2 for 1 Special! Book Review: Divergent AND Insurgent by Veronica Roth

This is week two of my three week long 2 for 1 book review special. The second 2/3rds-of-the-way-done-trilogy I will be reviewing is the Divergent and Insurgent from the acclaimed Divergent series by Veronica Roth.

One Choice

One Choice, decides your friends.

One Choice, defines your beliefs.

One Choice, determines your loyalties - Forever.

Overview:

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.

...AND then exciting stuff happens!!

Now!

Behold the FIVE FACTIONS!!!!

Ok, before I begin I need to take a deep breath because this series triggers some really intense reactions from me. *Deep Breath* Ok I will try to keep calm....

Oh.Hell.Must.SQUEEEEE!!!!!!

Ahhh!!!!

It is...Ahhh!

It is...Awww!

Awww-suhm!!!
Imma die! I'm dyi-

erg..arg...arrr...urrrgggg

I may be...erg...arrrgggg...Choking...urrgg

*cough, cough*

Sorry, Excitment is a powerful beast that cannot be contained! But in all seriousness, this is a wonderful series. Divergent is well written, fast-paced, unique, and original. The main character is worth admiring. Her voice provides wonderful narration to the story. The structure allows for the reader to get to know the main character and sets up the exciting developments that make up the unexpected climax. This action-packed book is about finding strength you never knew was there. It is about about facing your worst fears and learning what you are really made of.

So what about those comparisons to the Hunger Games?

Well Haymitch has the answer:

That's right! The Divergent series is more than worthy of such a grand comparison. Roth creates a world that is different from what we encounter in the Hunger Games, but like the Hunger Games she provides us with real characters, questions about violence, loss, and an unpredicatable plot. Also like the Hunger Games, Divergent is well written and very fast paced. It doesn't dwell on unnecessaries. It moves forward in an exciting and insightful manner.

Oh and another thing, Beatrice's love interest...he is, what's the word? oh yea, perfect! He makes me make chewbacca noises!

 He is so swoon-worthy, it's not even funny!!!
And yes, he has been granted the honor of being my #1 Book Boyfriend!! Congratulations to him!!! 

In my head he looks like this (granted most guys I imagine look something like this, well except shirtless):

photo of Steven R. McQueen from the Vampire Diaries.

Love at first read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now on to the sequel:

“People, I have discovered, are layers and layers of secrets. You believe you know them, that you understand them, but their motives are always hidden from you, buried in their own hearts. You will never know them, but sometimes you decide to trust them.”  (from Insurgent).

 I loved, and I mean LOVED, Divergent. I was so excited about the sequel...then I read it. What can I say?
Sometimes authors rock a novel and ruin the story with a sequel...this is most definetly NOT one of those cases. Insurgent. Blew. My. Freaking. Mind. And. Rocked. My. World. Seriously, this is how sequels should be written! It is seriously BEYOND AWESOME. Veronic Roth is just plain AMAZING! That is all.

In Insurgent, Roth is faithful to her characters. Sometimes in sequels it seems like the characters have changed completely; they are not the ones we got to know in the first book. Roth was not guilty of such a shift. Her characters do change, but they do so in a believeable manner. They are the same people only under different circumstances. I admire what she did with the whole love triangle tradition that we see in so many books these days. I will not say more except that she doesn't undermine the relationships we saw form in the first book. I also admire the way Roth writes her cliffhangers. She doesn't torture my poor, vulberable heart. She obviously leaves you wanting more, but she does it in a manner that brings the book to a close and prepares you for the next one. Some authors seem to rip your heart out at the last possible moment and taunt you with the promise that they will give what is left of it with the next book, yea I am thinking of you Catching Fire (I still love you, though)! But Roth does no such thing. Her endings raise all the necessary questions and emotions without drowning you in a sea of despair. Her endings work, nothing seems forced. Roth is seriously a great writer! I cannot believe Divergent is her first novel! She has obviously been destined for great things!

