Review: Allegiant

“Allegiant” (Divergent #3), by Veronica Roth. The GoodReads summary:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Due to the general outrage I’ve heard over this book, I wasn’t exactly in a big hurry to read it. But I was still committed to finishing the series. So after a few months of lending it to all my friends who wanted to read it, I finally decided to break down and read it myself.

Honestly, I didn’t have a problem with it, which I was happy about. While I still think the first book is by far the best, I definitely liked this third book better than the second one. In the second one, Tris annoyed me so incredibly much, and though I understood why she was acting that way, it didn’t make her any more likeable. But in this third book, Tris was back to being someone I could like and admire, for the most part.

I also remembered while reading this book how well Veronica Roth can write. I think the second book got on my nerves enough that I overlooked how deftly Roth can tell a story. But “Allegiant” reminded me that not only does Roth’s writing pull together a plot together pretty dang seamlessly, but she also can string words together in a way that skillful without drawing attention to itself. And I appreciated that she expanded the scope of the story in this third book. It felt like there were only three or four different settings in the first two books, and it was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic.

As for the thing that made everyone freak out, I have three thoughts (and I’ll try to keep it spoiler free). One, although I liked the book, I don’t think I was attached to the characters or story enough to truly care when that particular event happened. Two, I think doing what Veronica Roth did was pretty brave, considering she had to know the reaction she would get from her readers. And three, even though I think it took guts to put that in the story, I don’t think it was necessary; like, I think there were about a million other ways for the story to resolve without that event. It felt a little gratuitous.

Overall, much better than I was expecting based on other people’s reactions and how much I didn’t like the second book. While it didn’t amaze me, I was pretty content with it when I finished.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Other books in the series
Divergent
Insurgent

Review: Legend

“Legend,” by Marie Lu. The Goodreads summary:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

“Cute” and “fun” are not typically words I use to describe books in the dystopian genre, but I kinda feel like they fit in this case. Legend was about as untaxing a dystopian as any I’ve come across, though I don’t think the author necessarily intended it that way. But the plot was pretty straightforward and the characters relatively simple, and the result for me was that the whole book went down pretty easily. I don’t mean any of this pejoratively at all. I enjoyed Legend more than quite a few other dystopians because of all these things, in fact.

Like I mentioned, the characters in this book aren’t too complex. Their motivations are clear, and although June misleads Day for a while, that gets brought out into the open pretty quick. June and Day are fairly young—15, I think—and it shows a bit in their naiveté and how quickly they get all starry-eyed about each other. This is the kind of thing that usually annoys me, but this . . . sweetness, I guess . . . fit well with the relative simplicity of the book.

Even the things like street fights, interrogations, escape attempts, and confrontations with soldiers never quite seemed as brutal as might have been realistic. And although some really tragic things happen, I never really felt for the characters; it was more like an “oh, that sucks” reaction. Again, these types of things would usually bug me, but since they meshed with the other uncomplicated aspects of the book, I didn’t care as much as I typically would.

Overall, a dystopian that stays in the shallow end. But honestly, after some of the convoluted and confusing dystopian plots I’ve read, light and easy was a bit of a relief. The jury’s still out on whether I’ll be reading the rest of the series.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson. The Goodreads summary:

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

This fascinating novel represents a stunning new direction for acclaimed author Mary Pearson. Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity. Mary Pearson's vividly drawn characters and masterful writing soar to a new level of sophistication.

This book was pretty much nothing like I expected. In a good way. I was expecting this to be an action-y dystopian where after Jenna discovers the truth about her accident, she teams up with some friends, takes on the establishment, and ends up saving the world. I don’t know why I was expecting that, but I was. Seriously, through the entire book I kept waiting for the story to take that turn, and it never did.

Instead, what I ended up getting was a much more reflective book. Not reflective in a slow way, because Jenna keeps discovering new secrets right and left and that keeps the story going at a pretty fast clip. But reflective in that it’s a book that brings up issues that make you think. Like about what it means to be a human and what determines identity and worth. It also makes you think about medical advances and if it’s possible to go too far to save someone. And those are just the bigger questions—there are so many smaller ones it brings up as well.

