Review: More Than This by Patrick Ness

More Than This by Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published September 10, 2013
Hardcover, 472 pages

Overview:

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible?

He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? The street seems familiar, but everything is abandoned, overgrown, covered in dust. 

What's going on? Is it real? Or has he woken up in his own personal hell? Seth begins to search for answers, hoping desperately that there must be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife...

Review:

I've been trying to get through some of my ever-growing TBR list this summer since I have some extra time, but lately I've been in a reading slump. I picked up More Than This from the library because I've been meaning to read it since it came out and I thought I'd finally give it a try.

The synopsis is vague and doesn't reveal much about the book, so starting More Than This, I wasn't sure what to expect. From the first page, I was hooked. When Seth wakes up at the beginning of the story, the reader knows exactly what he does: nothing. Part of the story's intrigue is following Seth as he figures out where he is and what he's supposed to do. I loved being surprised by More Than This, and I definitely think this is a book that, going into it, the less you know, the better.

At first, More Than This is a story about life after death. More than anything, though, the book is about questions. The story makes the reader think, and it raises more questions than it answers. More Than This is a thoughtful, provoking read--a stark difference from many of the books I've read lately. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I've been thinking about it even weeks after I've finished it.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published April 15, 2014
Hardcover, 368 pages

Overview:

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Review:

Wow! The thought of having all of my personal, private writing being read is terrifying--and this is exactly what happens to Lara Jean when the letters she's written to her past loves are mailed. Lara Jean never intended for her letters to be read by anyone (especially not the boys they're written for!), and this book follows her attempts to keep her (previously nonexistent) love life from getting out of control.

Family plays a pretty big role in the book. Lara Jean's mom died when she was younger, and the book starts as Margot, Lara Jean's older sister, is going away to college in Scotland. Lara Jean has to deal with being the oldest sister at home for her younger sister, Kitty, and their dad.

One of my favorite things about To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the characters. Every single person in the book--from Lara Jean and her family to her neighbor Josh and the school's Handsome Boy Peter--is relatable and realistic. I felt like I really got to know these characters as the book progressed, and I genuinely cared about what happened to them.

I was surprised by some of the things that happened in the book, as Lara Jean struggles to put her relationships back into place like they were before her letters were mailed. I can't remember ever being so torn between two fictional love interests, and the book kept me almost nervously on-edge throughout the whole thing. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the first in a duology, and I literally cannot wait to find out what happens to all of these characters in book two.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a great, enjoyable read about friendship, falling in love, and family life. I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, but this one reminded me of why I love it so much.

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Review: The One by Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass
The Selection #3
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published May 6, 2014
Hardcover, 336 pages

Overview:

The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Review:

I really enjoyed this series! The story itself is interesting and entertaining, even if it is a little predictable at some points (with teenage girls competing for the prince's hand in marriage).

Without giving away too much about the previous books, The One does a good job of tying together many of the questions that were brought up earlier in the series. There's more discussion about the caste system and the rebellions trying to end it, and of course, America finally makes a choice between Prince Maxon and her love from home, Aspen. There's still some drama between the girls competing to be princess, but not too much.

Most of the book had a really good pace, although I thought the ending was a little rushed for all the action that happens in the last section of the book. I would have preferred more of a conclusion, but overall, I enjoyed this book and the series as a whole.

Overall rating: 4 of 5 stars.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published January 3, 2012
Hardcover, 387 pages

Overview:

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.

Review:

Wow, what a book! Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella, set in New Beijing after the fourth world war. Humans and androids coexist, but humans are plagued by letumosis, a deadly disease accidentally brought to Earth by Lunars (a nation of people from the moon who have alliances with countries on Earth). The main character Cinder is part human, part cyborg, and forced to work as a mechanic to make money for her stepmother and stepsisters.

When Cinder's beloved youngest stepsister falls ill with letumosis, Cinder is sent away to a lab to serve as a test patient for new treatments for the disease. However, instead of getting sick with letumosis when she's injected with it, Cinder surprises the doctors with her apparent immunity. She quickly becomes involved with life at the palace, a growing friendship with the prince Kai, and her search to figure out her true identity from before she was made a cyborg.

Personally, I felt that the first half of the book was a little too slow for my own taste, but once the story got going, it didn't stop. The book's writing is nothing special, but the storyline and characters were interesting enough to keep me reading. Although Cinder is partly a retelling of Cinderella, it's still a unique story all on its own. I loved how Marissa Meyer was able to take such a well-known tale and give it a fresh spin--and there's still a missing shoe (or foot in this case), a handsome prince, and an unexpected journey to the royal ball.

I mentioned earlier how this book really picked up speed towards the end, and I was surprised by how it ended! Cinder ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm very excited to see where this series goes next. (The next two books, Scarlet and Cress are out now, with Winter out sometime in 2015).

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me #2
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published February 5, 2013
Hardcover, 461 pages

Overview:

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Review:

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Shatter Me, and I think its sequel, Unravel Me, is even better. While Shatter Me introduces readers to Juliette and the world she lives in, Unravel Me builds upon that world even more.

Unravel Me focuses on Juliette's life at Omega Point, where she lives with others who have special powers like her. In the previous book, she had been locked up by The Reestablishment because of her ability to cause harm to people just by touching their skin; in this book, Juliette is finally able to figure out more about the true extent of her powers. Juliette also learns about some of her friends' gifts, some of which add new challenges to her life and relationships.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of this story is the relationships between the characters. Many characters return in Unravel Me, and as readers, we discover more about their backgrounds, adding new dimensions to these previously flat characters. I wasn't sure where the plot was going to go in Unravel Me, and I'm very excited to find out what happens in the final book, Ignite Me.