This is not your typical dystopian series and I think the ending of Insurgent makes that clear. For all its similarities with the Hunger Games (both are fast-paced, exciting, and well-written;both are action-packed and deal with violence; and both have characters with depth and inner strength), reading the Divergent series is a different experience. Roth makes sure to forge her own path and that makes these books worth reading. I absolutely cannot wait for the third book! I hunger for it like I hunger for life itself!

ps. the Bonus material at the end of the paperback edition of Divergent is awesome. The special edition of Insurgent comes out in October. Can't wait to see what bonus goodies that edition will have!

In summation:

I LOVE DIVERGENT!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE INSURGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE VERONICA ROTH!!!!!!!!!

They are so awesome they make me cry!

It is like seeing the very first sunrise!

So beautiful!

You have to read these books. Everything else is secondary.

2 for 1 Special! Book Review of Matched AND Crossed by Ally Condie

Today is the beggining of a 3 week long 2 for 1 book review special. I will be reviewing three trilogies that are two-thirds of the way to being complete. I will begin with the Matched Series which has received a great deal of attention:

"The hottest Y.A. title to hit bookstores since The Hunger Games."

-Entertainment Weekly

"Impressive writing that is bound to captivate young minds."

-Los Angeles Times

 "If you  like a ton of romance with your totalitarian government, this novel is for you."

-Family Circle

Now, without further ado, I present to you Matched and Crossed (Matched Series, Books 1 and 2) by Ally Condie:

An Overview of Matched:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

As for Crossed…lets just say it takes off right where the first one leaves off. And yes it does have a higher degree of action, though not the steamy kind…damn. Oh and there is shifting point of views. But that is all I can say about it. We all hate spoilers!

Now let us take a moment to admire those pretty cool covers, especially the first one! I want to paint my bedroom walls that exact shade of green! Ok that’s enough.

So what do I have to say about 2/3rds of the Matched Series?
Well it’s certainly no Hunger Games, but it’s not too bad. Grade? hmmm...I would say a B (3 stars ***), although the second book might be more of a B-. Overall, I say that this is an "eh, it's not so bad, I don't love it but I certainly don't hate it" kind of series. 

I don't want to be a hater, and I don't think I am being one when I say that I feel this series is really nothing special. I do not understand the comparisons to The Hunger Games. I mean there is a love triangle--which is obvious from the synopsis---but other than that it is nothing like The Hunger Games.  I love The Hunger Games and I take comparisons to it very seriously. Matched lacks the pace and succinctness of The Hunger Games. The writing isn't bad, it's actually beautiful, but the story itself doesn't connect with the reader the same way The Hunger Games does. Reading Matched and Crossed is simply reading a beautifully-told-sorta-interesting story that you don't really get sucked into. You are simply an observer, whether you are an interested observer or not I guess depends on your taste.

It seems like this story is mostly a not-so-romantic love triangle with the dystopian stuff in the background. I mean it is something to read, but it is no MUST read. Mostly I feel that Matched failed to provide proper character development. I did not become emotionally invested in the characters. I see them all as pawns in a game, not as people I could really connect with. None of them really stood out, except maybe Xander, but even he didn’t really leave a strong impression on me. And to be honest, the whole story feels forced. It lacks a sense of direction and structure. It roams the surface of an interesting plot, but it never dives into the awesome story it could have been. The first one ends with a not-so-exciting ending, yet an intriguing concept is introduced/hinted at.The second book was rather slow, even though it does pick up at some points and there is more action, I feel the writing made it feel like it was going slow even when it was meant to be fast paced. Even the shifting viewpoints turned a bit tedious at some points, but it was still refreshing to see things from the other character's point of view.