So the majority of the book is Jenna trying to figure out her own answers to those questions. And trying to navigate the new relationship dynamics in her life—with her parents, with her grandmother, and with her newfound friends. I was really impressed with the way the author explored Jenna’s complicated relationship with her family. It was deftly done, and her family was really well-layered. Especially her parents. It would have been so easy to portray them as the bad guys, but instead Mary Pearson shows you not only their mistakes and struggles, but their intense, unwavering love for Jenna as well.

Overall, the book was really well done. It’s not big on action and adventure—in fact, like 90 percent of the book takes place at Jenna’s house. But despite that, it’s not a slow or boring book at all. There’s too much going on psychologically for that. So if you want a book that will give you things to mull over even after you’ve finished reading it, give this one a try.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Review: Green Heart (Green Angel & Green Witch)

Green Heart (Green Angel & Green Witch), by Alice Hoffman. The GoodReads summary:

When her family is lost in a terrible disaster, 15-year-old Green is haunted by loss and the past. Struggling to survive in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green relearns the lessons of love and begins to heal as she tells her own story.

As she heals, Green lives every day with feelings of loss. Her family is gone, the boy she loves is missing, and the world she once knew has been transformed by tragedy. In order to rediscover the truth about love, hope, and magic, she must venture away from her home, collecting the stories of a group of women who have been branded witches for their mysterious powers. Only through their stories will Green find her own heart's desire.

So the book’s called “Green Heart,” but it’s actually a compilation of two novels, “Green Angel” and its sequel, “Green Witch.” Both of the two novels are short, like less than 150 pages, so reading them together was basically the same as reading one full-length book. In Green Angel, Green is dealing with the grief of losing her family and slowly finding her way back to herself. In Green Witch, she’s searching out the women known as the Enchanted and ends up on a mission she wasn’t expecting. The stories pull together elements from both the dystopian and fairy-tale fantasy genres, which was a bit of an unusual mix, but it worked for me.

So now that those explanations are out of the way, can I just fangirl over this book a bit? Cuz I liked it quite a lot. First off, the writing was dang gorgeous. Writing styles that draw attention to themselves can go either way for me, but in this case, I thought it shaped the atmosphere and tone of the story really well. It made me feel like I was being told a story, rather than simply reading one. And speaking of stories, the plots of these two novels clicked with me. They aren’t super complex or detailed or anything—after all, the two books are short. But despite that, they feel complete and satisfying and not at all simple. Plus, I’m a sucker for stories about girls who have hit rock bottom but manage not only to survive but to bloom, despite their circumstances.

I don’t have that much more to say, actually. Some books just reach me on a level that I can’t express with words. And I’ll admit that elements of these two stories reminded me a little of certain Robin McKinley books, and once that connection was made, no matter how tenuous, my adoration of these books was pretty much cemented. But Robin McKinley aside, these are wonderful stories in their own right.

Overall, two gorgeous stories that I totally fell in love with. I was trying to decide if I prefer one over the other, but nope—I love them both. They’re both quiet stories, but Green Angel is especially so, since it focuses on Green’s inner journey while Green Witch deals with an actual physical journey. So actually, having both novels together in one book was really nice, because together they have a good balance. Anyway, moral of the story, I wholeheartedly recommend both.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book Light Confessional: Hallelujah, I've had a breakthrough!

You guys! I've had a breakthrough! Ever since I started reading YA, I've vastly, VASTLY preferred contemporary over paranormal or dystopian. I like some fantasy here and there, and there are the occasional dystopian or paranormal I really enjoy ("Divergent," the Vampire Academy series), but by and large, contemporary is where it's at for me. But I could never quite put my finger on why I like contemporary better than the other genres. When trying to explain this preference to others, I always fumbled for a response and settled for 1) I feel like I can relate to the characters more, and 2) There's less insta-love. Which are both very true for me, but I never felt like I was getting at the heart of the matter.

