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

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

"We cling to our fairy tales until the price for believing in them becomes too high" 

- Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Review by Kathren


Book Details:
Published June 7, 2011
Quirk Books; Book Club edition
352 Pages


Book Synopsis:
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine's children were more than just peculiar. They may be been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems- they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.


General Review:
I had been meaning to read this book since I saw it in the bookstore and didn't buy it because I'm a broke college kid. After a while I forgot about it, then one day I was watching one of my favorite you-tubers, John Green, and saw it again, apparently one of John's friends wrote it. (*!!!!* <-- that's what my brain did because I had seen it before and had wanted to read it) What originally drew me to it was the old-timey picture that was the cover. If you know anything about me you know that I love photography and a book with cool vintage pictures is a book that I will, doubtless, like, and the fact that John Green's friend wrote it was a definite plus.


Plot:
When I skimmed the synopsis, the first time, I didn't really take the time to think about what I read. I knew that I had $0.00 dollars to spend on a book that day so I didn't really want to get invested in a book to realize that I could not afford to get it. I originally thought that it was about a home for insane children, and that the main character would be discovering their horrifying history and the events that would lead to their grizzly deaths. I was wrong. The story is a sort of historical fiction meets fantasy and marries science fiction. The story is based in modern times with a grandson, Jacob, and his relationship with his late grandfather, Abraham (Abe) who was a war veteran and refugee from the time of Nazi Germany. Jacob grows up hearing,what he believes to be, fairy tales about the home that took Abe in after he escaped and the peculiar children he lived with. When tragedy strikes, Jacob is left with a mystery, what if the stories his grandfather told him were actually true? The only place he can find answers is where the fairy tales came from, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.


Characters:
This part is tricky for me to explain. I enjoyed being introduced to most of the characters because there was almost always an interesting picture to go with them. However I was disappointed with many of the characters because I felt that they could have been more developed, most of the time they were introduced because there was a corresponding picture, and after the picture was shown, they were never mentioned again. While, I greatly enjoyed the characters, I was left wondering more about minute details of that character's life than I was about what was going to happen to the character in reference to the actual plot.


Final Thoughts:
I did enjoy reading this book, however I was left with a feeling of wanting more. Many times I felt that it was a story was about the pictures, rather than the pictures about the story. It was a good idea to begin with, however there were times when it was poorly executed. I was sort at odds with the whole "overlooking the lie" in order to enjoy the story because the author acknowledges that the pictures were tampered with, and yet tries to pass off the story as though the scenes depicted in the pictures were real.I got the feeling that this would become a series and greatly look forward to the next installment.

Read It For Yourself

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

"Just because you call an electric eel a rubber duck doesn't make it a rubber duck does it? And God help the poor bastard who decides they want to take a bath with the duckie."

- Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

Review by Chase

Book Details:

Published: March 27, 2007

Publishers: Margaret K. McElderry Books

496 Pages

Book Synopsis:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?


This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a  vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...


Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end. 


General Review:
I know I'm probably the last person in the world (other than Kathren and Dylana) to read The Mortal Instruments Series and I don't know why it's taken me this long. I was given City of Bones to read by a friend back when it was first published but I had to return the book before I was able to finish it, therefore; I never finished the book and up until recently I forgot all about it. It wasn't until I saw Book 5, City of Lost Souls, that I remembered that I had once started City of Bones. I was initially worried that reading it as an adult (at least somewhat of an adult) would ruin the entire thing because I would be overly critical, but alas, I was not. The story is original and the writing is acceptable, though not entirely flawless. 


Plot:
While the idea of the story was original, the plot of the book was extremely predicable. I was able to guess the ending before I even reached the halfway point, but amazingly, by the time I was at the ending, I completely forgot that I had already seen it coming. I loved the characters and the overall idea of the story was so amazing but the plot was extremely cliche at times. Now, as it is the first in a series, I wasn't too disapointed because I think that Clare was using this novel to set up the remainder of the series so I didn't think that much was going to go on during the first book. 


Characters:
Overall, I really enjoyed the character development as each one had their own unique personality. However, the character development for the minor characters was a little dissapointing. I get that you need to focus on the main characters, but that doesn't mean that the minor characters have to suffer. Also, while the characters are original, they tend to do predicable things, but that is mainly the plot's fault. 


Final Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised at this book and it made me excited to read the rest of the series. Clare did a wonderful job presenting her world and creating a suspenseful story to ensure that readers would read the next installments with as much enthusiasm as the first. Writing the review after reading the rest of the series really makes me see how important this novel is to the rest of the story and I promise that the rest of the series is just as amazing as the first one. 

Read It For Yourself

Room by Emma Donoghue

"If I was made of cake I'd eat myself before somebody else could." 

- Emma Donoghue, Room

Review by Chase


Book Synopsis:
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. 


Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work. 


General Review:
Wow. That is all I had to say when I first read this book...just wow. I first picked up this novel when I glanced at the cover while browsing around and became intrigued by the synopsis. The story is so original and so fast-paced that I found myself tearing through the novel, eager to see what happens. 