I guess the best way to phrase it is to say that the Matched Series is just ok. It has its moments, but mostly I find the story sort of...whats the word I am looking for? Dry. Yes I find it a bit dry. There are still things I liked about it, though. I liked the world. I think it would be an interesting sight to see. I like that Crossed uses shifting of point of views between the two main characters. I liked that there was some poetry incorporated into the story. But it just doesn't come together in a way that makes me LOVE these books. They are just "eh." I feel there was so much potential here, it was just never...REACHED (jeje take a look at the third cover, I just made a PUN!!). To make matters worse, I don't buy into the main love story. I just don't see it. And I have a confession: I read the second book, but when there were just a few pages left I just skimmed the rest of it because I didn't find it very interesting...yes, I feel bad about that. Especially since I think it was supposed to be a major cliffhanger. I suppose the real problem comes from the fact that based on all the hype, I was expecting, well, more. I know that all books can't be The Hunger Games. When I hear that this book is "as good as The Hunger Games" I am not expecting to read a different take on the same story, I am looking for impact. I am looking to be sucked in like I was with Suzanne Collin's books. I want to be drawn in by an interesting story with characters with depth and I want to be confronted with questions about my beliefs or point of views.

I would recommend these books for the younger readers. It might be a good start for those who are not familiar with dystopian Y.A. novels. If it is on your Wish List...what can I say? I guess the advice I would have given myself is get other books you are excited about and maybe save this one for a slow day. I don't hate  this series, but I also don't love it. I do not want to influence your opinion too strongly, I am just being honest. The first one is definitely worth trying out. Go hang out at Barnes and Noble and sneak a read, you know, taste it and see if it is to your liking. I read the free sample before I went out and purchased this book and I got really excited. Then when I read it I was a bit disappointed because I thought I would have gotten into the story and I found I didn't really care about it all that much. I had such high hopes and maybe my disappointment is fueling this review too much. As Shakespeare said, "Expectation is the root of all heartache" (I read that in a bathroom stall). I am a bit heartbroken. I wish I had liked this series more, but like I said before, its really not too bad!

Coming November 13, 2012!

So here is the important question: Will I be reading the third book, Reached, when it comes out Nov. 13, 2012?

The answer is yes, probably yes, most likely I will, if I can. Although this series doesn’t spark the ardent devotion others have, although neither Ky nor Xander have joined my other book boyfriends, the plot is interesting enough to stir my curiosity. I do want to know what happens next. But will I have a heart attack if I don't get my hands on the third book? No. This is no Hunger Games, or Infernal Devices Series...still, I want to know how Ally Condie plans to fix this weird love triangle thing, (I think I already have an idea, but I want to see). I really don't care about any of the characters so I wont freak out regardless of what she does. Here's another reason why I will probably get the third book: I already have the first two, why not just complete the set? So yes, I will most likely be reading Reached… Hell! I hope my ERA (Extreme Readers Anonymous) sponsor isn’t reading this…I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t have a reading addiction problem, I could stop if I tried! ehh...*Cough, Cough*

So what should you take from this review?

1) This series is ok, (yes just ok). I have focused more on what I didn't like so I want to make it clear that this series is still pretty ok.

2) It is well and beautifully written, but the story is not very engrossing.

3) It is not like The Hunger Games.

4) I recommend it for the younger Y.A readers.

5) Read it if you have a chance.

Now take some "free samples" of Matched:

“Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs.” 

“It is strange how we hold on to the pieces of the past while we wait for our futures.” 

“They are giving us pieces of a real life instead of the whole thing. They have perfected the art of giving us just enought freedom; just enough that when we are ready to snap, a little bone is offered and we roll over, belly up, comfortable and placated like a dog... "

“For what is the point of having something lovely if you never share it? It would be like having a poem, a beautiful wild poem that no one else has, and burning it.”

Coming Tomorrow! This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

“We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the soundtrack of our own impending death.” 

