Book Review: Legend

Legend (Legend #1)
by Marie Lu
Hardcover, 305 pages
Published November 29th 2011 by Putnam Juvenile
ISBN 039925675X (ISBN13: 9780399256752)
Challenge: Dystopia Reading Challenge
Source: Bought

Summary:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Review:

Marie Lu's Legend was like a dream come true. Okay, that sounds a bit exaggerated, but still. I've always wanted to read a book about enemies that turned into lovers. Although the enemies part was one-sided, it still had (albeit) the same effect on me. I never really paid attention to the book's description before I picked it up, or before I added it onto my wishlist. So I was surprised when I finally started reading this.

The first surprise came in the form of a thief called Day. After reading Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series, I developed a soft spot for smart thieves. There's just something so amusing about how they outwit other smart people. Especially if they have a good heart. The second surprise came in the form of the Republic's child prodigy called June. June oozed with mischief. I thought she and Day would become really good friends if given the chance. However, the tragedy that struck next, made it somehow impossible.

I like how observant June is. She can deduce something about every move you make. I don't know if there's really like that in real life, but still, she awed me. She was like a Sherlock Holmes. Day is perceptive too, not so much as June but in his own way. He steals only because of his family who doesn't even know that he's still alive, except for his brother, John. And then, there's Tess. Day took her under his wing after seeing her scavenging garbage. She's very adorable and loyal to Day.

The only thing I didn't like about Legend is Day and June's age. I'd make them older by a couple of years if I had the chance, which apparently I don't. But other than that, Legend was like an early Christmas present. I didn't think expect it to be great, but somehow, it was just that. Great, I mean. It is compelling and enthralling, the plot is fast-paced and the characters are lovable. I was literally bouncing with joy as I read the book. Legend is definitely recommended to both dystopian lovers and non-lovers alike.

Rating: 5/5 stars!

Book Review: Ashfall

Ashfall (Ashfall #1)
by Mike Mullin
Hardcover, 466 pages
Expected publication: October 11th 2011 by Tanglewood Press
Source: NetGalley

Summary:

Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.


Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

Review:

Ashfall was a real shocker for me. Reading this was a spur of the moment decision, so I wasn't really expecting anything from it. Plus, I kind of didn't like the cover. It looked to me like a MG book. (And I don't dig MG.) So you can only imagine my surprise when I read it and actually really, really, really loved it! I was even reading this while eating! o.o

Ashfall was told from Alex's point of view. (Male POV, yay!) The book starts with a narrative from Alex about how he regretted having a fight with his mom before she, along with his dad and younger sister took off to visit a relative's place, leaving him alone at the house. Later, we find out that the reason why he regretted this was because of the eruption of a supervolcano.

Before the volcano erupted, Alex came off as very bratty and immature. But as Alex became closer to his family, he grew to become mature and responsible. The road to find his family wasn't an easy one though. Along the way, he met a lot of strangers who were driven by hunger and desperation to survive. This was quite violent, really with some reference to cannibalism and rape. I don't dig violence, but I still thoroughly enjoyed Ashfall.

Recommended to older teens and lovers of dystopian/post-apocalyptic books!

Rating: 5/5 stars!!!

Disclosure: This e-ARC was received from the publisher (Tanglewood Press via NetGalley) for free in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Near Witch

The Near Witch
by Victoria Schwab
288 pages - Hardcover
Published August 2nd 2011 by Hyperion Books CH
Source: NetGalley

Summary:

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

Review:

This book reminded me of Ally Condie's Matched. Not in terms of characters and plot because they have zero in common. But in terms of writing, both books have SUPERB writing style. (Major, majot emphasis on superb.) But as far as the content goes, Matched and The Near Witch kind of bored me.

The plot was quite slow, and the story has a gloomy atmosphere. Not really my kind of YA. But the dark, mystifying world that Schwab created fit perfectly to the gloomy feel of the book. It was also rather hard to connect with the characters. The plot was a little predictable too. I was hoping that Schwab would use some twist toward the ending, but alas, the book finished with how exactly I thought it was going to be. The only thing that was keeping me from ditching this was Schwab's gorgeous writing style.

If you're into books with fluid, eloquent and superb writing style, I seriously recommend The Near Witch. You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Disclosure: This was received from the publisher (Hyperion Books via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Divergent

Divergent (Divergent #1)
by Veronica Roth
495 Pages - Hardcover
Published May 3rd 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books
Challenge: Dystopia Reading Challenge
Source: Bought

Summary:

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 makes 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 as 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 bursts 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.