Characters:
The only skepticism I had regarding the novel before I began reading it was the main character. I didn't think that Donoghue would be able to tell the story through the eyes of a five year old and still have it be convincing and functional. Boy was I wrong. Jack was such a realistic character and the story was only enhanced by having it told through his view. To see the world as he saw it was absolutely genius and it was so well written that you actually feel as if you are this little boy. The characters are brilliant and they are some of the most believable characters that I have ever read. 


Plot:
The plot is what really drew me in. Without giving too much away, the book is almost two separate stories but they flow so well together that you forget that there is such a gap between them. While most books tend to have a dry spell in them, I never got bored with this book. Not everything is fast-paced but it's all intriguing in it's own way. 


Final Thoughts:
I have not one complaint for this novel. It was flawless and compelling. I found myself thinking about it days after I finished it and I still love it when I read it again. It's such a twisted, demonic, yet beautiful story and I think that everyone that reads it will fall in love with it.

Read It For Yourself

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

"My Dear, here is lesson number one for using opportunity; waste no time in false humility. Tell the world about your achievements don't wait for someone else to do it."  

- Kate Alcott, The Dressmaker

Review by Kathren


Book Synopsis:
Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.


Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes. 


Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky. 


On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.


General Overview:

I have a thing for sewing as you can see from my page, and Chase has a thing for Titanic. He saw that this book had elements of both and decided that we were going to read it together, so, naturally, I read it alone. Regardless of that whole silly situation, I enjoyed it.  


Plot:
The story takes place during the whole Titanic crisis. However the part of onboard the Titanic/Titanic sinking was only a small part of the entire book. The focus was mainly on the criminal trials that took part after the sinking, and the trials of a young woman trying to make her way in America after the turn of the century.


Characters:
The main protagonist, Rose, is a young woman who has worked most of her life as a lowly servant/seamstress with dreams of leaving the servant life behind behind and becoming a designer. Her chance at such a life comes with famous fashion designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon(based on the real Lucile Duff Gordon) who takes Tess on as a servant so that she can go to America with her on the Titanic. Tess meets her two love interests onboard the Titanic, they typical much older rich man who can't help but notice this ambitious young girl who is definitely going places, and the rough but kind-hearted sailor who understands her on a level no one else can. Then, there is the ambitious reporter Pinky who does her best to leave the shadows of both her father's legacy and the trials of being a female reporter at the turn of the century.


Final Thoughts:
There are so many aspects of this book that I like and that I didn't like. I liked that it was a true coming out story, a girl must figure out what she will do with her life given the magnificent opportunities provided to her. It's a historical-fiction novel, so there is a history lesson embedded in the story for the unwitting reader. However, being a person who likes to sew, as mentioned before, I was confused about the parts of the story that gave the book the title "dressmaker" in that they described sewing with terms that made no sense. For the... I'll call them average people (to avoid "normal" implicating that I'm not "normal" which I'm not... but I don't like to admit it)... average person, these details would be meaningless, but for myself trying to picture the clothes that the main character was seeing and sewing was near impossible, especially using the techniques she described. I will say, overall the book was good, I would probably read it again.

Read It For Yourself

Elixir by Hilary Duff

"In dreams, and in love, there are no impossibilities."

- Hilary Duff, Elixir

Review by Chase


Book Synopsis:
Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel tot he most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea's father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea's photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man - a man she has never seen before. 


When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father's disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and hunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives - and their futures.  


General Review:
I know, I know, Hilary Duff wrote a book? I had the same skepticism before finally buying the book to read. The thing that made me finally decide that it would be worth the shot was that she cowrote it with someone who had experience. I really appreciated the fact that she knew she needed help on her first book. Overall, I was very surprised with the book and found that I quite enjoyed it. 


Plot:
As I stated with Beautiful Creatures, I really liked how they took historical elements and made them fit into the story. The plot focuses around the Elixir of Life and the rest of the story revolves around this elixir. The plot, while at sometimes is very cliche, is very captivating and is relatively fast paced. There was never a dull moment and the book flowed smoothly. 


Characters:
The main character, Clea, was very easy to relate to. However, this may be due to the fact that I'm a photojournalist as well. Nevertheless, all of the characters are well thought out and I actually enjoyed the love triangle in this book (and we all know how I feel about love triangles). I was very surprised that Hilary was able to create such round characters on her first writing attempt. 


Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend that you give it a chance. I have yet to read the sequel but I have it and it's on my list of things to read. If you need a rainy day read then I highly suggest that you pick up Elixir. 4.5 stars. 

Read It For Yourself

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

"Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead."

- Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures

Review by Chase


Book Synopsis: 
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, an crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.


Ethan Wate, who has been counting down the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her determined to uncover the connection between them.


In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. 