So tomorrow, Tuesday June 19, 2012 This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers will be released and I am excited! This book has already been added to my list of books to be purchased on my next book buying binge—which cannot come soon enough. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this is like one is as sweet as a caramel covered snickers, yes the cover is most certainly bomb diggity. When I saw it, I was immediately drawn to it like a moth to the light. Then I read the following synopsis on the Barnes and Noble site:

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Ok so the synopsis had my all giddy with excitement. And right when I thought I could not want this book anymore I looked down and noticed that there was an excerpt. I thought what the hell, I’ll go ahead and give it a read. I did and…I was hooked. I definitely recommend reading the Barnes and Noble excerpt, it's short and doesn't reveal much at all.

See if you get as hooked as I did: Read the BN Excerpt!

You can also read the first chapter in Courtney Summers's website. Read the first Chapter!

I already expect great things from this novel. I mean zombies and psychological turmoil? How can you miss! There is certainly a great deal of potential here. I have not read any of Courtney Summers's other novels but I figure one about the zombie apocalypse is a good place to start.

A Little About  Courtney Summers:

She lives and writes in Canada, where she divides her time between a piano, a camera, and a word-processing program when she’s not planning for the impending zombie apocalypse.

Other Novels by Courtney Summers:

Cracked Up to Be

Some Girls Are

Fall for Anything

Ps. please visit tomorrow to read my review of the first two books of the Matched Series by Ally Condie!

Plus dont forget about the Crush Tourney!!!

Nominate your favorite Y.A. hotties!!!

For more information scroll down and look at my last blog post,
or better yet,

To Nominate Click Here.

Remeber! NOMINATIONS CLOSE JUNE 19TH AT MIDNIGHT (CENTRAL TIME). That's Tomorrow! And don't forget to follow the rules, you wouldn't want your nominations to be deleted!!! 

Note: Last Year's Winner Jace Wayland/Lightwood/etc cannot be one of your 10 nominees.

And yes, you can still apply to be a character advocate! YA Crush Tourney 2.0- Advocate Sign Up! (ends June 19th).

2012 YA Crush Tourney

To nominate and\or take a look at the nominations click here!

YA Sisterhood is holding its second annual YA Crush Tourney and right now they’re taking nominations!!!

Last Year's Winner: Jace Wayland/Lightwood/etc

Take a look at the results of last year's tournament!

Who will battle in the Crushin' Tournament this year? Well, we get to nominate!

So head on over to the site and nominate the hottest guys in Y.A. lit!Hey we all have our list of fictional boyfriends, this is your opportunity to show them some love! What better way to thank them for fueling our dreams and fantasies??!!! Nominate your favorites and wait for the battle of the Crushes to begin!

Seriously, a tournament of book Crushes pitting it out against each other...this will be very fun indeed! I can't wait to see which ultimate hottie will take down the competition!

Oh and for those Jennifer L. Armentrout fans, she has promised, via Twitter, "incentives, SEXY incentives" for supporting her guys (i.e. Daemon from Obsidian and Seth and Aiden from the Covenant series)...I don't know about you, but I like sexy incentives! Daemon, here I come!


But before you rush to nominate make sure you know the following:

NOMINATIONS CLOSE JUNE 19TH AT MIDNIGHT (CENTRAL TIME). If you want to participate, HURRY! I have already nominated my loves, you should nominate yours (Jace not included, the guy won last year so he isn't eligible...fortunetly I am a lady with many fictional lovers so I was still able to fill all the slots).

Each person may nominate TEN book crushes. ONE TIME ONLY. If you submit more than one form-- all your nominations will be deleted. If you can't think of all ten now, you may want to wait, because once you submit, there's no adding more for places you left blank.

   

You MAY NOT nominate the same character 10 times (or any more than once). If you do, your nominations will be deleted.

They must be from a YA BOOK. If it's Mature YA/New Adult-- that's fine. But books that are definitely not YA will not count.

You MUST, MUST, MUST put your character's name AND the Book Title. Nominations without a book title will be DELETED.

