YA Fiction Review

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Books I Want To Read

I read a lot. Which shouldn't surprise anyone since I write a book blog. To read all these amazing novels, they first must be on my To Be Read list. A nice, long list that only seems to grow in size.

This is my current To Be Read list.

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6)

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

City of Heavenly Fire (Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

The Treatment (Program #2) by Suzanne Young

Graduation Day (Testing #3) by Joelle Charbonneau

Immortal City (Immortal City #1) by Scott Speer

Don't Turn Around (PERSEFoNE #1) by Michelle Gagnon

The Brokenhearted (The Brokenhearted #1)

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Brokenhearted (Brokenhearted #1) by Amelia Kahaney

The Turning by Francine Prose

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Broken by C.J. Lyons

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre

Inhuman (Fetch #1) by Kat Falls

Defy (Defy #1) by Sara B. Larson

The Rule of Three by Eric Walters

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards

Control (Control #1) by Lydia Kang

Gated (Gated #1) by Amy Christine Parker

Parable of the Sower (Earthseed #1) by Octavia E. Butler

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Lockdown (Escape From Furnace #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

Landry Park (Landry Park #1) by Bethany Hagen

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

The Young Elites (Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

Well that took WAY too long to type. I need a life.

-Shawnee Smith

*Since I wrote this post I have read Side Effects May Vary, and The Treatment. And I started reading The Raft... I'm just too lazy to take those books out and then reformat everything. :) #LazyShawnee

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

What I'm Reading Right Now

I just recently started reading The Raft by S. A. Bodeen

What it's about: "Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way."

What I think so far: So far I REALLY enjoy this book. I have gotten as far as the plane crash and let me tell you it was INSANE. There was tons of foreshadowing with Robie watching the Lost plane crash before she left back to Midway. It was somewhat ironic. I just feel bad for Robie right now, because she didnt want to be alone so much that she got on a plane to go home without telling anyone. And now she is stuck on a raft with a man she doesnt even know. I would flip.

I look forward to reading the rest of this book. So far I have one theory as to how the book will play out, other than Robie being rescued, but I haven't seen any indication as to whether it will be correct or not. We shall see ;)

-Shawnee Smith

Monday, May 19, 2014

New TFIOS TV spot (Number 3)

Lately The Fault In Our Stars, known as TFIOS, has been releasing quite a few new trailers and exclusive scenes.

They just released the third TV spot, and I have to say, it's my favorite.

Because the YouTube link is yet again being a butt, all I have for you guys is the URL. So click below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE0jUAmQ2CU

This new TV spot features a lot more of Gus and Isaac. And let me tell you, the best part is the last six seconds. You gotta love little kids. ;)

Haven't heard of TFIOS before? Check out one of my MANY posts about it, you can find links to all my posts about the movie under my "Movie Adaptations Stuff" page.

Or you could even click HERE and check out the Goodreads page for the book, or HERE for the IMDb page for the movie.

Look out for my review of the book, coming soon :)

-Shawnee Smith

New This Week

Week of May 19, 2014

Hardcover:

Dangerous Creatures (Dangerous Creatures, #1)

Biggest Flirts (Superlatives #1) by Jennifer Echols

Dangerous Creatures (Dangerous Creatures #1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Now and Forever by Susane Colasanti

Paperback:

Biggest Flirts (Superlatives #1) by Jennifer Echols

Fearless (Mirrorworld #2) by Cornelia Funke

Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1) by C. C. Hunter

School Spirits (School Spirits #1) by Rachel Hawkins

While You're Away (While You're Away, #1)

Turn It Up (Varsity #2) by Melanie Spring

Ultimate Revelations by Brittany Cournoyer

While You're Away (While You're Away #1) by Jessa Holbrook

-Shawnee Smith

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Publisher: 2009 by Dutton Books

Pages: 196

Series: If I Stay #1

"Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters."

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! I was laughing, I was crying, and everything in between! It was honest to goodness perfection.A book like this could have easily tanked, but Forman wrote such a beautiful, heart wrenching book it is no wonder it is being made into a movie! (Check out the IMDb page for the movie here) (Or you could check out my Book Adaptations Stuff page above and look for If I Stay).

I really liked that this book started with the accident and showed who Mia is through flashbacks all while showing what is going on in the present time. It kept everything from getting too overwhelming. Also I think that if we were to get all the back story at the beginning, it would have been a kind of snooze-fest and wouldn't have made much sense considering the memories are spread out over a several years.

There are so many good literary OTP (one true pair) to choose from, and I have to say that Mia and Adam probably go onto my top ten list. They are amazing together. You can see the love that they have for each other through the flashbacks, and how deep Adam's love is for Mia while she is in the coma. It makes me firmly say that everyone should have a love like that, something unconditional. When Adam said "Don't make me write a song" (because he had previously said to Mia he would only write a song about her if she broke his heart) I was a mess. I was wrecked. I'm not proud to admit it. It was so beautiful.

Anyways, I need to move on before I begin crying.

The last three pages of this book was amazing. Mia's struggle and just the description of everything that was happening was written so well it took my breath away. Okay enough criticizing word choice Shawnee. ;)

All in all this was an AMAZING book. It is definitely worth the read! So go pick up If I Stay by Gayle Forman TODAY! I mean it, TODAY! Then pick up the sequel, Where She Went which I will be reviewing soon!

-ShawneeSmith