These are all of the books that I read during the month of November!
-Shawnee Smith
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter
Publisher: 26 November 2013 by Harlequin Teen
Pages: 347
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1
"YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand."
This book has been on my To Be Read list for a year. My friend recently bought it and of course I stole it from her right after she was done reading it. Literally, I walked into her house, took the book, left The Young Elites in it's place, and then left. That's my life.
Anyways, I have heard some pretty great things about this book and I was excited to read it for myself and decide how good it was. Now while I don't think that it was the best book I have ever read, I was not disappointed either. I thought it was actually really great!
I thought it was a fresh idea and the book didn't really remind me a whole lot of anything else. I liked the idea of the ranking system. I know a lot of books are using that right now but I do like how they all do it. It was slightly confusing that VII was the best that you could get rather than a I like most of the other books use. I also really liked that I could not predict some of the plot twists. There were three off the top of my head that I did not see coming. Unfortunately they are all mega spoilers so I will not say anything further.
I am really interested to see where the whole Kitty - Benji - Knox relationship will go. Because while Kitty is with Benji, Lila, who Kitty is impersonating, is engaged to Knox, but there is something between Kitty and Knox. I can see it. And I really what to know where those relationships will go and how they will progress in the next book, Captive (which is thankfully already out!).
Honestly, this book was innovative, action-packed, romance-filled, and all together exceptional. I definitely recommend that everyone read Pawn by Amiee Carter sometime soon! You will not regret it!
-Shawnee Smith
Monday, November 24, 2014
What I'm Reading Right Now
What It's About: "Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.
Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.
A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure."
What I Think So Far: I have only gotten a few chapters in so not much has happened. So far, I like that the story begins in the middle of all the action instead of building up to it. I'm really interested to keep reading and see how this whole story will work itself out. One thing I laughed at was the use of Schrodinger's Cat. It is used a lot by writes to make a point and I thought it was funny that Marguerite almost had a dislike for this theory (phenomena? What is it called in scientific terms?) Anyways, I can;t wait to keep reading and find out what happens next!
-Shawnee Smith
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Friday, November 21, 2014
Comparing Books
It has been happening a lot lately. When a new book gets published or becomes popular, critics and readers will constantly compare it to other novels in the same genre. Like when The Maze Runner started getting insanely popular with the movie coming out, people began to compare that series to The Hunger Games and Divergent. While there are some similarities I don't believe those comparisons work.
But The Hunger Games, The Fault In Our Stars, and Divergent are becoming the three books/series that every Young Adult book is being compared to as of late.
Is this fair?
While those three books are very good and very popular, I personally do not think we should only compare new books to those three titles. It is not fair to any book. We should actually try to find a book that is similar in plot or premise, or even in the style of writing and compare it to that new book. Not just say "Oh its Young Adult dystopia, if you liked Hunger Games and Divergent you will like this book.
These books are NOT the same. It gives readers the wrong impression. It is putting forward the idea that because you liked these popular, extremely likeable, books then you will definitely like this other one even though it is completely different. I think people need to try harder when comparing books to one another. They should find something that is actually similar instead of what is just popular.
Am I wrong on this?
-Shawnee Smith
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: 5 February 2013 by Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 452
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2
"Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner. "
I have to tell you, when I first read Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1), I was scared that the sequel would not pick up with Cinder's journey, but rather move on to something else entirely. I am so incredibly glad that was not the case. While this book did tell another person's story, it did flip back and forth so the readers could know what is going on with Cinder.
This book focuses on Scarlet Benoit, a french girl who is looking for her missing grandmother. Everyone says that Scarlet's grandmother just ran off, but Scarlet believes she was taken. She will go on a crazy adventure where she will meet new people with questionable morals all to find her grandmother. If you couldn't tell, this is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Meyer even goes so far as to have Scarlet wear a red hoodie all the time. I really like Scarlet as a character. She is incredibly tough, I mean she walks around with a gun in the waistband of her jeans. You have to be tough if you have had the experiences that Scarlet had when she was younger.
