From a Distant Star

3.5/5 stars

I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

The Skinny:

Emma, unlike everyone else, has not given up hope. She knows deep down that Lucas can, and will, make a full recovery. He simply cannot die from cancer. Willing to try just about anything, no matter how strange, Emma visits Mrs. Kokesh who gives her a special potion. That night Emma follows Mrs. Kokesh’s directions, and a few days later the unimaginable happens: Lucas wakes up. The problem is, Lucas is no longer the Lucas that Emma remembers. In fact, he is so different that Emma begins to suspect that something is terribly wrong. Who is this Lucas that has come back to her? Does his strange behavior have something to do with the other oddity that has just occurred right in Lucas’s backyard?

Review:

There are many reasons why I should not have liked this novel:

1) Emma is constantly waxing poetic about Lucas. She and Lucas share such a deep love. They are going to grow old together. Blah, blah, blah. Honestly, for a 17 (?) year old girl, I feel that the amount of time discussing her true love for Lucas was a tad much. Maybe I am wrong? I am basing my feelings about this on my time as a 17 year old; I most definitely did not know what true love was.

2) Emma, at times, was TSTL. The prime example I can think of is when she told Lucas’s parents about her theories concerning Lucas (that “something else is inside of Lucas and that something is wearing him like a costume.”). I was very confused as to why Emma was telling his parents this, especially because Lucas’s mom did not appear to like Emma (AT ALL!). Why would someone who was constantly trying to shoo you away believe such a story? Why would you expect someone who disliked you to believe such a story? If I were in Emma’s shoes, the last person I would tell would have been Lucas’s mom.

3) Some of the happenings were just too convenient. The biggest convenience was the ‘thing’ that Beverley and her husband lent Scout and Emma. I’m not going to go into detail, because it would give a lot away, but this object made things just a teensy bit too easy.

There are several other things I made note of (Emma not being a particularly strong female character being one) that should have added to my dislike of this novel. But the fact of the matter is: I didn’t wholly dislike this book. Guys, I bought what this author was selling. WHY? Even after several days I’m not sure why I liked this. I think the main reason is that it gave me the warm and fuzzies. The ending was like a freakin perfectly wrapped present, which I just LIKED. This was such an easy read that really didn’t cause me any grief whatsoever. Once in a while I guess I like a book like that. I liked From a Distant Star in this kinda way:

Awwwwwwww.

Overall:

This book was an easy read that involved little brain power, and it was definitely devoid of any anxiety-inducing moments. There were many things that prevented me from loving it, yet I would read another book by the author. If you are looking for something that is quick, easy, and strangely likable, then this may be the read for you.

The King of Attolia

4/5 Stars

Sometimes, if you want to change a man’s mind, you change the mind of the man next to him first.”

The Skinny:
Gen has gotten what he ‘wanted’; he is now the King of Attolia. It quickly becomes evident that while Gen got something he desired, that something was not to rule a Kingdom of people. Thrown into a life where the majority of his subjects despise him, Gen must try to come into his own. It appears as though Gen is royally sinking in his attempt to rule, but as is always the case with the thief, things are never what they appear.

The Review:
Unlike in The Thief, The King of Attolia is not told from Gen’s point of view. This story focuses primarily on Costis, a member of the Attolian guard. Gen is still very much a part of this story, but Costis really takes center stage. It was interesting to see many of Gen’s interactions and schemes from more of an ‘outsiders’ point of view. I found myself on the edge of my seat, because it was harder to discern what Gen was thinking and what his plans were because I was ‘not in his head’. At times this was also aggravating because I was wondering why the hell he was saying/doing certain things.

Costis, one of the main characters in this book, was not really likable at first. I can attribute this 100% to the fact that he did not like Gen (whatever, people!) I suppose he cannot really be blamed for disliking the king, because Gen acted pretty damn foolish for a good portion of the book (always whining, falling asleep during meetings, and such). But as I got to know Costis as a character, he began to grow on me. Where everyone else took Gen’s silly behavior at face value, Costis began to see the gaps. By the end, Costis was unflinchingly loyal to the king and he had redeemed himself in my eyes.

