Favorite Poem Friday (#9)

Good morning Swooners!

Today's poem is one of my absolute favorites! One that i've been obsessed with since I was a little girl because, even at the young age of 13, heartbreak and unrequited love were no strangers to me. 

Poor Girl by Maya Angelou

You've got another love

and I know it

Someone who adores you

just like me

Hanging on your words

like they were gold

Thinking that she understands

your soul

Poor Girl

just like me.

You're breaking another heart

and I know it

And there's nothing

I can do

If I try to tell her

what I know

She'll misunderstand

and make me go

Poor Girl

just like me.

You're going to leave her too

and I know it

She'll never know

what made you go

She'll cry and wonder

what went wrong

Then she'll begin

to sing this song

Poor Girl

just like me.

REVIEW: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2)  by Veronica Rossi
Publication Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

It’s been months since Aria learned of her mother’s death.

Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.

Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It’s a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it’s a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first.

Then it slips away. The Tides don’t take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry’s control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?

Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, can their love survive through the ever night?

Well I have to admit that this book was sooooooooooooo much better than its predecessor, Under the Never Sky. It took me a while to actually get into the first one, while this book just flowed so much better and had me hooked the entire time. Not a dull moment was had!

I think the author did a great job with the characters growth as well. It was such a great feeling to see Aria go from a weak, scared Dweller to a strong, fearless Aud. I think that even though she resisted the outside world in the beginning, she fully embraced it when she learned the truth about what she was.

I think Rossi's best character development was with Perry, though. Seeing his journey to becoming Blood Lord of the Tides was so great to read. It's amazing how his compassion and determination were seen as childish and weak in the beginning, but one incident earns him the respect and trust of the tribe. Meanwhile, he was doing what he had always tried his best to do, which was protect the Tribe. Proving his journey to be genuine and realistically showing that loyalty and trust are earned!

Now Sable, on the other hand, is a total dog! He is just as horrible as I imagined him to be! He seems "not-to-bad" at first. He treats Liv well and seems like he cares about her, but that's all a rouse! He has nothing but malicious intent and we later learn when certain situations involving Liv (and Cinder!) arise.

One issue I had with this book, which I also had with Under the Never Sky, is the lack of world-building. We still have no idea how the world ended up the way that is was, filled with Aether storms and people separated into different status groups (ie: Dwellers and Outsiders)

Another issue I had, which isn't a huge deal, is the cover of this book. I don't normally comment on covers, but this one really bothers me. I know that the guy on the cover is supposed to be Perry, but that's not how I pictured Perry at all! He's way to boyish and clean-cut on the cover...shouldn't he be more rugged and savage looking? Maybe it's just my opinion, but yea...that's not my Perry!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think Veronica Rossi did a great job with this story!

FEATURE: Thoughts on Catching Fire (The Movie)

Morning swooners,

So before I say anything else, I have to let you know that there are SPOILERY WATERS UP AHEAD! READ WITH CAUTION!! 

Now, where was I? Right! I was about to tell you that I was actually able to see Catching Fire this weekend....twice! And after having gone through an emotional three day recuperation period, I find that I am STILL.NOT.OKAY!!

So, finding inspiration from my friends Betsy and Melody over at Bookcrastinators in Wonderland, I have decided to express my feelings about this movie via GIFs because there are truly not enough words in the dictionary to explain my emotions right now...

For those of you that haven't seen the movie...you need to do so ASAP!! For those you of that haven't read the books yet...what are you waiting for??? Special invitations come via screams on this blog and I'm officially screaming at you to GO READ THIS SERIES!!!! (Then we can flail around talking about our feeeeeelingssss)

So here it goes, this is my heart on a platter for you. Do with it what you will, it's emotionally damaged anyway!

While watching the previews, anxiously waiting for the movie to start:

When Feature Presentation came on the screen:

From then on is when I really become an emotional wreck!!!