General Review:
I first came across this book in 2009 when it was first published but decided to wait and get it because I had other books that I wanted to read. 3 years later I ended up purchasing it and read it in two days. The odd thing is, I couldn't tell if I liked it or not. I was 250 pages into the book and found myself wondering if it was worth it. But I couldn't put it down. The book ended up being...ok. I'm glad I read it but it's not a book that I see myself rereading. Granted, I will probably end up reading the rest in the series, but thats more due to the fact that I hate not finishing a series. 


Plot:
I'm so sick of paranormal romances. It aggravates me to no end that Young Adult novels have become synonymous with Paranormal Romance. What happened to normal people? I guess reality isn't good enough. Other the fact that it is a paranormal romance, the plot was alright. I liked that it blended historical elements with the paranormal. Another thing that I really appreciated was that it didn't involve any vampires. 


Characters:
The characters I thought were a little watered down. I really found Ethan uninteresting and I found myself focusing more on Lena. I think the book would have been better from her perspective, but that's just my opnion. All of the other characters seem to be very cookie-cutter. There is very little original about them. 


Final Thoughts:
Overall, the book wasn't that big of a dissapointment. I really had no expectations for it so I wasn't able to be let down. If you have nothing else to read, I would suggest this book, but don't expect your world to be changed by reading it. 3 Stars. 

Read It For Yourself

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

“I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, then all at once.”

- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Reviewed by Dylana

Book Synopsis:
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

General Review:
I’ve been a John Green fan for about three years now, so like every other nerdfighter, I was very excited about this book coming out. I actually accidently preordered three copies of it back in July. So, needless to say, when I got the book(s) in the mail, I was ecstatic. I stayed up all night reading it. But all the hype aside, this book is fantastic. The Fault in Our Stars is John Green’s first book with a female narrator and though there were some things that I don’t think a girl would actually say, he did a very good job channeling his inner teenage girl. Even though the book is about cancer patients and therefore obviously has several sad moments, this book is really funny. I definitely laughed more than I cried.

Plot:
For a while, I didn’t really know where the book was going. I mean, I obviously knew that there would be the romance between Hazel and Augustus, but that didn’t really seem like a plot to me. About halfway through the novel, the plot becomes more obvious. The book’s central focus seems to be about getting Hazel and Augustus to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten with some romance and cancer along the way.

Characters:
The only problem I had with the characters in this book was their vocabulary. I’m an English major and a narcissistic know-it-all, so I think I have a pretty extensive vocabulary, but some of the words these characters use were definitely not in my vernacular when I was sixteen or seventeen… or now. I can’t even pronounce the word “existentially” (just ask Kathren) without fumbling over it terribly. Super impressive vocabulary aside, the characters were very well written. The book’s main characters are Hazel and Augustus, but I really liked their parents. Not that I didn’t love Hazel and Augustus, but I really felt for their parents. They were so real. Cancer doesn’t just affect the person it infects and I found that the most heart wrenching moments came from Hazel and Augustus’s parents.

Final Thoughts:
The Fault in Our Stars was a beautiful, moving, hilarious novel. You don’t have to be a teenager to absolutely love this book; it’s very accessible. As I said earlier, I preordered this book in July. It came out in January. And I must say, it was well worth the wait. 5 stars.  

Read It For Yourself

Split by Swati Avasthi

“We all screw up. We all wish we were stronger than we are, and not one of us will get through this life without regret.”

- Swati Avasthi, Split

Reviewed by Dylana

Book Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother, Christian, with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father), $3.84, and a secret


He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind. His mother is still trapped with his dad. And his ex-girlfriend is keeping his secret – for now.


Turns out there are some things you can’t just walk away from.

General Review:
Of the three of us, Chase is the most depressing (mostly because he has no friends); however, I am the most sadistic. I picked this book up because of the cover. I really wasn’t all that impressed with the synopsis given but it did mention child abuse so the pretty much synched it for me. I love books with lots of violence and sadness and all that angsty goodness. This book has plenty of all three. It’s not all blatant violence, though. Reading Split really made me think of what I might be capable of, how far I would go to protect my family, how far I would go to protect myself, and how much I could screw up in the process. As soon as I finished, I immediately reread it. So yeah, you could say that I liked the book.

Plot:
I was kind of surprised by the plot. It didn’t go where I thought it was going. It was a pleasant surprise though. The main plot of the book is Jace trying to get his mom away from his abusive father instead just trying to get over the trauma of being smacked around. I had never read a story about abuse that didn’t necessarily focus on recovery, so it was very refreshing for me and I was really impressed by Avasthi’s originality.

Characters:
All the characters in this book are dynamic in their own way. Some characters, like Jace, evolve slowly over the course of the novel. However, some characters remain static, but your perception of them changes, making them dynamic. At one point or another, I have hated every character in this book. Then loved them again. The characters are so real and so well written; it’s like these are real people and you’re just looking in on their lives. My favorite character was, of course, Jace but Dakota and, surprisingly, Mirriam were a close second.

Final Thoughts:
Split is an amazing book. Beware of the violence and bad language if that kind of thing distresses you. There are major themes of forgiveness, love, and acceptance to balance out the hatred and angst. 4.5 stars. 

Read It For Yourself