An Important Announcement

Hey there, it’s Dylana. Yeah, I know. No one has written anything for a really long time. I would say it’s because everyone’s been really busy but mostly it’s just because everyone on here is just super lazy. Well, maybe not Kathren. But Chase and I more than make up for it, even though he did get his first job this summer. As a telemarketer. So he still doesn’t have to have face to face interactions with people, which is probably for the best, to be honest.

But we will be coming back FULL FORCE soon and there will be MAJOR CHANGES to the blog. (I all-capsed for EMPHASIS.)

Change Number 1. – REVIEWS: Everyone has his or her own genre of books to review, though most of them still fall under the YA category. Chase will be doing Sci-Fi, Dystopia, and Adult (ooh la la). Kathren will be reviewing Fantasy and Fairy Tales. And I will be doing Realistic Fiction and Drama. We aren’t going to be strict about who reviews what, but these are just the kinds of books we enjoy the most, so be expecting most of our stuff to be about our respective genres.

Change Number 2. – Let’s get PERSONAL: The blog is going to be bloggier. Shut up. It’s a word. We are going to write about not only books but TV shows (okay, mostly Glee, at least from me), music, and anything else we like/hate. There will still be book reviews more than anything else, but we (ME, DYLANA. I TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS. SUCK IT, CHASE!) felt that we were taking the review thing too seriously, which led to stressing out about writing which led to us not writing anything which led to us spending the summer watching YouTube videos in bed all day. Okay, Kathren was productive. She, like, sewed something or whatever.

Change Number 3. – SPECIALS: Once a month or so, we will be doing specials. This kind of sounds like a buy one, get one thing, but I don’t know what else to call it. Whatever. Moving on. We’re going to discuss our favorite book cover of the month. By discuss, I mean Chase will completely overanalyze it, Kathren will say something about how she doesn’t like the Photoshop job, and I will be like, “It looks stupid,” or “Can I just sit here and rub my face on it?” I’m eloquent, damn it. This reminds me, another change you should look out for is a lot of swearing in my posts… Anyway, specials. We’re also going to talk about books that are coming out that we are looking forward to reading or are going to try to avoid all together.

Change Number 4. – DESIGN: This isn’t really important, but Chase wants me to say something about this since he’s the one working on it. We’re changing the design of the blog so that the book covers pop more or something. I don’t really remember why. But Chase is doing it and he’s pretty much in charge of the blog since it was his idea, so WOO. Whatever, I don’t really care.

Change Number 5. – NERDINESS LEVELS INCREASE: We have decided to do away with the star rating because Kathren and Chase don’t like them and I don’t know why but whatever, I’m flexible. So instead we are instating the Harry Potter Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s) grades instead of stars. In case you’ve been stuck under a rock for the past decade or just have really horrible taste and don’t know, the rankings in order from best to worst are: Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations, Acceptable, Poor, Dreadful, and Troll. It occurs to me that I’m not sure if Kathren knows this is how we’re doing the ratings, but I guess she’ll just have to figure it out. Hopefully Chase has already told her, but that’s doubtful.

The Nerdiness Levels extend to the bios as well. We will now be including our Hogwarts houses, as according to Pottermore and the most awesome Sorting quiz I found, whose name escapes me but maybe there will be a link so you can take the test and let us know your house. Chase, work on that, ‘kay? We’re also going to have which character we would be from movies and TV shows (Glee. It’s always Glee.) and whatever else we can find to make about ourselves. It’s my favorite thing ever.

Okay, I think that’s it for now. Byezies!!

-From the desk of Dylana J. Sauerwein 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

“Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.”

-        - Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls

Review by Dylana

Book Synopsis:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do. But it isn't the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. …

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.  

General Review:
I loved this book so much. I was first drawn to it because of how cool the drawing on the cover was. And it was really heavy for its size, which is always a good sign, right? Right. Plus it’s British! I didn’t know when I bought it that the book was illustrated, but the illustrations really made the book. I found some of them online they have been my computer’s wallpaper ever since. I thought the book was going to be scary, something I was looking forward to, but it really wasn't. It was so much better than anything I expected from it.

Plot:
At first, the plot is about Conor trying to either convince himself that the monster isn't real or figure out why the monster “come walking.” Towards the end, Conor’s main focus is trying to get the monster to help his mom. Well, the way I explained it sounds kind of lame, but I promise, the book was awesome. Despite the fairy tale elements to the book, the plot was still very believable. Even though the book deals with serious topics, it was still fun.