When Katniss shoots the turkey and has a "meltdown"

Swooning over Gale:

Swooning over Peeta:

When we meet Finnick:

Swooning over Finnick:

When Effie is sad for Peeta and Katniss:

Whenever President Snow is around:

When Cinna is attacked in front of Katniss:

***Realizing that Peeta will NEVER be the same***

When the Dome breaks and they rescue Katniss:

Emotionally distressed after the movie:

So that's me in a nutshell swooners. I still have so many emotions to work through right now, but I know I will get there. When I start thinking about what Mockingjay has in store, my eyes truly tear up. For now though, I will deal with this emotional roller coaster day-by-day.

My advice:

REVIEW: Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi

Roar and Liv (Under the Never Sky 0.5)  by Veronica Rossi
Publication Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: eBook Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Before Perry and Aria, there was Roar and Liv.

After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv's unpredictable older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never looked kindly on Roar and Liv's union. Normally, Roar couldn't care less about Vale's opinion. But with food running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale's leadership is more vital - and more brutal - than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of Tides forever. 

This was such a great novella to read for me. I absolutely loved getting to know Roar better and finally getting to know Olivia. I read this novella after the first book, Under the Never Sky, so I really didn't know anything about Liv as a person. After reading this novella, I really got to know her and Roar in a new light and I loved seeing them together.

The only bad thing that I can say is that it makes me that much more sad to see them go through everything that's happened. I can tell that they are both strong characters and I know that they will find a way to get through this. For now though, I can only imagine what's in store for them as a couple and for some reason it reminds me of Perry and Aria. I keep thinking of all the struggles that they have faced and will face together in the future and all the struggles that Roar and Liv have faced and will face and it just keeps building all this anticipation and fear for them.

Looks like these characters have a long, bumpy road ahead of them and I can't wait to join them on their journey!!

REVIEW: Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

Star Cursed (Cahill Witch Chronicles #2)  by Jessica Spotswood
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate’s friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers- if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn’t want to be a weapon, and she doesn’t want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood’s schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she’ll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess’s quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternative history of New England.

That ending though…THAT ENDING!!!! My emotions are too much right now...READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

The feelings I have right now are too tremendous to properly describe for you…but I’ll try my best to give you a good review without my emotional baggage tagging along...

Let me start by saying that I LOVE everything about this book. Which only makes this review even harder to write because I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it...the only "bad" thing that I can say is that the ending of this book left me DEVASTATED!!!! But it was so heartbreaking that it was GOOD!!! So you see where my issue is!

Anywho, lets start with the progress of our characters. Particularly our favorite witches, the Cahill sisters.

Cate, the eldest sister, we left off in Born Wicked thinking she was the prophesied witch that everyone was looking for. She has matured so much in this book it amazes me. She went from babying her sisters to actually letting them be themselves and it was such a beautiful thing! She has also learned so many things, magical and otherwise, that it makes me feel a sort of "pride" for her. Especially when she realizes that her magic isn't all bad, something happy for her in a world of sorrow and secrecy. 

Maura, on the other hand, was such a disappointment for me (I guess I DO having something negative to say lol) her character seems like she really hasn't learned anything from her experiences. The only real change I see in her is that she is better at being conniving, spiteful and all around sinister! Such horrible (and WICKED) features!!! There are moments in the book when you can see how truly vulnerable she is, and though those moments are far and few in-between, my heart actually breaks for her in those moments. That is until her fits of jealousy emerge and you see how horrible she can be. The things she says and DOES to her sisters is just heartbreaking...HEARTBREAKING!!!

Tess, Ah we learn so much about Tess in this book. She was already a great character in Born Wicked, but we see her in a much more mature role in Star Cursed. She is such a powerful witch and loving sister that it hurts me to see all the drama that unfolds with these three girls.

And lastly, Finn!!! The life of my heart, I CANNOT even speak about him right now. My heart still hurts too much to form anything other than gut wrenching squeals and tears. I know this statement creeps into semi-spoilery waters, but there are no other words right now.