So flash forward to now. Last night I finished reading a paranormal YA/myth retelling, and as I was mulling over my thoughts on the book, trying to pin down my feelings about it, I finally hit on just what it is I prefer about contemporary YA: They take time to explore the relevant issues.

I'd been getting frustrated with more and more YA dystopians/paranormals recently without quite being able to express why I was dissatisfied. But now I've realized that it's because I feel like they pass up so many chances to more deeply explore the underlying issues or make a character more layered, all in favor of going after the more exciting plot twist. And I realize that not all dystopians/paranormals are this way (why hello, "This Is Not a Test" and "The Scorpio Races") and that there are plenty of contemporary YAs that only skate over the surface. But as a generalization, I find that contemporaries are more often willing to dig deeper in to motivation and character growth and all that jazz, where as dystopians and paranormals are more about being exciting and throwing plot twists at you and having everything be super dramatic and life changing. And that's fine. That's the genre. But it's not what I prefer.

I'm not trying to knock dystopians or paranomals here. Everyone has their opinions and preferences, and they're welcome to them. But when I read, I want to come out of the book with a sense of emotional satisfaction, and I find I get that much more often with contemporaries than I do with the other two genres. I mean, do I need to say anything more than "Jellicoe Road" to prove my point?

Any thoughts about why you prefer one YA genre above the others? Or think I'm totally off base here and have got tons of YA dystopians and paranormals that prove me wrong? 

Review: The Selection

The Selection, by Kiera Cass. The GoodReads summary:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I just . . . don’t know how I feel about this book. I liked the premise a lot. I mean, come on! Who doesn’t secretly love The Bachelor? So take the idea of The Bachelor and make it a competition to marry the prince, and you’ve got a potential goldmine. And on top of that, I thought the story was quite readable—even at the points where I wasn’t thrilled with the plot or the characters, I never felt like I didn’t want to read through to the end.

But. I thought the book fell short of its potential. I mean, you’ve got 30-something girls competing for one guy, but there’s practically zero drama? I felt a bit let down by that. There’s one girl who’s kinda catty, but other than that, everyone’s friendly and well behaved, so it got a little . . . not exactly boring but . . . not as interesting as it could’ve been, let’s just say. Especially since the competition is also a reality show, so the girls are being filmed as well as competing for the prince. You’d think that the combined pressures would make somebody snap eventually, but nope. Everyone’s super chill. I just wanted one good catfight out of it, to tell you the truth.

I also didn’t like America. And I’m not honestly sure why. She pissed me off for sure at the end because I felt like she was playing both guys, but even before that, practically from the beginning, she rubbed me the wrong way. And it’s not like I even have a specific reason why she got on my nerves. She just did. Something about the way she seemed to take herself too seriously, maybe? Anyway, I didn’t click with her personality, so I had a hard time caring about her feelings and actions. And let me tell you, it’s difficult to sympathize with a character that you couldn’t care less about.

Overall, this wasn’t the book for me. I couldn’t relate to the main character, and I thought the story was sadly lacking in drama. But I know plenty of people who loved this book, so don’t let my whining stop you if the premise appeals to you.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Review: Insurgent

Insurgent (Divergent #2), by Veronica Roth. The GoodReads summary:

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

This book . . . I enjoyed it, and I thought it was a pretty solid second book; it drew me in, had me in suspense, and left me wondering what was going to happen next. And yet . . . I just didn’t like it as much as I did “Divergent.” Although, honestly I’m not sure I even like “Divergent” as much as I think I do. When I read that book, it was very much a case of reading it at exactly the right time, and if I had read it any other day, I’m not sure I would’ve loved it as much as I did. So I think “Insurgent” was a bit unfairly doomed before I even started it. But it’s not like I disliked it—not at all. Like I said, it was a pretty solid book. I just didn’t feel that level of investment that I had for whatever reason with “Divergent.”