Because you’re a jumped-up barbarian goatfoot who abducted the Queen of Attolia and forced her to accept you as a husband and you have no right to be king, was Costis’s thought. Aloud, he said, “I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

Gen, ohhhh Gen. Like I stated previously, Gen frustrated me in this novel. At times I was left wondering why he was acting like such a dunce. Without giving too much away – I should have realized that Gen always has something up his sleeve (I SWEAR I’m not making a handless joke…*wink*).

The true beauty of this story, besides the twists and turns which are always top-notch, is the evolution of the relationships between characters. There is a huge change in the relationship between Costis and Gen. It was such a slow transformation between the two, that I can’t exactly say what the actual turning point was. I just know that it was very fulfilling to see the pair go from hatred to something else. There was also a deepening marriage between Attolia and Gen. Their relationship might go down as one of my favorite romances because of the simple understanding they created between one another. Attolia understood Gen and he got her. I don’t really know how else to describe it. Lastly, the development of Gen’s subejcts feelings towards him was drawn out, yet amazing. I wanted to laugh at all of them by the end of the story. How could they have doubted the beloved Gen?!

It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen’s shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day.

Overall:
This is a definite thinker of a book. Little things that appear inconsequential at first, end up leading to, or being, bigger things. While not full of fast-paced action, this story holds its own because of the development of the characters and the intricate plot.

The Thief

2.5/5 The Skinny: Gen, a young thief, has bragged for the last time. After telling the wrong people (AKA anyone he could) about his most recent theft, he is thrown in the King’s prison. Thinking that is where he will remain, Gen is surprised when the King’s scholar comes to fetch him. Unbeknownst to Gen, the magus wants him to steal something for him in return for his freedom. Thinking he has an easy way out, Gen quickly agrees. What he doesn’t realize is that this task might be far more difficult than he ever anticipated. The Review: Disappointingly, I was not wowed by this book. I was expecting it to be similar to The False Prince. It was in a way, but The False Prince was more exciting in my opinion. For most of The Thief, I was waiting for something huge to be revealed. As the story crept on (I knowingly used the word crept– it was veryyy slow at times), bread crumbs were being dropped. I had a fun time trying to figure out what they all meant, yet was sad at the end when they didn’t amount to what I wanted them to. I am holding out hope, because I’ve heard from numerous people that book two is better. Overall: This was not a bad book by any means, but it did not turn out to be as clever as I was expecting. I’m looking forward to book two and hope that it redeems this series for me.

Uprooted

5/5 stars

The Skinny:

Agnieszka, a young woman from a small village near a mysterious and malicious wood, is convinced that a man called ‘the Dragon’ will take her best friend Kasia. In Agnieszka’s eyes Kasia is everything; she is smart, beautiful, and exactly what the Dragon has wanted and taken in the past. The Dragon, a wizard of incomparable talents, protects Agnieszka’s village from the evils spawned from the wood but in return, The Dragon must have one girl. Her whole life Agnieszka has prepared herself for when her best friend must be taken from her, but Agnieszka has been dreadfully mistaken on so many accounts; Agnieszka should have feared for herself, and the life and people she has known.

The Review:

It has taken me weeks to finally write this review. I didn’t know how I could possibly do such a beautiful book justice. Although I have ‘not been able to do a book justice’ frequently in the past, this was on an entirely new level – I literally had no idea where to begin nor what to say. Now that I have had a few weeks to mull this book over, I am ready to write a ‘review’ although I am still certain it will not do the book justice.

First and foremost: in many areas this was not a fast paced book. Some may even describe it as being ‘too wordy.’ Despite this, I felt that every single word in this book was essential to the story. In fact, the words weren’t just essential to the plot, but were also integral to the creation of the feelings in which the story evoked.

When I was younger I read The Secret Garden obsessively. It was my favorite book, and I literally could not get enough. I felt that, although not containing any wizardry at all, the book had a magic all of its own. The story tugged on me, and with my heart of hearts I wished for my own secret place to escape to. This book, while not anything like The Secret Garden, made me feel the same types of feelings. I got caught up in the magic of it all. Without the descriptive wording, I feel that this book would not have had the same impact on me.