So finally, I hope that after what's been said you can still find as much joy in this book as I did because it really is a great sequel to the Cahill sisters journey and I am just as frightened at what's to come for Cate, Tess and Maura AND Finn as Cate is, but I know that Mrs. Spotswood will give them the ending that they deserve.

REVIEW: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)  by Veronica Rossi
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she’s never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He’s searching for someone too. He’s also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other’s best hope for finding answers.

For some reason nothing about this book really drew me in initially. The cover seemed blah, the synopsis was just ok and the author didn't "sell" it to me when I met her at a signing…but after all of that I still felt compelled to read it when my good friend Jenn at Books and Swoons recommended it to me several times.

So read it I did and of course LOVED it because I love every book that she recommends to me, and now I’m left wondering why it took me soooooo long!?!?!??!?!!?

This book is categorized as a dystopian, but I think it’s got a bit of fantasy in there too so not entirely sure how I would label it just yet. We start off learning about the two the types of people in the world, one being the “Dwellers” that live in pods to protect themselves from the outside world of death and destruction and the other is the “outsiders” where there are tribes that have learned to live among the storms and destruction that occur. This world seems more of the dystopian type. I think the fantasy comes in when we discover that the Aether storms created certain mutations that gave some people “powers.” These powers are pretty much just extremely strong senses, Audiles can hear really well, Scires can smell tempers, and Seers can see extremely far and/or in the dark.

The MC’s were truly a great team in this book. We have Aria, the “Dweller” that lives in the main pod called Reverie. Then we have Peregrine aka Perry who is an “outsider” that was “twice gifted” as being a scire and a seer. Then the supporting characters come along starting with Talon, Perrys’ favorite and only nephew, who was taken by the Dwellers for reasons not fully known until the end of the book (no spoilery waters here folks :o)) and Vale, Perry’s brother and Blood Lord of the Tides. WISH there was more I could say about HIM but I could never form the words without giving everything away so for now I leave you with this: He is so shady!!!!!

Then of course we have Roar, who is Perrys’ best friend and in love with his sister Liv and my favorite, Cinder, the kid with the deadliest power of all. He can control the Aether through his blood. Pretty deadly when you realize that he doesn't even remember doing it!

Now to my favorite part, the swoons!!!

Perry, though a really tough guy, is also such a sweetheart! He saved Aria’s life MORE than once and even did it while he disliked her for “causing the Dwellers to take Talon by saving her.” I love that he fell in love with Aria and I love even more that it wasn't over night! Many books have love stories that happen way too fast, like why did you JUST meet and are already in LOVE!??!?! So yea, big plus to Ms. Rossi for her perfect timing in the love aspect of the story.

Now I would be remiss to not mention that this book is NOT A ROMANCE novel!!! Many people see it for the harsh world that it is. I, however, can pretty much find a love story in anything because that’s what I generally look for. So while this book is not really a love story, there IS a little something going on there.

The only thing I DIDN'T like about the book was the ending. And there was nothing bad about it, honestly. I just wish there was one last quote to finish it. It felt like there should have been a quote, but I’m sure whatever it lacked in this book will be overflowing in the next!

FEATURE: Swoon Thursday (#1) Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

A weekly meme from YA Bound

From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog. The awesome girls over at YA Bound want to know!

This week my swoon worthy book is:

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

"I guess you're fine with touching." His tone was light but his arms shuddered around her. He shifted them, his hands rubbing her back, sending ripples of heat through her.

"That was my first kiss," she said. "My first real one." He brought his head close, resting his forehead on hers. Blond waves fell around her face, soft against her cheeks, His chest rose and fell as he drew in a breath. "Felt like the first real one for me, too."

BOOK TRAILER: United We Spy by Ally Carter

Hi Swooners!

So our dear friend, Ally Carter, has generously released a book trailer for her latest (and FINAL) Gallagher Girls book, United We Spy...SQUEEEE!!!




Check it out and tell me how much you LOVE it and CAN'T wait for this book to come out already...

3 days and counting!!!




So here it is...