Also, I thought “Insurgent” was a fair bit darker and more depressing than “Divergent.” Tris is pretty screwed up from what happened at the end of the first book—and rightly so—but she doesn’t ever seem to make much headway in terms of emotional healing. I mean, I appreciated that Veronica Roth doesn’t try to gloss over Tris’s post-traumatic stress, but at the same time, I thought it started to weigh down the book a little too much after a while. And in addition to that, a lot of people die in this book. I know that was realistic since their society is in the middle of a violent coup and all, but appreciating the realism didn’t stop me from thinking that the abundance of deaths was totally depressing.

And this book had a sad lack of Four. I love that boy.

Overall, a solid—but darker—second book. It’s probably a much better book than I made it sound in this review, but I just couldn’t love it as much as I did “Divergent.”

Rating: 3 / 5

Review: Ashes

Ashes, by Ilsa Bick. The GoodReads summary:

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

So here’s the thing. I’m not much of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian fan, in general. There are one or two (i.e., Divergent) that I really like, but in general, they’re usually kinda meh for me. And at first I thought “Ashes” was going to prove me wrong. The first half or so of the book is awesome. Super intense and super suspenseful and, yes, super gory. And I was really diggin’ it. It was gruesome, but in a way that I weirdly admired. It fascinated me how possible it all seemed (well, minus the paranormal bit, obviously). I thought the way the world changes after the disaster came across as pretty realistic, and that made the story even more gripping. I really liked Alex and Ellie and Tom and how they become a family, and though I’m not much of an action fan, the fight scenes had me glued to the page.

But I thought the book lost momentum in the second half. I realize that the book can’t be all intense all the time, but I felt like the book went from full throttle to barely chugging along. And I kept hoping it would regain that momentum, but it never really did for me. Maybe it did a little the last 10 pages or so, but it wasn’t enough to win me back over. And I’d been hearing what a big cliffhanger the ending was, and in a way that’s true, but by that point I didn’t really care anymore so I was more like, “Hmm…That’s the ending?” rather than “OH MY GOSH. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN???” like everyone else.

A kinda random nitpicky thing about this book that started bothering me was what a cynical view of humanity the book took. Yes, I believe that in an end-of-the-world situation people would get greedy and brutal, but this book took it a bit to the extreme. There was essentially no one who was ever kind just for kindness’s sake—everyone always had an ulterior motive—and I found it a little discouraging after a while.

Overall, this was a book that started off really strongly, in my opinion, but kinda ran out of steam. I know a lot of people really liked this book, but I just couldn’t bring myself to feel the same way.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Review: Angelfall

Angelfall, by Susan Ee. The GoodReads summary:

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Although this book hasn’t seemed to have gained really widespread readership, the reviews I have seen for it have been really positive, so I was pretty excited for the chance to read it (thanks, Lan!). I knew going in that it probably wasn’t going to be my usual kind of book, so I was ready for that and I think it helped me like the book more than I might have otherwise, knowing my preferences.

First off, this is still only my second angel book that I’ve read, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but I thought the whole mythos and angel world was fascinating and really well done. I also loved that it combined dystopian with an angel story. Those two things wouldn’t necessarily seem to go together, but in this book they totally do and I loved it.

Penryn kicks butt. That’s all there is to it, really. She’s Tough, with a capital T, but she’s also insanely loyal. Sometimes it was a little hard for me to relate to her, because she was always fighting and refusing to back down in situations in which I totally would’ve been running away as fast as possible. But her actions definitely made the book more exciting, so I guess I can’t fault her that. Raffe was drop-dead gorgeous, and I’m probably in love. He’s also witty, so the hot + hilarious combo had me swooning pretty much from the beginning.

There were only two things that kinda bothered me about the book. The first is the lack of information we get about the angels and what’s going on with them. I know, as the reader, I’m only supposed to get as much information as Penryn knows (which is not much), but being the kind of reader I am, it drove me crazy. I like to know the whole backstory before going in, and I definitely didn’t get that here. I realize that’s totally a personal-preference problem, but still—it bugged me. The second thing that I didn’t like as much was the last few chapters of the book (the part when Penryn is in the lab). That lab was just so freaky and weird, and since we don’t get any explanation about what is going on and why, it just felt even freakier and weirder, and I was pretty much left thinking, What the eff?!?