The words no longer felt impenetrable. I still couldn’t follow the story, or remember one sentence to the next, but I began to have the feeling that I wasn’t meant to. If I could have remembered, at least some of the words would have been wrong: like hearing again a half-remembered favorite tale from childhood and finding it un-satisfying, or at least not as I’d remembered it. And that was how the summoning made itself perfect, by living in that golden place of vague and loving memory.

As well as the way in which the book was written, I was also drawn to the characters. Agnieszka is the kind of character that I am drawn to; she is bold, smart, and humorous. Even in times of dire circumstances, Agnieszka is able to keep a level head. In almost total disagreement of her is the Dragon. I must say that at first I COULD NOT STAND the Dragon. I felt like he was old and crotchety and that he had no semblance of humanity left within him. While still remaining quite cantankerous for the duration of the book, the Dragon grew on me immensely. By the end I was waiting in anticipation for the Dragon’s sharp responses.

”If you haven’t grasped vanastalem by now, there is nothing I can possibly do to help you,” he snapped. “In fact, I’m inclined to believe you mentally defective.” – what a charmer, right??

Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention that I feel the blurb for this book is a little misleading. While the ‘taking of the girl’ is indeed an important aspect of the story, perhaps the seed of the story, there is so much more that this story is about. It isn’t just about a girl being taken, it is about love, loss, greed, and misunderstanding. It is about a mysterious and misunderstood man and a young, intelligent, and willful girl. It is about magic.

Overall: If you are the type that gets caught up in the utter beauty and magic of a story, then this book is for you.

His name tasted of fire and wings, or curling smoke, of subtlety and strength and the rasping whisper of scales.

Luna

3/5 stars

“Like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, I thought. An exquisite and delicate creature, unfolding her wings and flying away. Except in Luna’s case, the butterfly is forced to rein in her wings and reinsert herself into the cocoon every day. Every single day, she has to become a shell of a person.”

The Skinny:
This is the story of a young man, Liam; a boy on the outside, yet a girl on the inside. By night, Liam is Luna, a girl who loves make-up and fashion. By day, Liam is an introverted boy who is only a shell of a person. Told in the voice of his younger sister Regan, we are privy to not only the trials and tribulations Liam must face in order to become Luna, but also the confusion Regan feels as she tries to simultaneously protect her brother and accept all of his changes.

The Review:
As I was reading many of the other reviews for this book, a huge source of contention for other readers was Regan’s ‘selfishness.’ Apparently Regan was an unlikable narrator due to her self-centered nature, which impacted peoples’ enjoyment of the novel. I have to say that while Regan was selfish at times, I did not dislike her as a narrator because of this. In fact, I felt that Regan was a more reliable narrator because of this character trait; what young high school student is not egotistical? As a high school teacher, I can say virtually none (I say so lovingly, because I too was like this :D). Also, I feel that some of Regan’s decisions and feelings were warranted. For as long as she can remember, Regan has been protecting her brother’s secret – I think that this would take a toll on anyone.

What impacted my enjoyment of the novel, far more than Regan’s selfishness, is the cardboard quality of some of the characters and situations. In particular, I felt that the relationship between Regan and her parents was pretty cliché. Regan’s mom plays the aloof parent, while her dad plays the mans-man father. Sorry, but I’ve seen these types of parents far too often in books and movies. I also felt that the relationship and dialogue between Regan and Chris was cringe-worthy at times. Regan is the ‘clumsy girl’ always falling and breaking things (hello, Bella!), and Chris is the hot guy that goes for the misunderstood girl. Their dialogue is frequently cheesy and awkward (yes, high-schoolers can be awkward, but this was a bit TOO much). I feel that Regan and Chris could have been very sweet, but instead I just felt that they were…blegh.