As WINNER of the 1st Crush Tourney-- JACE WAYLAND/LIGHTWOOD is not eligible to be nominated. All nominations for that lovable bad boy will be deleted.

Jejeje, ah Jace! You can't stop yourself from falling in love with that one! I guess the same can be said for Will Herondale from the Infernal Devices Series...

And again, Jennifer L. Armentrout fans, remember "incentives, SEXY incentives" !!!

Now, if you are so inclined, head on over to the site and nominate your favorite hot guys in Y.A. lit! To nominate and/or look at the nominations click here!

WAIT!! There is more!

They are still accepting applications to be Character Advocates!

What does an advocate do?

Well if chosen, you'll represent one super awesome, hot character.
More than represent, you'll champion that character. You are expected to post about the tourney on your blog, tweet about it, attempt to contact the author, and spread the word in whatever way you can to get your guy votes.

*You'll create a character defense for the matches, which should inspire people to vote for your guy. You'll have assigned due dates for your defenses so that we have time to get the posts formatted before the match. If you fail to meet these deadlines, you'll be replaced.

*They are also  seeking Pinch-Hitters-- people willing to step in as last minute advocates in case someone else has to drop. If you're willing to do this (provided you aren't accepted as an advocate), please tell them in the very last section of the entry form.

*You can also choose the Tournament Tab at the top of the site and follow the links to old matches to get an idea of what this job entails (Take a look at the results of last year's tournament!).

Keep in mind-- they are  looking for advocates to represent these characters with passion, creativity, and class!

ALL ADVOCATE APPLICATIONS MUST BE TURNED IN BY MIDNIGHT CENTRAL TIME ON JUNE 19TH TO BE CONSIDERED.

That sound like fun to you? Well submit an entry!

YA Crush Tourney 2.0- Advocate Sign Up!

Book Review: Angel Burn (Angel Trilogy Series, Book 1) by L. A. Weatherly

Here is the Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble):

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L.A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip - and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

They’re out for your soul . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.

***

So what’s my verdict? No bueno. Yep, that’s what I said, no bueno. Not good. I give it 2 stars...maybe 2 and a half if I am feeling generous. I hate to say this but I feel I must: this novel is not very good. It is hauntingly cheesy, the love story is unconvincing, the characters lack depth, and the plot is sluggish. I had high hopes for this novel, but I had to force myself to finish it. I still cringe when the memory of those cheesy “romantic” exchanges between Willow and Alex pop into my head; they haunt me. Seriously, help. I consider the writing average. It lacks style and depth. It progresses slowly and, in many parts, it is just plain boring. The characters are empty. Willow is too annoying and shallow to be a good strong heroine. Alex is not a convincing “assassin”/love interest. Their love is too immature and cliché and shallow to be taken seriously. If this were a movie, it would be on Lifetime. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this novel to anyone who seeks some depth. If you are into obvious and uncomplicated characters, if you don’t like delving below the surface of a story, if you don’t expect to learn anything, if all you want is a straightforward uncomplicated love story, then ignore this review and read this book.