Overall, if you’re a fan of dystopian/post-apocalyptic or angel books, I think this one is for you. I’m not big on either of those categories, so I didn’t fall quite as in love with it as I might have otherwise. But I can totally see why it got so many good reviews, so if it seems like it’s your thing, give this book a shot!

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Review: Blood Red Road

Blood Red Road, by Moira Young. The GoodReads summary:

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

I don’t know what I was expecting going into this book, but whatever it was, this book was so much better than that! I’ll deal with the thing that bugged me the most first off, because it’s super noticeable right away and, honestly, it almost made me put down the book. I’m talking about the dialect Saba uses to tell her story. It’s always “an” instead of “and” “ezzactly” instead of “exactly” and tons of things are misspelled. It’s supposed reflect the fact that Saba is completely uneducated and from the middle of nowhere, but it drove the grammarian in me crazy—at least it did until I got so sucked into the book that I stopped noticing it. And that’s saying something since it’s an inherent part of my nature to notice bad grammar.

This book was an adventure from start to finish. There really isn’t ever a dull moment. This book is definitely dystopian, but I thought it kinda had a high fantasy feel to it—not that there’s any magic or anything, but the story’s all about Saba’s quest and the band of friends she picks up along the way, and those are elements I attribute to high fantasy. Anyway, back to my point about it being an exciting book, I’m not kidding. I mean, there’s CAGE FIGHTING, for pete’s sake.

Saba is, no joke, the toughest heroine I’ve ever read about. She could take Katniss on with her hands tied behind her back and her eyes closed and still win. And admittedly, it was a kinda hard to like Saba sometimes. She’s prickly and standoffish and really doesn’t know how to interact with people. But considering her upbringing, it’s not really surprising, I guess. Sometimes I had a hard time with how mean Saba could be to her little sister, but their developing relationship is a big part of the story, so I could deal with it. Strangely enough, despite Saba being so pissed off and grumpy all the time, I didn’t have any trouble connecting with her (oh, wait—maybe it’s BECAUSE she’s so pissed off and grumpy that I could relate to her). Anyway, what I’m saying is don’t let my description of her personality dissuade you from reading the book, because Saba’s actually pretty kick-A.

Jack is awesome and the complete opposite of Saba, personality-wise. Which is why they’re so freakin’ perfect for each other. And let me tell ya, there is no insta-love going on here. Their relationship is a really rocky road, to say the least.

And can I just say that I really hope DeMalo shows up in the next book? He’s only in this book for a total of, like, 5 minutes, but I’m already convinced that that man is too ridiculously sexy. I NEED to know more about him!

Overall, this book kicks butt. If you’re a fan of action-y dystopian books like The Hunger Games and Divergent, I think you’ll like this one. Even if you not a fan of action, I still recommend it on account of it’s so surprisingly awesome.

Rating: 4 / 5

Review: The Demon Trapper’s Daughter

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, by Jana Oliver. The GoodReads summary:

It’s the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities. Atlanta is no exception. Fortunately, humans are protected by Demon Trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night. Seventeen-year-old Riley, only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing attraction to fellow Trapper apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving citizens from Grade One Hellspawn. Business as usual, really, for a demon-trapping teen. When a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood, she realizes that she’s caught in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell.

I hadn’t heard much of anything about this book before reading it. I think I read a review or two, and I remember them being generally positive, but I basically went into this book not knowing what to expect. I feel like some books I go into having read so many reviews about them that I already know what I’m going to think of them. That was definitely not the case here, and I really liked being able to go into a book completely unbiased. But anyway, I ended up really liking this book.

