems a bit off at first. You can tell right away that she’s had a lot of bad things happen to her and she hasn't been treated very well in her life at all, but her thoughts kind of lead me to believe that some serious therapy is needed to really get her over and moved on with every obstacle that she has encountered in her life. I have to give it to her though. She has made so much progress in such a short time and I think we owe a lot of that to Adam…and Warner.

No matter what horrible things we say about Warner (and we know they’re all TRUE) he was the spark that started the fire. Without his particular interest in Juliette, she never would have gotten out of that cell and into a glimpse of the real world. His interest in her gave Juliette her life back. She resisted every proposal he offered, but being back in the real world, being wanted, gave her the spark she needed. That being said, he is still the antagonist in this story and no matter what anyone says I believe there will never be anything good about him. He has way too much charm and influence for his own good!

And Adam…OHMAGAW can you say swooooon … I mean I'm literally gushing here…HE.IS.EVERYTHING! The fact that he did, technically, lie to Juliette when he first met her means absolutely NOTHING to me…Every decision he made was for her. I LOVE him and adore that he loves her so much. He even risked his life to be with her and protect her…gotta love a guy like that right!?

So, let’s just say that I'm thrilled that I read this book so late, because now I don’t have to wait a year for the next book in the series, Unravel Me. Can you say SQUEEEEEEE?!?!??!