I hate that I didn’t like this book. Honestly, I wonder if perhaps I am being too harsh, but then I remember the writing, I cringe and then laugh at the ridiculousness thats is Alex and Willow. Seriously, it was a crappy patty with cheese. Don’t believe me? Ok here’s an example of how Willow describes kissing Alex: “It felt so, so good.” Yep. This short little phrase encapsulates the issues I took with this book. It is shallow and cliché and dumb. It’s like the author is trying too hard. It is obviously written by someone who isn’t really connected to the teenage frame of mind. I find it too simple-minded.  No matter how hard I try I just can’t like the characters. I have this powerful urge to get my shadowhunter friends from The Mortal Instruments series, my dauntless peeps from the Divergent Series, and a couple of graced fighters I met in Graceling to come with me and just beat the cheese and gravy out of Willow and Alex. Yes, I have violent urges towards those two. I can’t help it! They annoy the crap out of me! I want them in pain! I want to go ninja on their asses! *Deep Breath*Alex is supposed to be this bad-ass assassin (jeje please note the alliteration there)…Alex a bad ass assassin? …yea well, it’s not working. I bet that if you were to put him next to the truly delicious bad-asses from other books he would cry. I would love for him to meet Jace! Alex would shart his pants! And Willow comes across as a bit weak. I think even Bella Swan would find her annoying. She is supposed to be this hot blonde chick that doesn’t really have friends at school because she likes to fix cars oh and is psychic…yea . Anywho, I just plain don’t like the main characters. As for the villains...well...they also suck ass! Evil Angels my ass, more like annoying mofos (seriously mofos)! I just don't like anyone from Angel Burn. They can all go jump of a cliff for all I care, in fact I encourage it. Looking at other reviews online I realize that some people really like this book. I guess it’s the equivalent of people liking those Lifetime movies. You know exactly what’s going to happen and the characters are just empty place holders for the “hero” and “heroine” roles, no more no less, but I guess that works for some people. I’m just not one of them. I will not be reading the sequel (Angel Fire). I just don’t give a damn. Not reading a sequel is big for me, I usually succumb to some degree of curiosity, but seriously like I said, I don't give a damn. But who knows, you might enjoy it. If you have some time to kill, I would NOT suggest buying it, but I would suggest borrowing it from the library or a friend and taking it for a test drive.

Here are some “free samples” of the writing found in Angel Burn (no spoilers):

 

“I couldn't meet his gaze. I stared at the table just behind him--the mess of cards on it, the lantern giving off its quiet glow. ‘When you gave me your shirt to wear that night, I could feel you. I could feel your essence.’"

“There was no way that I wanted him to stop touching me, even for a few hours.”

“Willow nestled against him. He smoothed her long hair down the back of her T-shirt, feeling its softness. In a few moments she fell asleep again, her breathing warm and regular against his chest. Alex kissed her head, his arms tightening around her. As he drifted back to sleep himself, he saw a brief flash of the thousands of angels streaming in, but right then it seemed distant, almost unimportant. The only thing that mattered was that he was lying in a bed holding Willow, their bare legs entwined. It was all he wanted to do for the rest of his life.”

“‘How about that one? Is that a constellation?’
I asked, pointing upward. We were down in the small valley where the truck was parked. Alex sat leaning against a rock; I was between his legs with my back against his chest, his arms around me as we stared up at the stars.
‘Yeah, that's the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades.’
 He bent his head, and I caught my breath as his warm mouth nuzzled at my neck. I hadn't gotten even remotely used yet to how good it felt to be kissed by Alex.
‘It's so sexy how you know all of this,’ I said when I could speak again.
‘Yeah?’ I heard the grin in his voice. ‘I know the summer constellations, too. Will that get me bonus kisses?’
‘I think it might, actually.’”

A Brief History of the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer:

I think we it is safe to assume that we are all familiar with the Twilight series. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit those books have influence. The Twilight series was my first, yes that's right, it was the first complete series I read. It opened the door to fangirldom. Although I have long ago moved on, I think it is important to remember my roots. So in honor of the series that started it all for me, I present to you, A brief history of the plot of the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer (from Bella Swan’s point of view):

[SPOILERS! Beware! Do not read on from this point if you do not want to know what happens in all of the Twilight books! Seriously. You have been warned!]

Twilight: Hot albino guy from school pays attention to me...very unsettling. Hot albino guy is actually a vamp and as it turns out, he wants to eat me. Fortunately, he decides to date me instead. He gets mad when another guy tries to eat me. It’s ok we work it out.

New Moon: Because of the worse B-day party ever (where his entire hot albino vamp family tries to eat me), hot albino vamp guy breaks up with me. I get sad and go emo. Due to a misunderstanding that causes hot albino vamp guy to think I offed myself, some older, Italian, albino vamp guys want to eat me... but it’s ok we work it out. Hot albino guy and I are back on! But I worry about my friendship with a hot lycanthrope...