I vaguely remember one of the reviews I read of “The Demon Trapper’s Daughter” mentioning that they had issues with not all the dots quite connecting regarding the demons, demon trappers, Riley, etc. Like there were gaps or something. But honestly, I didn’t notice it. I’m not big on action and plot points--I’m more of a character and writing style kind of girl, and as long as a book’s got those solid, plot gaps and loose ends tend to sail over my head. And this book totally had me sold with its characters and writing.

Riley was tough, but not so tough that I couldn’t relate to her. She was way braver and daring than I’d ever be, but she made plenty of mistakes too, so I didn’t feel like she was out of my league. And she’s sarcastic too. I love sarcastic main characters so ridiculously much. And I really loved Beck too. Beck is Riley’s father’s former apprentice/current partner. He kinda plays the role of older brother to Riley. Beck is the perfect example of a guy who’s tough and a bit of a jerk on the outside, but completely mushy on the inside. He’s just such a good guy. I mean, I could see why he frustrates Riley so much, but most of the time I just wanted her to see how good Beck’s intentions are. Simon, Riley’s love interest, didn’t do much for me. He’s so bland and boring. Sweet and kind, but yeah . . . so boring. I kept hoping Riley would hook up with Beck instead.

The writing in this book was the way I like it for YA paranormals, easy flowing and not at all over the top. It get’s the story told and doesn’t try to make things more dramatic. It doesn’t distract from the story, is what I guess I’m trying to say. Half the book is from Riley’s perspective and half the book is from Beck’s (in alternating chapters), which I liked, since I could find out what both characters were thinking/feeling. But I did think it was really weird to have half the book be from Beck’s perspective when he wasn’t the love interest. I mean, isn’t that how it normally goes when there are two perspectives in a book? One perspective from each of the lovebirds? Don’t get me wrong, I’m so glad it was Beck’s perspective and not boring Simon’s, but still, it threw me off.

The only thing that I didn’t like in the book, and it’s probably not that big a deal for normal people, was how when Beck’s speaking, it’s always “ya” instead of “you” and “yer” instead of “your.” I know the author was trying to show his Southern accent, but seriously, it drove me crazy until I learned to ignore it. I was just like, “Okay! I get the point! Beck’s speaking with a Southern accent. Now can we please go back to ‘you’ and ‘your’? Pretty please?” Also it bugged me that the author used “euuu” instead of “ewww.” These are the random kinds of things that get on my nerves.

Overall, I totally got sucked into this book. The Riley and Beck are thoroughly awesome, and the whole paranormal/dystopian atmosphere made for a fascinating setting. I’ll definitely be tracking down the sequel, which I think came out recently. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I 100 percent hope that in the next one Riley ditches Simon and gets with Beck. That would make all my dreams come true.

A parade of books

Just a quick review of some of the books I've read lately that I wanted to mention but didn't feel like writing a whole post about.

"Amy & Roger's Epic Detour," by Morgan Matson
Amy, who's having trouble dealing with her father's recent death, is asked by her mother (who's already at their new home in Connecticut) to bring their car from California to Connecticut. Only Amy doesn't drive. So enter Roger, a family friend, who's going to do the driving. Pretty much right from the start they deviate from Amy's mother's careful plan and go all sorts of places that end up helping both of them with their issues.

This a solid YA romance/dealing-with-issues book. I think if I read it at almost any other time, I would've been 100 percent in love with it and raved about it at length, but for some reason, it didn't hit the spot for me this time. Maybe in a couple months I'll try it again and see how it goes.

"Dreamland Social Club," by Tara Altebrando
Jane moves with her father and brother to Coney Island, where they have inherited a house from her grandfather. Quite, plain Jane meets all sorts of crazy/interesting people at her school but has some issues with her new friends when they discover that her father might be in charge of building the new contested roller coaster. At the same time, Jane is also finding out things about her mother, who grew up on Coney and who died when Jane was six.