Characters:

I really liked the way the characters were written in A Monster Calls. When I read the monster’s stories, it felt like I was reading a storybook. All his words were more old-fashioned, yet still easy to understand. Conor spoke just like a normal person and made comments about how weird the monster talked and questioned his stories’ morals.

I don’t usually get emotional over books or movies or real life situations because I am truly heartless, but I did cry while reading this book. Though I felt bad for Conor’s mom, Conor was so awesomely depressing and wonderful. He felt so horrible for him. His situation was so believable despite the fact he had a giant tree monster hanging around with him. The monster was more mysterious than scary and he had his funny moments along with Conor.

Final Thoughts:

It’s really difficult to describe how much I liked this book. I’m not entirely sure why, but this book really meant a lot to me. The illustrations by Jim Kay are a beautiful enhancement to a beautiful novel. Exceeds Expectations.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

"Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry."

- Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

Review by Chase

Book Synopsis:
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural fold stalk the gaslit street. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soons learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

General Review:
I was initially skeptical about this book just because I didn't think that Clare would be able to separate this story from The Mortal Instruments. Other than the whole ripoff of certain characters, the book was nicely separated from The Mortal Instruments. There was enough similarities to please readers of the first series, but it can certainly be read as alone. 

Plot:
I must say that I enjoyed the plot of this book way more than I did the Mortal Instruments. It was fun and fast-paced and it always ket me guessing. The book never really gave you a chance to catch your breath because as soon as one conflict was solved, another one began. My one complaint is that I often forgot that this book takes place 100 years ago. There was really nothing to distinguish that it was in the past except for the characters overusing the word "quite." But other than that it was quite a good plot. 

Characters:
The characters in The Mort....uhh....I mean...The Infernal Devices (See what I did there? No? No? It means they were the same) As a fan of The Mortal Instruments, I was a little aggravated with the blatant similarities between Jace and Will. The whole angsty rebel who secretly has a heart was ok the first time, but it's just not acceptable to have the main male characters have the same traits. I've also read a lot of people complain that Tessa is exactly like Clary and I have to dissagree. Tessa is a much weaker character. I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that Clary was much more assertive and motivated to get things done. Tessa is a victim of her era and feels that she has to rely on a man to get things done. The shining light in this book was Jem. Jem was a fresh face amongst a crowd of similar characters. While the characters may have had undeniable similarities to the companion series, they undergo different transformations and seem to be more complicated individuals.

Final Thoughts:
I quite enjoyed this novel and was excited to read the rest of the series. Hopefully, Clare sticks to her word and just makes this a trilogy because I don't think that The Mortal Instruments should have been lengthened. 

Read It For Youself

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

“People are screwed up in this world. I'd rather be with someone screwed up and open about it than somebody perfect and ready to explode.” 

- Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Reviewed by Dylana

Synopsis:
Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life – which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan’s Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He stops eating and sleeping until, one night, he nearly kills himself.


Craig’s suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.

General Review:
To be totally honest, the only reason I bought this book was because the synopsis on the back had the words “transsexual sex addict” in it and if that doesn’t make you want to buy a book, I don’t know what does. Horny trannies aside, the book didn’t really live up to my expectations. I got this novel thinking Oh yeah, this is going to be really dramatic and awesome and I’ll be able to read it really fast. This was not the case. I found the book to be dragging on with no real purpose.

Plot:
The problem I had with the main plot of the book was that it never seemed to be going anywhere. There was climax, no dramatic build up, nothing. There was just book. It would seem like reading about a guy in a mental hospital would be more dramatic and angsty than how Vizzini wrote it. I’m sure this is a more accurate portrayal of what goes on there, but it still seemed mostly boring to me.

Characters:

The main character, Craig, is just this average guy. He’s not depressed in any sort of agonizingly poetic way, which is a nice change, I must admit. He’s depressed in an I’m-worried-about-everything-all-the-time-oh-my-God-kill-me-now kind of way. I was able to relate to the fact that he feels overwhelmed all the time, but it didn’t make for an interesting read.


Craig’s friends got on my nerves quite a bit. I know that Vizzini was trying to show that they weren’t good friends to have, but mostly they were just really annoying to me. I skimmed over most of their parts because they were so freaking irritating. The hospital patients were better than the friends, but even then, they seemed to lack substance. My favorite character was Noelle, Craig’s hospital love interest. She seemed pretty cool to me; again, a bit lacking in the substance area, but the realistic and relatable of the secondary characters.