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Top 10 Books That Will Make You Cry

One of my favorite book blogs, The Broke and the Bookish hosts the weekly feature Top Ten Tuesday. This week's prompt is all about books that make you cry. I realize I'm a little late to the party since today is Saturday, but as someone who has spent my fair share of time sobbing over fictional characters, I thought I'd chime in on some stories that I find particularly tear-jerking.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling: I can't even begin to explain just how big an impact the Harry Potter books had on my childhood. When I finished this one, it felt like I had finished a huge chapter of my life since I had grown up with Harry.

2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: I cried a lot of ugly tears late into the night when I stayed up to finish Clockwork Princess. I love this story and I really got attached to all the characters.
3. A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass: One of my favorite middle-grade novels.

4. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: Another book from my childhood, and the first book that ever really made me cry. I remember finishing this during reading time in school and trying to hide my tears from my classmates.
5. Allegiant by Veronica Roth: This one didn't actually make me cry, but it brought up a lot of sad, sad feelings.
6. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas: Another one that didn't make me cry, but some of this book is incredibly happy, and then it turns around and is so, so sad.

7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I have yet to find someone who hasn't teared up at least a little bit while reading this one.

8. Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor: A story filled with war, death, and the unfairness of it all.

9. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin: This one takes a look at life after death, and I definitely cried at the end of this one.
10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: Mockingjay takes the cake for saddest ending ever. After all the death, loss, and sadness in this trilogy, I was relieved when it finally came to an end.

What books make you tear up?

Review: Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2

Publisher: Little, Brown

Published November 6, 2012

Hardcover, 513 pages

Overview:

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

Review:

Unlike its predecessor, Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor is not a love story. This sequel focuses on the ongoing war between angels and chimaera only hinted at in Daughter of Smoke & Bone. As a book about war, Days of Blood & Starlight is painful, frightening, and emotional, with no end of battle or relief in sight.

While Daughter of Smoke & Bone focused on Karou's and Akiva's romantic relationship, in Days of Blood & Starlight, the two are enemies, each fighting for their own people. New and old relationships take center stage in this book: As Karou helps rebuild the chimaera army, she works to make allies along the way. Her friendship with fellow chimaera Ziri is particularly endearing, and I was glad to see Karou's human friends Zuzana and Mik make a reappearance. Additionally, the friendships between Akiva and his brother and sister, Hazael and Liraz, add an interesting element to the story and allow us to understand Akiva better.

As always, Laini Taylor's writing is lush and her characters brimming with life. Her magical world of Eretz is one I wouldn't mind visiting (in times of peace, that is.)

And oh! That ending! Many characters are forced to make difficult decisions that set up for future events in the final book and battle. I was kept guessing until the very end, and like in the previous book, Laini Taylor is not afraid to write big surprises. I'm anxiously awaiting the final book, out this spring.

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Review: Once We Were by Kat Zhang

Once We Were by Kat Zhang
The Hybrid Chronicles #2
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published September 17, 2013
Hardcover, 352 pages

Overview:

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

Review:

Once We Were by Kat Zhang continues the story of hybrids Eva and Addie, twin souls sharing a body in a unique world where people are born with two souls but only one is expected to reach adulthood.

What I loved so much about What's Left of Me was the concept--a world two souls are born into one body, and one (the weaker, "recessive" soul) gradually fades out, usually before reaching adolescence. The hybrids (people whose recessive souls haven't faded out) are seen as a threat to the rest of society, and the government has been working to find and remove these extra souls who haven't settled.

Once We Were starts off shortly after the events in What's Left of Me--Eva and Addie have escaped the mental hospital Nornand with a few other hybrid children and are living hidden with other hybrids. While What's Left of Me focuses on Eva, the recessive soul, grappling with the possibility of existing and relearning how to use her shared body (for the past few years, she's only been able to watch, immobile, as her twin soul Addie lives), Once We Were focuses on the rebel group of hybrids as they plot to stop the government from further harming other hybrids.

Compared to the fast-paced action of What's Left of Me, the second book in this series takes longer to develop, as the rebels spend months deciding on and perfecting their counterattack on the government. Much of the book feels like it's leading up to events in the next book, and while I didn't enjoy Once We Were as much as the first book, I'm excited to see how the story continues in the third and final book.

Overall rating: 3.5 of 5 stars.

Review: Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor
Published September 24, 2013
Hardcover, 368 pages

Overview:

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

Review:

Vicious by V.E. Schwab is a fascinating book about superpowers and what happens when theories are taken too far.

I was hooked from the very beginning and never knew what to expect with Vicious. The story moves between several characters and places in time, but I never felt confused or disorientated by it. Schwab does an excellent job in using flashbacks to reveal information and create suspense at appropriate times.

My favorite part of the book is that it takes the typical "good-versus-evil" superhero story and spins it in a new direction--main characters Victor and Eli are complex and flawed, with understandable motives. While Victor takes center stage as the main mover of the story, he's never specifically made the hero or the villain. In fact, neither Victor nor Eli are ever made the "good guy" or the "bad guy"--and that makes Vicious all the more interesting to read.

In addition to superpowers, Vicious focuses on other topics like morality and what it is to be human. Highly recommended.

Overall rating: 5 of 5 stars.

2014 To-Read List

Happy 2014! Just like last year, I've put together a list of some books I want to read this year.

[x] Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
[x] The One by Kiera Cass
[ ] Renegade by Debra Driza
[ ] A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
[x] Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
[x] Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
[ ] Deception by C.J. Redwine
[ ] Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
[x] Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
[x] Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
[x] Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
[x] Once We Were by Kat Zhang
[x] Echoes of Us by Kat Zhang

What books are on your 2014 to-read list?