Despite the manufactured quality of some of the characters and happenings, I did like reading about Liam. I don’t know if ‘like’ is the right word. I felt for Liam, and I felt for his struggles. I found Liam’s story to be painful, but also interesting; this is the first book I’ve read about this subject matter. It saddened me to know that Liam felt like he had to keep his true self hidden. While this story was fictional, I know that there are people out there who have had to hide as well. I can’t imagine how painful of a thing that must be, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.

Overall:
I liked the subject matter of this novel because I haven’t really read anything else like it. I wasn’t totally sold on the story because of the cardboard quality of some of the characters and events. This being said, I loved Liam’s character. I felt that he was really eye-opening and made me think and consider things I hadn’t before.

The Assassin’s Curse

3/5 stars

The skinny: Ananna, a strong willed pirate, is being forced into a strategic marriage by her parents. Although running away from the unwanted marriage means that an assassin will be sent for her, Ananna flees. As expected, an assassin, Naji, is sent in pursuit. Not so expectedly, Ananna ends up saving the assassin from a perilous situation, inadvertently binding her and Naji together through a curse. The two, to their displeasure, must set off together to try and break the curse. They soon realize that this is much easier said than done.

My thoughts: This book was…….nice. It was a quick, easy read, and caused no anxiety on my part. From the first few pages a certain tone was set, so I knew not to expect any horrific main character deaths, angst, or monumental conflicts. I loved the magical elements in the book, but at times they didn’t seem quite ‘magical’ enough. That sounds very strange, but I don’t know how else to describe it!! I liked Ananna’s characterization because she was unflinchingly herself; she thought like a pirate, acted like a pirate, and swore like a pirate. She was not lady like in the slightest, and this did not change even when she started to look at Naji in a ‘more-than-a-friend’ way. This was extremely refreshing, because in so many books I’ve read the main characters change once they fall in lervvvvv. Naji’s character in turns intrigued me and frustrated me. His roll as an assassin, and his use of magic (particularly blood magic), lent him a mysterious air, while his sulky and woe is me attitude kind of pissed me off. Get ova it, Naji!!!

Overall: All in all I felt that this book could have been a bit better; I wanted even more magic, mysticism, intrigue, etc., etc. This being said, I’ll probably be reading the next book because I want to see what happens between Naji and Ananna, and am also interested about whether/how the curse will be broken.

Champion

Legend: 4 Prodigy: 3.5 Champion: 5 Sometimes I’m not a very analytical reader. By this, I mean that I don’t always focus on how solid the plot is, whether there are glaring inconsistencies, or on how developed the characters are, etc., etc. Sometimes I get so caught up in a book that I just forget about these things; they melt to the background. I find myself unable to dislike the book despite these things. THIS was that book. There were multiple things that could have turned me away from this book. 1) There were several instances where something would happen way too easily — too neatly. ‘Oh…we need this? Well, ta-da! Here it is!’ Hint: something with June. 2) There was also, what I felt was, a lackluster ending. The whole series had been building to this point — this big battle, then it just kind of ends. 3) The issue and resolution with Day seemed too perfect, and a great way to side-step previous issues. It didn’t quite add up. These are only 3 of the issues I COULD have had with this book. I COULD let these issues detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. But I just. can’t. This book grabbed me by the heart and wouldn’t let go. Now, the day after reading, I’m still caught in the book’s web. How could I not, despite everything, give this book 5 stars, when it impacted me like this? I’m going with my gut on this one, analysis aside.

Paper Towns

4.5 I was going to write a review where I just copy and pasted ‘I love you, John Green’ over and over again. I thought that might be a bit overzealous, so I decided to write a micro-review instead. This was my first foray into the world of John Green, and clearly it was a success 😉 From the first few pages I knew I was reading something special. I was quickly sucked into the story, and snuck as much time as I could to read. I was so obsessive, that I would read a quick two or three pages in between teaching each of my classes. I found the characters in this book to be entirely engaging, realistic, funny, yet flawed. I loved Ben, for his ‘cool guy’ act that usually missed the mark. I was wowed by Radar and his smartypants ways. I respected Quentin (Q) for not giving up, while simultaneously being pissed at him for his Margo obsession. I grappled over my feelings for the elusive, Margo. I grew to like Lacey for her ability to see beyond “Bloody Ben” to the guy beneath. The characters of this book were the core of the story. All of them banded together to try to help Q solve the Margo riddle. At times, I thought his friends would get annoyed with him, and say enough is enough. But they always came back to help, even when sacrifices needed to be made. With his friends by his side, Q was able to find the truth about Margo, but also was able to discover himself along the way. Was this book without faults? No. I found myself really irritated at times by certain characters. I couldn’t help but think Margo was selfish. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking Q was a TAD obsessive. Despite this though, I just can’t get past the depth of the characterization, and John Green’s mad writing skills. An absolutely brilliant ‘thinker’ of a book. I can’t remember the last time a YA book has asked so much of me. If you are looking for something a little deeper, while still managing to be humorous and heartwarming, then you should try this book!! The micro-review that was not micro.