The transsexual sex addict was only present for two scenes and then was never heard from again. What a disappointment.

Final Thoughts:
It’s Kind of a Funny Story didn’t suck, but it certainly isn’t one of my favorites. I think my main problem was that it wasn’t my kind of book. It’s not bad, it’s just not my thing, you know? 3 stars. 

Read It For Yourself

By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

"Everything seems to be working. Except me. I'm broken."

 - Julie Anne Peters,  By the Time you read this, I'll be Dead

Review by Kathren


Book Details:
Published May 17,2011 by Hyperion Book CH
240 pages


Book Synopsis:
Daelyn Rice is broken beyond  repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completer" -- www.through-the-light.com.


While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk.


Then, a boy name Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life... isn't it?
National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge.


General Review:
When I bought this book I didn't really think much of it. I needed to have something to read and the cover intrigued me. I didn't read it all at once like I usually do. There were times when I had to just stop reading, I thought that maybe I didn't want to finish the book. My reasoning being that it made me face harsh realities that I never thought that I had to experience. I don't consider myself to have ever been a victim of bullying, however, I am not saying I was never bullied, I am saying that I don't consider myself a victim. I have learned  through stories and apologies from others that I was in a way bullied and insulted but I never realized that was what was happening at the time. I believe that I had some ability to ignore insults... or I was too oblivious to recognize them (we'll go with the first cause it makes me feel like I have a superpower or something), so I never really gave much thought to bullying. Nowadays, we all see a huge fuss over bullying, I once acknowledged the existence of bullying like I acknowledged the existence of impoverished people in third world countries, however as I've grown I see the truth of the matter. This book was not the reason why I see and understand it, but it definitely gave me another perspective to the issue that makes it very real in my eyes.


Plot:
This story is about a girl who has been bullied all of her life and her attempt to take her own life. It reflects upon her decision and how she came upon that decision, while throwing a twist that makes her wonder about the true consequences about death and the inability to experience her life. The author took a few liberties  with the story that seemed a bit unrealistic, but they were necessary to the plot because it was needed to tie everything together and give an explanation of why things were they way there were at the point in time. The descriptions and the situations were beautifully written, it made you feel like you were there experiencing the pain and embarrassment that Daelyn was experiencing and made you understand why she was so depressed and miserable, and why she was doing all that she was doing.


Characters:
The characters were a point of issue. Like I said before, the author took some liberties, not only with the plot, but with a few of the characters as well. Daelyn represents an extreme case of someone who has been bullied to the point of suicide, however she borders overly selfish at times. The parents are typical parents who mean well, but their flaw is that they don't realize that their attempts to help are done in all the wrong ways.They aren't as developed as they could have been in my opinion, this may have been intentional on the authors part, but they seemed too plastic to me. Santana, the persistent possible love interest, threatens to completely undermine Daelyn's whole plan. The reader truly wishes that he exists, however he nudges the line of over persistence and unrealistic; begging the reader to question his motives. Is that just his personality or was the author, again, taking too many liberties in order to make the story?


Final Thoughts:
This book is a rare find. It is extremely hard to find a book that makes you reflect upon your own life as much as you are concerned with the main character's life. You jump back and forth between wondering whether or not, in your own childhood, if you were the victim or the offender. Then, after realizing the truth of it, would you be able to live with it? It makes you think about what it would take for you to consider taking your own life and the reasons why you can't leave this life behind.

Read It For Yourself

Divergent by Veronica Roth

"Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it."

- Veronica Roth, Divergent

Review by Chase


Book Synopsis:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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 make a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.


During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves...or it might destroy her.


Debut author Veronica Roth burst onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series - dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.


General Review:
This was a great book. I really love reading dystopian novels because I'm depressed and like reading about the end of the world and junk. This book offers a dystopian setting with a twist. I loved the idea of the five factions and spent a lot of time deciding what faction I would fit in (Erudite for those who care). Roth entered the world with an amazing first novel and placed herself among some great YA authors. For those of you who have not picked this novel up, I highly suggest it. It's fast-paced and full of fun characters.