One other new character that was introduced that I actually found myself drawn to as I was reading was Carswell Thorne: a womanizing fugitive that escaped prison with Cinder. He is different than all of the other characters that we meet in this story and it is refreshing for him to be there offering a different dynamic to the story.
I did like this book, but I liked it less than I liked Cinder. I think there was just so much going on in this book (and not a whole lot of it intertwined until the end) that it was hard for me to keep up with. Especially with all of the chapters changing perspectives. Meyer did a good job by stating whose perspective it was right at the beginning of the chapter, but it just jumped around SO much.
I will definitely keep reading this series. I do want to know what is going to happen next and I am eager to find out. The one thing that I am most looking forward to is Cinder and Kai reuniting! I really hope that happens in the next book! It will be a crazy scene to read. I hope it delivers.
In the end, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer was a fantastic sequel. The fight scenes were tense, the revelations were mind blowing, and the over all story was enchanting. I loved every page. I definitely recommend that you read The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.
-Shawnee Smith
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
My Current TBR Pile
I really need to start reading really REALLY fast. All of my books are starting to pile up! At least I won't be bored over the next couple of weeks.
This is my current TBR Pile...
If you ever want to know what I'm reading at any given time, you can check out my twitter @YAFictionReview. I generally post snaps of whatever book I am starting at that moment.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Insurgent Teaser Trailer
The first Insurgent Teaser Trailer went live a little over an hour ago!
We get roughly a one minute trailer featuring a pretty sick action sequence. And when I say pretty sick, I mean, pretty dang sick.
I still can't get over Shailene Woodley with short, blonde hair! She looks so different, but incredibly kick ass! Here is a pic of this new-ish hair and Theo James. Because who doesn't like Theo James.
Watch, watch again, and re-watch this trailer because it is all we will have for a little while.
Or of course, you could re-read the book series for the hundredth time ;)
Make sure you mark your calendars with the release date: March 20, 2015!
-Shawnee Smith
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: January 3, 2012 by Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 390
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
"Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future."
I thought it was about time to read this series since everyone, and I do mean everyone, is talking about it. That, and I may have something planned for early next year that has something to do with this series. So I better read it. You know, so I am not standing there like a bumbling idiot.
Many people know that this is a futuristic re-telling of Cinderella. There have been several, if not dozens, of books written on the subject. My personal favorite author that does re-tellings of Fairy Tales is Gregory Maguire (the guy that wrote Wicked). Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Cinder.
I really liked this re-telling. I thought it was a fresh idea to have it set in the future, in Beijing, and have the main character be part cyborg. I liked the futuristic take on a classic tale. It made it really interesting to read and I was excited to see how the author would incorporate all the different ideas into the story.
The one negative thing I have to say about this book was that it was predictable. I saw everything coming the second the story line was introduced. Even the parts that I'm sure were supposed to be huge plot twists. I saw some of them coming after page 35. It was slightly disappointing.
However, I did enjoy reading this book. It was like nothing else out there and that in it's own right is what made it so good. I almost didn't even care that it was predictable all because it was like nothing
I have read before. It took a classic tale and made it something new to the readers. It was terrific.
In the end, I do think that everyone should read this book. It was brilliant and I honestly can't wait to read the second installment, I just have one question, will we get to know about Cinder and what happened in her life? Or will we be placed into someone else's life? I WANT TO KNOW!
Go read Cinder by Marissa Meyer, you won't be sorry!
-Shawnee Smith
Monday, November 10, 2014
What I'm Reading Right Now
Last night I began reading...
What It's About: "How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.
Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.
Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate."
What I Think So Far: I'm still not into this whole first-person-narrative-but-lets-not-say-whose-point-of-view-it-is-until-three-pages-in thing. It REALLY bugs me. Especially since I was expecting the book to start in Cassie's point of view since she was the main narrator last book, and it started in Ringer's. I quit after 3 chapters last night. I'm going to keep reading, don't worry. But so far, I haven't seen anything fantastic about this book.
-Shawnee Smith
Sunday, November 9, 2014
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