Dare to Dream

2.5/5 stars *I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* The skinny: Maggie Trafford, a 14 year old girl, is having utterly terrifying nightmares. As these nightly dreams grow in vividness, Maggie begins to realize that maybe they are not just nightmares at all. Maybe, just maybe, these nightmares are in fact premonitions –premonitions that foretell the end of the world. Maggie, scrambling to convince those she loves of the horrors to come, watches desperately as the end of th 2.5/5 stars *I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* The skinny: Maggie Trafford, a 14 year old girl, is having utterly terrifying nightmares. As these nightly dreams grow in vividness, Maggie begins to realize that maybe they are not just nightmares at all. Maybe, just maybe, these nightmares are in fact premonitions –premonitions that foretell the end of the world. Maggie, scrambling to convince those she loves of the horrors to come, watches desperately as the end of the world ticks ever closer. Fighting for the will to live, Maggie tries to make it to the “safe place” forecasted in her dreams. The review: Plot: The plot was unique and intriguing: apocalyptic dreams, Stonehenge falling, otherworldly happenings, etc.) Yet, this book suffered from a case of: ‘plot-elements/characters-that-were-cool-or-seemed-important-but-were-never-heard-from-again.’ *Poof* First example (while Maggie is in the bathroom): “As she sat there, scanning the vast declarations on the cubicle walls, her eyes were drawn to a freshly penned addition; the telltale signs were the bold ink which had not yet been faded by time. As she read it, her jaw dropped in shock. The latest offering of graffiti read: Maggie Trafford Dreams of Armageddon.” When I read those lines, a literal shiver went up my back. There was a definitely uncanny air to the graffiti, so I was anticipating an equally uncanny explanation. Why was, ‘Maggie Trafford Dreams of Armageddon,” written on the wall?? I thought for sure that the author was going to capitalize on the eerie situation. Instead, the whole thing was never mentioned again in the book. *POOF* Second example of a scene that went *poof*, took place with the school counselor. Maggie, suffering from her nightmares to such an extent that they impacted her school work, meets with the counselor to talk about her nightmares. The counselor, Mrs. Grimes, is a typical adult, and tries to placate Maggie. Maggie leaves her office agreeing to see her once a week. AND THEN WE NEVER HEAR FROM MRS. GRIMES AGAIN. I felt like the whole Mrs. Grimes thing could have been a cool angle to the story, but unfortunately she *poofed* SPOILER: Now, I get that she died in the red lightning, yet her scene in the story still seemed misplaced. It seemed like filler. The last disappearing act was the whole Maggie’s dad occurrence. I don’t want to discuss this scene too thoroughly, because it would give away a lot, but let’s just say I thought the whole dad scene was going to be important. But, you guessed it, *poof* As well as the ‘plot-elements/characters-that-were-cool-or-seemed-important-but-were-never-heard-from-again syndrome that this book suffers from, I also felt like certain happenings could have been further expanded upon. In the story parts of Stonehenge begin to collapse. Maggie later realizes that the falling of Stonehenge is in fact a timer to the end of the world (as the rocks fall the end of the world gets closer). I think it would have been a cool addition if other wonders around the world started to disassemble as well. I feel that if other wonders were incorporated, then the book would seem more apocalyptic. As it was, it felt that the apocalypse was only happening in one part of the world. In Summary: Strong plot elements: *The nightmares *The Pinchers *Stonehenge falling Weak plot elements: *Scenes that served no purpose *Pacing of the plot (sluggish in some areas) Characters: I felt like the characters in the story were pretty strong in the personality department, yet I didn’t really feel connected with any of them except for Maggie. It was easy to identify with Maggie because of her terrible nightmares and the way that she reacts to them. Dawn was a pretty good sidekick to Maggie – very loyal- yet her whining was a little much for me. I also got super pissed at Dawn when she ate most of their food supplies. So while being a good and loyal friend, she was also quite selfish. Andy, another main character, was pretty interesting, yet quite a snooze in the love-interest department. I didn’t really see anything that special about him. Overall: This was not a bad book by any means, yet there were several elements that fell flat for me. I was particularly bothered by the scenes that didn’t seem to serve any purpose. I felt that the characters were strong, yet I could only identify with Maggie. I feel that this book, besides one particular scene, would be most suited for middle-grade readers.