REVIEW: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5)  by Tahereh Mafi
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: eBook Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookstore

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner- and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of…

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as eve, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

So I have to admit that i'm totally in shock with Warner right now. I just can't believe that he isn't the person I thought he was. He seems so sweet and kind in this novella that it leaves me feeling really, really, REALLY sad for him. Especially now that he's actually in love with Juliette. I mean come on, Warner?! Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be...

We come to learn a lot about Warner in this novella, showing a side of his that we never knew was even there. Turns out he's not as heartless a we thought! It definitely leaves me wondering what is going to happen with him and Juliette. Maybe there is something there after all??? Maybe she's the one to change him and make him a better person. Or maybe not! 

My thoughts? Keep dreaming Warner! Juliette and Adam BELONG together!!!

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!!!

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?!?!??!

REVIEW: Once by Anna Carey

Once (Eve #2)  by Anna Carey
Publication Date: July 3, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the second book of this thrilling dystopian adventure, Eve will come face to face with the King who has been ruthlessly hunting her and learn the shocking truth about who she really is.

Having managed to evade the soldiers hunting her, Eve finally reached Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the King of New America. However, Eve's freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems she sets out once again in the hopes of being with Caleb only to fall into a trap that sends her to the City of Sand and directly into the hands of the King.

Once at the stronghold of the King, Eve will uncover the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb inside the city wall, Eve will risk everything to be with him.

For some crazy reason, the first book in this series, Eve, gave me a severe case of The Feels. So you can imagine my disappointment when I pick up Once, and find that I am just a tad bit unimpressed with the outcome.  I mean come on, there should be a rule written in a place that only authors can find telling them that filling a book with tons of cliché’s is a mega “no-no.”

That being said, I still love the idea of the story and all the possibilities of what can happen next, in Rise, that I'm still fangirling over it a just little bit…does that make sense??? Yea I know, I'm weird like that lol

In Once, I think that Eve’s character has lost some fire. She seemed so strong willed in Eve, that I have to wonder what happened. I understand that she’s on the run, I understand that she’s being hunted, and I understand that she’s worn out…but I cannot, for the life of me, understand why she’s weakened over time. Until she hears news of Caleb, she is completely worn down and sad and depressed and everything else that someone would feel in her situation…but she SHOULDN’T be feeling it…it sounds like the only thing to give her inspiration is when she hears about Caleb. I don’t think that any woman should only be inspired when a man is involved. I think this book was the perfect opportunity for Anna Carey to really make Eve grow as a person. Instead she made her seem weak, needy, and totally dependent.

Getting that off my chest, I do have to admit that I really did enjoy the love scenes between Eve and Caleb. The love between those two is so beautiful and strong to me that I have to believe that something great will come of it, of them. With all the drama that’s happening there has to be some sort of happy ending for those two seemingly star-crossed lovers (::spoiler:: because they ARE lovers now! ::spoiler::)

And that ending…………….. I literally died. Dropped dead right there on the floor. OHMYGAW!! That ending was so perfect…perfectly wicked, perfectly cruel, and perfectly heartbreaking. I mean of course I knew things would take a turn for the worst at some point but I never imagined that things would end JUST.LIKE.THAT!!! I can’t  believe she did this to me, to Eve, TO CALEB…looks like after all that junk in the middle there just might be hope for the finale of the series, Rise…

And dare I say… I CANT WAIT!!!

REVIEW: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

I'm pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts o Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

I have to say that I ABSOLUTLY LOOOOVED this book!!! This series is my first intro to Lauren Oliver and I definitely love her as a writer now…I'm a fan, you got me!