Review:

Divergent has got to be one of the most anticipated dystopian novels of the year. After The Hunger Games, this had been the only dystopian that was said to follow the success of the trilogy (that I heard of). And as a ginormous fan of THG, naturally, I was compelled to read this.

So, do I think that Divergent is the next Hunger Games? No.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I didn't like Divergent. I actually liked it. I just had super high hopes for this one and so I was slightly disappointed that it did not live up to my expectations.

First off, despite this book's lengthy page, it was surprisingly a very quick read. The pace was a bit slow but with the many interesting events that happened all throughout the story, one wouldn't complain about the pace - you might not even notice it! I feel neutral about Tris and Four. They are both tough and intriguing characters but their characters didn't leave a strong impact to me. Divergent also has one epic premise, I give Roth that. I liked reading about the five factions. It was hard to choose a favorite among them. Each serves a purpose to the society but they are not without flaws. It wouldn't take a genius to predict that sooner or later, problems among each will arise.

I think this also lacked suspense. The plot had little complexity and was quite predictable, especially on the falling action part. I thought it was very cliched. But despite that, Roth did a really good job with this book. Even though I had a hunch on what was going to happen next, it didn't stop me from holding my breath and turning the pages one after the other.

I did enjoy reading Divergent but I think one of the reasons I didn't like this that much is because I kept comparing it to THG - and that was where I went wrong. Enjoy it as it is. Divergent is really good without it being compared to any book!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Book Review: Where I Belong

Where I Belong
by Gwendolyn Heasley
289 pages - Paperback
Published February 8th 2011 by HarperTeen
ISBN: 0061978841 (ISBN13: 9780061978845)

Summary:

Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed.

Review:

The book starts with a letter from Corrine telling the readers not to be too annoyed with her snobby attitude because she'll get better towards the end of the novel. I think this is a very smart move by the author because had she not included this letter, I would have given up on Corrine halfway through.

You’d be surprised by how much Corrine’s attitude got to me. Or not, if you have read this book already. I was utterly annoyed with her attitude. She felt as if she was superior to all the people in Broken Spoke. She was so bitter and condemned everyone and everything for not being as good as her peers back in New York.

The plot predominantly revolves around Corrine’s character development so there's not much romance here.. I almost did not notice her growth as a character though, had I not looked at the story as a whole. She learned to accept life in Broken Spoke, as well as its people and traditions. But what I really liked about Corrine’s character development is that she did not transform from a snobby rich New Yorker to an all time friendly and humble Texan. Her snobby attitude is rather irritating, but it is one of the qualities that define her character and I am glad that it did not vanish towards the end of the book. She’s still not the friendliest or the most humble person, but her life in Broken Spoke has made her such a smart and an open-minded character. Corrine doesn't have the most likable personality ever, but who she is is what made her such an interesting character as well.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Timeless by Alexandra Monir

Timeless (Timeless, book 1)
by Alexandra Monir
304 pages - Hardcover
Published Jan 11th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0385738382 (ISBN13: 9780385738385)

Summary:

When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.

Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.

Review:

Ah, this book was a breath of fresh air! – Not in the sense of being light and hilarious, but in the sense of being utterly good that even if it made me cry, it still managed to put a smile on my face. Timeless was my first ever time travel romance novel and I loved it! I am so, so happy that I gave this a try.

After Michele Windsor’s mother died, she was forced to live under the custody of her grandparents in a very huge mansion in New York. Surrounded by wealthy kids and family secrets, her life was bound to get more than complex when she discovered the diary of an ancestor who lived a hundred years ago. And by some unexplainable event, Michele suddenly had the ability to travel back through time. There, she met the handsome young pianist from the Windsors’s rival family, Philip Walker. But how will their romance work out if they live 100 years apart?

It was easy enough to connect with the characters; Michele and Philip. Their romance was extremely sad that it was almost palpable. I felt sympathy for them at the unfairness of their fate. Michele’s time travels did not revolve around Philip, however. The travels seemed random at first, but later, it became apparent that who or whatever triggered them wanted Michele to learn something from or about her ancestors. She wasn’t visible to all people in the past. Whoever she was visible to were chosen and these were the people who have an important part to play in her life.

The ending was quite predictable. But though I was somehow expecting it, it still surprised the heck out of me. But I'm also bummed by it because cliffhanger? I almost died!

If you haven’t picked up Timeless yet, go to your nearest bookstores now and grab a copy! And pay for it, of course. You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 5/5 stars