So on the one hand, I loved this book, because I thought Coney Island made an awesome setting. Most contemporary YA's don't have much of a setting; they tend to take place in these nondescript towns, because it's the plot that's important not the place. But the setting in this book is practically it's own character, and it gives the book this really funky atmosphere that's easy to lose yourself in. However, other elements of this book I didn't love quite so much. One was Jane herself, she just faded into the background too much. I understand that she's supposed be shy and unassuming, but she's the main character, for pete's sake. She should stand out at least a little. And the other thing the annoyed me was the whole romance she has with Leo. It left me completely unsatisfied--and that's all I'm going to say so I don't ruin anything.

"Delirium," by Lauren Oliver
Lena lives in a world where love has been declared a disease, and everyone must take the cure when they turn 18. Lena is excited to be cured--she's looking forward to the calm and security that comes with it. But then, a couple months before she's scheduled to be cured, she falls in love--and of course, that changes her whole perspective.

I was really looking forward to this book, and as a result it let me down a little. I mean, it was an interesting read, for sure. But I found myself skimming and wondering how much longer it was until the end. I don't know why. I think it was partly because I never connected to Lena, and partly because the story got pretty predictable pretty fast. Overall, I did enjoy it, but I doubt I'm going to read the sequel.

"Divergent," by Veronica Roth
Beatrice lives in a city controlled by five factions: Abnegation (selflessness), Amity (kindness), Dauntless (courageous), Candor (honesty), and Erudition (intelligence). When they're 16, each person must take a test that tells them which faction they're best suited for, then the person can choose either that faction or the faction they grew up in. When Beatrice is tested, it turns out she's Divergent--she fits in more than one faction--which is dangerous in that society, so she can't tell anyone about it. At her choosing ceremony Beatrice joins Dauntless over Abnegation, her home faction, surprising everyone. But once she joins Dauntless she has to undergo really intense initiation training, and she begins to discover that all is not right in the relationship between the factions.

I totally love this book! Really. I basically couldn't put it down. I loved Tris (the name Beatrice chooses for herself when she joins Dauntless) so much--it's been a long time since I've found such a likable character in a action-based book. Tris isn't too tough, but she isn't too whiny either. Plus, she totally kicks some serious butt. The fact that Four (Tris's love interest) is completely awesome probably helped my infatuation with the book too. And the plot was totally engrossing--like I said, I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend this one. Bring on the sequel!

"Just Like Heaven," by Julia Quinn
I don't really remember enough about this book to summarize it, to be honest. But it's basically a fluffy romance that's along the same lines as all of Julia Quinn's recent books. Aka, it was fun and enjoyable, but it didn't have much substance. Don't get me wrong, it was funny and I liked it, but it was also pretty forgettable.

Mockingjay

Don't read this review if you haven't read the book yet and want to be surprised, because there are spoilers galore...

If I could only use one word to describe "Mockingjay," the third and final Hunger Games book, I would choose intense. Seriously. I finished it at 3 a.m., and even though I was exhausted, I couldn't fall asleep for another 10 minutes because I was still so pumped up from the book.

Here's the summary:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

Okay, here are the things I liked about the book:

1. I like that the ending isn't a happy, everything-tied-up-with-a-bow, happily-ever-after kind. I like that Katniss and Peeta are still screwed up at the end. I mean, they went through really traumatic things, so I think a classic happy ending wouldn't have done them justice. But the ending is satisfying--and not completely depressing.

2. I like that Gale gets more face time in this book and that Peeta only comes in at the end. I felt like the other books focused way more on Peeta than Gale, so I was happy to see more of Gale.

3. I like that Peeta gets darker. In the other books he's just so optimistic and loving and willing to do anything for Katniss that it got a little tiring. I really enjoyed seeing another side of him--even if it was the darker, tortured side.

4. I like that Katniss ends up with Peeta. Admitedly, I was hoping the whole time that she wouldn't end up with either Peeta or Gale (she never seemed to me to love either of them as more than a friend), but since she had to end up with someone, I'm glad it was Peeta. I've had issues with Peeta in the other books, but I think after all they've been through, Peeta and his warmth and optimism are way better for Katniss than Gale's intensity and hate.