With this book we saw the best version of Lena. She has changed so much from the naïve young girl she was in Delirium to the strong and brave girl in Pandemonium that is willing to do whatever she needs to do to survive. Seeing her change in attitude from the “Then” and “Now” chapters the book breaks into really gives her so much more credibility when you consider how much she’s grown through all of the struggles and loss she’s endured. Normally I hate this kind of switch in books, but Lauren Oliver does a great job at keeping the pace up and definitely handled the transitions very well. Though I must admit my preference was with the “Now”

After what happened in Delirium with Alex, I thought it would be so difficult to ever find another love for Lena. I mean, how could we ever move on from Alex? He was the love of her life in a world where love wasn’t “allowed” needless to say I was heartbroken… but then we meet Julian. At first I'm a little skeptical about it because my love for Alex was so strong. But Julian won my heart over instantly. Though naïve, Julian was so brave and strong in everything he did. Running away to the wilds with Lena was not as traumatic as it could’ve been because he was already used to doing the extreme with his family. My heart definitely melted for Julian in a way that I did NOT expect.

I think that comparing the love Lena and Alex had  to the one Lena and Julian had is a bit unfair because both relationships are both so unique and genuine. That being said…umm, Team Julian? Team Alex? I'm STILL torn!!! I’ll keep you posted on that…

And then there’s the ending…I'm still in a complete tizzy over it!!! There are so many ways this story can end and I'm not 100% sure what I want to happen at this point. Well…I kind of am, but Lauren Oliver certainly knows how to throw a curve ball so I won’t be getting too attached to my ideas just yet…

REVIEW: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

This book… ::Sigh::… THIS BOOK! It’s definitely been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me…to say the LEAST! After my dear friend Jenn recommended the first book in the series, Delirium, I was captured by its powerful story and plot…hook, line and sinker!

The second book, Pandemonium, was just as emotional as the first and last books, but had me feeling a sense of happiness throughout the book because of all that had unfolded. Then the end throws us for the shocker and that’s where we begin with this book.

I’ve been thinking about how this series could end and I have to say is…I was NOT impressed. I had several scenarios unfolding in my head and Lauren Oliver did not use ANY of them. I mean, hello?! I worked hard on this ending,…she should have too! Right?!

Oliver took this story and took it on a totally different level. And that’s not to say that the writing wasn’t good, because it was! And the story wasn’t bad…it just was so far off from what I had hoped it would be that it left me yearning for more. The ending was left so open and incomplete that I feel like I never got the closure I needed. Whether I approved of Lena’s decision in boyfriends it didn’t matter. I just needed that closure and Oliver highly disappointed me on this level. You can’t have a story centering on the idea that love is a disease and detailing all of the struggles that occur from the people who support the cure and people who didn’t support the cure, then completely ignore the fact that behind all the fighting and death and war there was a real love story that never had a happy ending.  I just can’t deal with that…I.JUST.CAN’T!

Then, of all other things to leave unfinished, we never know what happens to Hana. After all that happened with the betrayal,  the bomb, her horrible husband, and the final confrontation between her and Lena, we never even get to see THEIR happy ending.

And finally, Raven, that truly broke my heart. After all Raven has done for Lena and the relationship that unfolded between the two of them. Seeing the kind of strong, brave person that Raven was, Oliver betrayed her character by giving her the ending that she did. Raven definitely didn’t deserve that. She was too strong a person to go down the way she did. Not cool Lauren Oliver…NOT.COOL!

So, though this is definitely one of my favorite series EVER. I have to say that this particular book saddens me in a way that you will never understand. 

REVIEW: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman
Publication Date: April 2, 2009
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

If I stay definitely threw me off a bit when I started reading it. I didn't really know anything about the book and kind of had a different idea of what it would be about. What I got from that situation was a happy surprise to say the least. The story is so beautifully written by the author and pile that on top of the fact that the idea is such a beautiful one and BAM you have a great book!

The book begins with a snowstorm in Oregon. School gets canceled for a teenager Mia and her younger brother, Teddy. The family makes plans to visit some friends during this “day off” and within the first chapter of the book, Mia’s family suffers a terrible car accident leaving Mia as the only survivor.

Mia lies unconscious in a hospital bed but is also present outside of her body. She can see everything that is going on, but no one can see her. She finally realizes that she has to make the difficult decision to stay on Earth with her grandparents and love of her life, Adam, while feeling the constant heartache of losing her entire immediate family or she has to choose to continue on to the afterlife with her parents and her brother and leave her remaining family and boyfriend back on Earth.