Unsouled

4.5

“Hope can be bruised and battered. It can be forced underground and even rendered unconscious, but hope cannot be killed.”

The skinny:

Lev and Connor have one clue that is driving them forward: Janson Rheinschild. They believe that by seeking out the woman connected to Janson that they can find the answers to the end of unwinding. Unbeknownst to Connor and Lev, while they are trying to unravel the mystery of Rheinschild, Nelson is still on their trail. Nelson has not given up his goal to capture them, not in the slightest. Cam, inconsolable after Risa leaves, is taking out his anger and frustrations on the organization responsible for his ‘rewinding’. His plan, his obsession, is to take down Proactive Citizenry. Risa, on her own, is unsure of who she can trust. She desperately searches out a safe location to stay while she waits to be reunited with her friends. With the help of friends, the drive of determination, and the power of hope, these four characters meet again and learn answers that could change everything.

The reivew:

I liked Unwind. I liked UnWholly even a little bit more. But I pretty much loved UnSouled.

I made a little listy-poo to help me organize why I liked this book so much:

1) The first reason I liked this book was also present in previous stories, but I noticed it more so in this installment. I really appreciated that all of the kids/young adults in this book excel in one area or another. At first this annoyed me because I couldn’t understand how every character could be SO brilliant in one concentrated area or another (technology, leadership, etc.) – it just didn’t seem realistic. It was particularly hard to swallow the fact that even the characters that were supposed to be less intelligent were basically awesome masterminds. But then I started to look at it a little differently. I began to think that maybe, as an adult, I underestimate the intelligence and drive of young people. Perhaps the author wanted the readers to see each person in the novel as important and valuable in their own right. Possibly he wanted me (and I’m sure other adults) to not limit the capabilities of others. There is the real possibility that we don’t know what someone is really capable of until they are put into a situation where they have no other choice than to be amazing. MAYBE I’m seeing too much into this, but I just really ended up liking that aspect of the novel (in an I-hated-it-then-loved-it-because-I-over-think-things kinda way).

2) The second reason I liked this novel is the emphasis placed on the creation of unwinding. It was fascinating to see how Shusterman spun that aspect of the book. I really felt for the people who, inadvertently, invented the one thing that would change the history of the world as they knew it in such a disturbing way. It was saddening to see how people who just wanted to help the human population, instead see the horror that they caused.

3) The third reason was that the “Oooos and Ahhhhs” in this book really wowed me. There was one particular ‘reveal’ that I hadn’t anticipated. When this ‘reveal’ occurred, it really hit me hard; it not only made me feel like my insides were being squeezed, but also really made me think. It made me think about the process of unwinding, specifically unwinding that happens due to parts pirates. I thought deeply about what it must be like for someone to be caught, for someone to know they are going to die, and for family/friends to know that someone has been taken to be unwound.

Overall:

These were only a few things that stuck out to me. Generally I enjoyed this book more than the previous two because I felt like the process of unwinding and the setting of the story had been established. I felt like this book allowed me to focus more on the emotional aspect, and less on the sensationalism of unwinding itself.