Plot:
I loved this story but I found myself wondering where it was going at times. I knew it was going somewhere but I didn't know where. I usually hate books that don't lead up to something the entire time, choosing instead to pack everything in at the end. While this book did do this, I didn't mind so much. Probably because the writing was amazing and it never actually got dull or dragged on. Also, the ending was absolutely amazing and it made up for everything negative that I ever thought about the book.


Characters:
YES! Finally a YA author who cares as much about her minor characters as the main ones. Not one character was boring and cliche. They all had their own story and their own motives. The only fault I have with the characters is some of the names. I'm not a fan of weirdly-named characters because it takes away the reality of the story (because, you know, this was such a real story to begin with). And having my only fault be the names is quite an accomplishment. I loved Tris and enjoyed having a badass character. 


Final Thoughts:
I adored this book. I read it in one sitting and eagerly awaited more. Now that Insurgent is out (I still need to purchase it) I look forward to entering the world again. Roth made such an impression with her first book and I know that the rest of the series is going to be just as amazing as this first one. If you want me to review Insurgent once it is released let me know and I will do so. PICK UP THIS BOOK if you haven't already. 5 Stars. 

Read It For Yourself

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

“We let them help because they needed it, not us. We didn’t let them help us because we needed it, we let them help us because inside of humans is this thing, this unnamed need to feel as if we are useful in the world. To feel as if we have something significant to contribute.”

- John Corey Whaley, Where Things Come Back

Reviewed by Dylana

Synopsis:
“I was getting tired of my parents hugging me every night. I was getting tired of Lucas Cader sleeping on my floor. I was tired of Aunt Julia’s crying every single day whether I saw it in person or heard it through the phone. Mostly, though, I was getting sick and damn tired of hearing and reading … about that damn woodpecker. And sitting up one night in my bed as Lucas flipped through channels on my TV, I wrote down in my book, the same one I keep my titles in: If I had a gun, I would shoot the Lazarus woodpecker in the face.”

General Review:

Wow. Can just “wow” be my general review? No? Fine. This book was so freaking amazing. I mean, I knew this book was going to be good because my copy has both the Printz and the William C. Morris stickers on the cover, but still. Wow.

At first, though, I didn’t think I was going to like it. It starts out kind of slow, which is scary, considering that this book is only 228 pages long. But then, all of a sudden, it’s just … amazing. It’s just amazing. I know this is starting to be a mantra of sorts for me, but it was so real. The story takes place in a small town in Arkansas and everyone in this town becomes utterly obsessed with this woodpecker and completely ignores the fact that a kid from this town has gone missing. I’m from a small town in Texas and I could totally see this happening there. I was just so blown away by this book. Really. I can’t think of one single thing I didn’t like about it. And that’s huge coming from me.


Plot:

The plot was kind of subtle. This book seemed to be mostly character driven and it was totally awesome. There seemed to be a lot more driving action with the secondary storyline than with Cullen’s plot. Cullen’s plot revolves around trying to deal with his brother’s disappearance and hating John Barling (who is deliciously detestable).

Characters:

The characters in this book are some of the most complex, compelling, and beautifully written I’ve ever read. First of all, Lucas Cader. Lucas drops everything in his life to be there for Cullen and even appears to be more upset over Gabriel’s disappearance than Cullen is. However, this doesn’t make Lucas a saint. He’s still funny and mean and pushy and annoying at times. But everything he does is so raw and honest. He was my favorite character. Cullen is the only character who doesn’t really change that much throughout the novel. I’m not saying he’s boring, because he’s not, he just remains level headed. He is not easily excitable or overly emotional like everyone else. Cullen’s parents again are just so believable. I’m not a crier (because I’m a heartless bitch, just ask Chase), but when Cullen’s mom starts talking about school supplies, I just about lost it. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see how anyone could read that part without becoming a hot, crying, tranny train wreck. (Seriously though, please read this book and tell me how much you wanted to just die at that part.) Then there are the secondary characters who are just as intriguing as the main bunch. Though I could tell where Cabot Searcy was coming from, he was unlikeable but very interesting. I felt so sorry for him but at the same time wanted to shake him.

Final Thoughts:

This is now one of my all-time favorite books. It was wonderful from start to finish. I read every single word in this book, including the copyright information and the acknowledgements. As soon as I finished, I immediately started to read it again before I realized I had other books I needed to read and review. I absolutely love this book and can’t wait for John Corey Whaley to write something else. Where Things Come Back is beautiful and I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. 5 stars. 

Read It For Yourself