Now I have to admit, even though Mia’s entire family passes away, I wasn’t completely overcome with emotion, like I felt I should be. I think that because we JUST started reading the book, the author takes such an extreme turn too soon and doesn’t give the reader enough time to really get to know the characters. I will say though, that I did feel sadness when reading that Teddy, Mia’s younger brother, doesn’t make it through. Reading those passages truly hurt me for Mia and her brother. Maybe because I know that I love my brothers more than anything and could never imagine losing one of them. at that moment I feel her pain like it was my own.

I also had another moment of true heartache while reading this book-- when Mia’s grandpa comes into her hospital room and tells her that’s it’s okay to let go. That yes, she has family left that love her and want her to stay, but she doesn’t need to suffer just for them. He tells her that it’s okay if she wants to die, it’s okay if she wants to join her parents and brother. That moment truly broke my heart. I could feel all the love and sorrow that the grandfather was feeling for his only surviving grandchild. I could see that, at that very moment, though he loved her dearly, he put her needs above his. Such a powerful scene in the book, check it out below -- and prepare for the water works

“It's okay,' he tells me. 'If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more than I've ever wanted anything in my life.' His voice cracks with emotion. He stops, clears his throat, takes a breath, and continues. 'But that's what I want and I could see why it might not be what you want. So I just wanted to tell you that I understand if you go. It's okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you want to stop fighting.'

For the first time since I realized that Teddy was gone, too, I feel something unclench. I feel myself breathe. I know that Gramps can't be that late-inning pinch hitter I'd hoped for. He won't unplug my breathing tube or overdoes me with morphine or anything like that. But this is the first time today that anyone has acknowledged what I have lost. I know that the social worker warned Gran and Gramps not to upset me, but Gramps's recognition, and the permission he just offered me--it feels like a gift.

Gramps doesn't leave me. He slumps back into the chair. It's quiet now. So quiet you can almost hear other people's dreams. So quiet that you can almost hear me tell Gramps, 'Thank you.”

Overall, it was a great book and I highly recommend it to all. Now to get started on round two, Where I Went

REVIEW: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver
Publication Date: February 3, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.



This book was recommended to me by a friend that absolutely loved it.  I put off reading it though, because to be honest...it didn't sound that good. But boy was I WRONG! This book took me on an emotional ride that completely shocked my system. 

When I started reading Delirium, I had very low expectations about it. The idea that love is a disease that can be cured sounded a bit silly to me. However, Lauren Oliver truly has a great imagination and turned this seemingly dull story into a powerhouse. 

We begin with Lena, an average teenage girl. She loses her mother when she is a small child to the "disease" and ends up living with her aunt and cousins. She only really has one friend, Hana, that is her absolute best friend. Hana, seems like a really good friend in the beginning  She encourages Lena to continue her secret relationship with Alex (who we'll talk about later) and keeps all of her deepest secrets...until one day she doesn't... the betrayal is almost too much to bear. Lena, doesn't know about this betrayal until later on, but the reader can definitely feel the heartbreak that Lena is going through and doesn't understand why it all happened. 

Alex is the boy that stole Lena's heart...and mine **squeals with glee** with a flash of his smile. Alex cares so much about Lena and would clearly do anything for her, including give his life. The love between these two is so heartwarming and Alex is truly so delectable that you have to wonder where he is in this world. He must be somewhere... Find.Him.Now!

So without further delay I urge you all to go out and buy this book, find a shady tree to urch by, and lose yourself in this wonderful world that Lauren Oliver gave life to. 

Kudos to you Ms. Oliver, I look forward to the next one!

REVIEW: Alice I have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Alice I Have Been  by Melanie Benjamin
Publication Date: January 12, 2010
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?

Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.  

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire

I first heard of this book when I was reading an article in Cosmopolitan Magazine. After reading about the author and the story she wrote, I craved the book with a hunger that couldn't be satisfied fast enough. After a few weeks, I bought the book and began my journey into this wonderful fictional story.