And things I didn't like:

1. I didn't like that Finnick and Prim died. I know that Collins had to kill off some of her characters, but Finnick and Prim were my favorites. I liked them more than Katniss, who I still never warmed up to.

2. I felt like Katniss and Gale's parting didn't have enough substance behind it. They've been best friends their whole lives, and Katniss's decision that she can never forgive him seems a little arbitrary. I also didn't like how Gale just fades out of the picture--it doesn't do him justice to just reassign him to a different district just to get him out of the way.

3. I didn't like that Katniss votes yes to holding another hunger games. It really didn't seem to fit her character AT ALL. She's been crusading against them this whole time, and all of a sudden she supports them? I don't buy it.

4. I thought the ending of the war was too quick and confusing. Cutting from them about to storm the presidential mansion to Katniss in the hospital weeks later was a little too jarring for me.

Catching Fire

I just finished "Catching Fire," the second Hunger Games book, by Suzanne Collins. I'll admit I liked this one better than the first one. To be honest, I'm not sure how much of my liking this book more comes from the merits of the book itself, and how much comes from the fact that, having read the first one, I had more realistic expectations for the second book.

Here's the summary:

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol--a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled and unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

Despite my not being sure if I actually liked this book better overall or if this one just met my (adjusted) expectations, there are two things I know for sure:

1. I liked that the Hunger Games didn't take up the whole book. In the first one, I felt like the games kinda dragged on, and I sometimes had a hard time keeping interested. But in this one, the games only took up the last third of the book. And there were more characters involved, so I didn't have to spend quite as much time focused on Katniss (who I'm still not sure has grown on me all the way).

2. Peeta really grew on me during this book. I came to appreciate him more than I did in the last one. In the first book, I thought he came off as completely useless. But in this one, you really see how intrinsically good he is. I still think he's a little too lovesick, but I came to admire how he is willing to do anything for Katniss, even at the expense of his own life. I also understood better that, yes, he is kind of useless in the arena, but that's because, unlike Katniss, nothing in his life has prepared him for this kind of survival game--after all, he's a baker who loves to paint. And, yet, despite being completely out of his element, he unfailingly tries his hardest while keeping a positive attitude about it. And he's always willing to listen to those who know better than him--he doesn't really have ego or pride about it. And he's just so understanding and patient about the fact that Katniss doesn't really know how she feels about him.

Finally, I thought that this book had a better cliff-hanging ending than the first one. The ending of the first book left me curious about the next book, but the ending of this one left me so excited to read the third and final one (which comes out August 24).

The Hunger Games

I finally read "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins. I'm gonna start off with the summary right away, because I have a lot to say, and I don't want the summary getting in my way:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place.

I managed to hold out from reading this book for almost two years. For some reason, I kinda don't like reading books that everyone else and their dog likes (yes, I'm talking about you, Harry Potter and Twilight). They never seem to live up to the hype. I read them and I think, sure, this is a good book, but I don't see why people are so obsessed with them, because I've read better.

And, honestly, that's pretty much how I felt about "The Hunger Games." Yes, I think it was a good book. Yes, it kept me interested. But, no, I don't think it lived up to all the hype. I really wanted "The Hunger Games" to be as phenomenally good as everyone has been saying it is, so when it turned out to just be your average good book, I was kinda disappointed. Which is sad really. I think if I hadn't been expecting so much of it, I would've been happy with it being a good book, instead of feeling let down because it wasn't as awesome as I hoped.

And maybe it's not even "The Hunger Games"'s fault that I liked instead of loved it. It's action based, and I prefer books that are more character based--maybe it's just a matter of personal preference. I never really connected to Katniss, the main character, and I didn't fall in love with the love interest, Peeta--he was too much of a useless, lovesick sap for my taste. (All you Peeta lovers, please don't hate me for saying that . . . I will admit that he does have some good qualities too.)

But anyway, I still recommend "The Hunger Games"--I did like it after all, and I'm about to start the second one and will probably read the third. I just can't help feeling slightly disappointed.