Eclipse: Hot albino vamp guy and hot lycanthrope want me cus I am so special. Both get mad when some girl wants to eat me. It’s ok we work it out. Hot albino guy and I decide to take our relationship to the next level: we is engaged.

Breaking Dawn: Wedding Bells and Teen Mom, vampire edition. Oh and don't worry, everything works out.

There you have it folks! The entire Twilight series in just a few sentences. Ah, fun times, fun times.

And FYI...

Upcomig Reviews:

Next Week - Angel Burn (Angel Trilogy Series, Book 1) by L.A. Weatherly

Week After Next - Matched and Crossed (Matched Series Book 1 and Book 2) by Ally Condie

THE LIST!

These Books Will Also Be Reviewed Soon!

Divergent (Book 1) 

Insurgent (Book 2)

by Veronica Roth

Delirum (Book 1) 

Pandemonium (Book 2) 

By Lauren Oliver

Obsidian (Book 1 of Lux Series)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

And Here We Go!!! (Graceling book review)

So we EXTREME book readers are always on the prowl for some good readin' and I am here to help! Recently I have come across some amazing authors and books and have even become hooked on a series or two or three…or four…maybe five or six…it doesn’t matter! I can stop anytime I want! But I don’t want to get into that quite yet. There will be plenty of time later on for me to introduce you to my more intense new obsessions. I wanted to start by being a bit more dignified and holding in that obsessive fangirl who swoons over Jace and Simon (see Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series) and runs around her house punching things and defeating imaginary daemons while waiting for Jace to barge into the room and take his shirt off aaand...ehh...ahh…Ehem. Well I am excited to start sharing with all you fellow Extreme Book Readers all the wonderful books I have discovered! For the first entree I decided to review Kristin Cashore’s Graceling.

Here’s the plot summary from the Barnes and Noble website:

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

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

So what was Graceling’s grade? I give it four solid stars (****)…which roughly translates to an A- …maybe an A…then what would five stars be an A+? Anywho, I’m not exactly sure what its letter grade would be, but it certainly earned a grade any mother would be proud of. Its writing is beautiful and its story captivating. There is enough action to make it exciting. I am a sucker for stories with swords and daggers and people who can just plain kick ass and Katsa is one strong lady with a ferocious attitude and a talent for wielding swords, throwing daggers, shooting arrows, oh and taking down any opponent with her bare hands. She’s the whole package! Yet for all her toughness I still found her loveable—she would probably kick my ass for saying so. There was also a surprisingly sweet love story, though it’s probably not exactly what you would expect. Graceling is a wonderful fairytale that features a strong heroine and a thrilling adventure. I definitely recommend adding Graceling to your summer reading list. 

In order to entice you to read this book I am providing some “free samples” below (don’t worry, there are no spoilers! These are just samples of what will await you if you do decide to pick up this book):

“‘I'm not going to wear a red dress,’ she said.
‘It would look stunning, My Lady,’ she called.
She spoke to the bubbles gathered on the surface of the water. ‘If there's anyone I wish to stun at dinner, I'll hit him in the face.’”

“‘What are you grinning at?’ Katsa demanded for the third or fourth time. ‘Is the ceiling about to cave in on my head or something? You look like we're both on the verge of an enormous joke.’
‘Katsa, only you would consider the collapse of the ceiling a good joke.’”

“‘You won't even take your bow? Are you planning to throttle a moose with your bare hands, then?’
‘I've a knife in my boot,’ she said, and then wondered, for a moment, if she could throttle a moose with her bare hands.”

“‘Your brand of comfort bears some similarity to your tactical offense.’”

“Mercy was more frightening than murder, because it was harder.”

 “‘Then she'll know I'll want to knock her senseless if she so much as looks at me.’”