Alice I have Been is about Alice Liddell, the little girl that inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland, originally named Alice’s Adventures Underground.

Without giving away too much information about the book, I’ll start by saying that the minute I opened this book I was enthralled in Alice’s story. When Alice is a little girl she meets a man names Charles Dodgson, who the world knows as his pen name Lewis Carroll. Upon that initial meet you can tell instantly that something is coming over the two of them.  Though unnatural for Dodgson to be so enamored with Alice, they are well able to hide the confusing feelings that transpire between them. After several years and meetings pass by though, the family as well as onlookers seem to notice the connection that Dodgson had with Alice.

This books definitely took me on a roller coaster ride of emotion as I felt the many joys and sorrows of Alice Liddell’s life. The book begins during her early childhood and ends during her elderly age, giving the reader a great overview of her life as “Alice”  my only real wish while reading this book was my hope that it was as real as the author made it feel. Of course, with the joys come the sorrows and I have to admit that her pain also brought tears to my heart. It seems that life during that time was not easy to live.

Thumbs up Ms. Benjamin…for an amazing and heart wrenching “almost” true story!

REVIEW: Eve by Anna Carey

Eve (Eve #1) by Anna Carey
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her. 

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Let me start by saying that this book definitely shocked me in more ways than one. The only reason I read this book is because I went to a book signing that the author was at. I was there for another author, but Anna Carey spoke so well during the event, I knew I had to buy it. Later, I was a little iffy before reading it, thinking that I may be a waste of time. So I read a few reviews for the book to see what other people thought. After reading  reviews, it was clear to me that my suspicions were right! Turns out, there were plenty of unflattering reviews for the book and the author (to my shock) but I decided to read the book anyway….and boy am I glad I did!!!

There were many things about the book that I absolutely LOVED. For one, the author wrote two extremely emotional scenes that literally brought me to tears. Now, I have to tell you that I am NOT a crier! But the author wrote those two particular scenes so well that every emotion was brought out in me…tears HAD to be shed!

Another thing I loved about the book are the characters. Though Eve is not a particularly deep character, she did portray (towards the end) a sort of sorrow for the line of bodies she left in her wake. It seems throughout the entire book, while I was screaming at her to wake up and stop being so selfish with all these people trying to protect her, she actually heard my pleas and GOT IT TOGETHER! Yayy for her (lol)

Caleb was a bit more together than Eve. I felt drawn to him from the moment he saved her life from the bear. The connection that grew between them was so beautiful to me and I definitely felt every tingle involved. It was also, however, a bit too fast. I feel like Eve was raised in a world where she was made to believe that all men were evil and unloving, so for her to fall in love so fast with Caleb was a bit off to me. But the love connection was definitely beautifully written.

But my absolute FAVORITE characters in the book were definitely Benny and Silas. I completely fell in love with those two little boys from the moment Eve met them in the dugout. They captured my heart in every way possible and my heart completely broke when the girls were taken away from them. Watching that scene (in my head) was so devastating. At that moment I felt all the pain that Benny and Silas felt while running after Eve, screaming that they loved her. I realized that at that moment they fully understood what it meant to truly love someone and that was something that Eve taught them.  

Though I did love the book, of course there were a few small flaws. For one, as I mentioned, the love connection bloomed too fast considering that Eve was taught to hate men. Also, I feel like the extreme environment (ie: plague that takes out 98% of the world) was a bit undeveloped. I wish there would’ve been more explanation, more detail, more anything! And lastly, #1 pet peeve of the book….LEIF!!! He truly was such an a-hole!!! When he had that “moment” with Eve at the piano, I thought something really changed in him, like he finally opened up and you would finally see the good side to him that Caleb talked about. But for him to do what he “tried” to do to Eve was despicable!!! He should’ve been stoned, or beaten, or castrated!!! I mean honestly, come on…he’s a d-bag. Enough said!

So overall, I absolutely LOVED this story and can’t wait to read the next installment of the series, Once