Review: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Bumped (Bumped, #1) by Megan McCafferty
323 pages, Library Book (hardcover)
Finished on 12/6/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Futuristic, Coming of Age, Romance
Synopsis via GoodReads:

In 2036 New Jersey, when teens are expected to become fanatically religious wives and mothers or high-priced Surrogettes for couples made infertile by a widespread virus, 16-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony find in one another the courage to believe they have choices.

Motivation to Read It: I've been wanting to read it since it came out. It was a new book at the library, so I grabbed it as soon as I saw it.

Review: This was the first of Megan McCafferty's books that I've read, and I must say that she's a gret writer.

Bumped revolves aoround a set of twins that were separated at birth. Melody grew up in Otherside, and her parents have been preparing her her entire life to do her "civic duty," if you will -- have a baby for a couple that can no longer conceive. Harmony was taken to Goodside, a church-oriente, secluded civilization where the rules are quite strict and the people don't have the virus.

I have to admit that from the very beginning I didn't like Harmony. She was just so annoying to me. She was one of those people that's hellbent on turning everyone to her religion and thinking how she thinks. She was also too nosy for her own good. She was interefering with stuff from the beginning of the book, and with every wrong decision she made I just really wanted to rattle her bones. However, the fact that I connected to the story that well enough to dislike her so much -- that's some really good writing, wouldn't you say?

The plot was amazing, spectacular, marvelous. It wasn't necessarily fast-paced, but it wasn't slow either. You got to see how Otherside operated and went about life everyday because they go several different places between both Harmony's and Melody's perspectives. Everything really flowed as well. There was nothing that was choppy, even when you switched between the two girls. You pretty much start u pwherever you left off.

All in all, this was a great novel, and I can't wait to read Thumped!

Shelf-Worthy

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) by Tahereh Mafi
338 pages, Library Book (hardcover)
Finished on 31/5/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Some Adventure, Romance, Coming of Age, Futuristic
Synopsis via GoodReads:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Motivation to Read It: GoodReads, then the Library. They tease me constantly.

Review: First thing I'm gonna say: WOW! Second: The synopsis is right-- I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel. 'Nuff said, right? This book was absolutely ahmazing.

Juliette has been locked away where she can't hurt people; she believes herself to be a monster. She's never had any friends that were truly there for her. The day that Adam comes to her cell is the day that everything really does change. The way Juliette distances herself from him and doesn't even respond when she's super tempted to, it's just intriguing. I constantly found myself waiting for the moment when she would open up even a sliver and say something, anything.

The characters were all really good. Adam is probably my favorite male character ever. He has this facade that looks like he doesn't care, but whenever he and Juliette are alone, he's the sweetest guy. Warner was also a good charrie. Obviously (for those of you that have read the book), he wasn't going to be my favorite character, but I like the way he was set up. He's the son of somebody important, and he's trying to live up to expectations. Gotta respect that.

From the moment Adam entered Juliette's cell, I just didn't want to put the book down. As you get farther into the pages, time passes a little faster, and you keep wondering when they'll make their move against Warner, etc. It keeps your nose in the pages for sure.

You MUST get this book. I'm telling you, it's completely worth it to buy a bound copy. You'll thank me later :)

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed (Matched, #2)

By Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Books, 2011

367 pages, hardcover

Date Finished: 8/11/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Futuristic, Romance, Adventure, Coming of Age

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "I'm standing in a river."
~Last Line: "It looks, I imagine, as if someone painted stars or flowers at exactly the right time; a momentary capture of beauty that will too soon vanish."

Review: The sequel to Matched was better than I thought it was going to be. I was glued to the pages and didn't want to have to put the book down for anything.

Cassia has been relocated a lot in the beginning of Crossed (remember how her family left the city at the end of Matched?). But anyway, she's out trying to find Ky. She goes through a lot I must say.

You read this book, alternately, in both Cassia's and Ky's perspectives. I think that was my favorite part. In Matched, I was always hoping to hear his thoughts if only for one sentence.

The plot of Crossed was super awesome! Ky and Cassia want to get to each other so bad that they do everything they can, no matter what the cost is. Kyle makes a couple of friends, Eli and another boy whose name starts with a V. Cassia makes a friend in a girl named Indie. Indie is trustworthy, and, like Cassia, she has secrets. Only thing is, the secret Indie has causes more turmoil when it comes to the light.

The characters in general were really great. Everything you learn about them in this book, and what you get to reflect on, had its own peace in the puzzle. The perfect character setup. Feel what the charries feel, etc. :P

Altogether, this novel was ahmazing! The third and final book in the Matched trilogy, which is untitled as the moment, will be out sometime in 2012. Keep your eyes open for it!

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 5
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched (Matched, #1)

By Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Books, 2010

366 pages, hardcover

Date Finished: 7/9/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Futuristic, Coming of Age, Romance

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Now that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?"
~Last Line: "And they will change from ash and nothing into flesh and blood."

Review: I've wanted to read this book since I first heard about it on GoodReads. It looked great, and it unquestionably was! Dystopian novels are quickly rising in popularity for me :).

The main character, Cassia, turns 16 and gets Matched to her best friend Xander. It perfect. Xander and Cassia know almost everything about each other and know that they'll live happily ever after together. The problem comes, however, when Cassia is shown another boy's face as well.

Ky is an Aberration, an outcast in their futuristic society, but he and Cassia get along wonderfully. I'm not sure who I liked more between him and Xander. They both have their pros & cons.

The plot of Matched was awesome. I loved how everything was going so smoothly and seeing Ky's face was scary, but not terrible. Then, BAM. Cassia wasnts to get to know the boy whose face was accidentally on that microchip. She and Ky became such good friends, and you were just automatically pulled in to everything that was happening.

The characters were ahmazing as well. They all had something different and unique about them. Cassia wanted to learn. Plain and simple. She wanted to know everything that they weren't allowed to know. Ky was one of my favorites for sure. Even though he was an Aberration, he was smarter, in some ways, than most of the people in their society.

Overall, I just loved this vook. I'm so anxious to get my hands on Crossed! The covers for this series are beautiful as well! :D

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 4.5
Cover Rating: 4.75
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and four-fifths :)

Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne

Paradise 21 (New Dawn, #1)

By Aubrie Dionne

Publisher: Entangled, 2011

228 pages, eARC (PDF file)

Date Finished: 26/8/2011

Genres: Adult, Action, Adventure, Romance, Fantasy, Futuristic

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind's last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew-a planet that won't be reached in Aries' lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.
But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates-humans who escaped Earth before its demise-are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet's native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Aries sped through space in her escape pod as if she fled the event horizon of a dying star."
~Last Line: "She had never felt more loved or more free."

Review: This book was first introduced to me when I was asked to participate in a tour for it. I must say that even though this review is very late, it wasn't a waste of time!

The main character, Aries, is part of the ship colony New Daqwn. They've been traveling since Earth was destroyed by radiation, among other things. Their mission is to get  to Paradise 21, a planet that would be able to sustain life for quite a while. Back to Aries: she hates the way the people o the New Dawn decide her whole life for her, so she escapes and runs away.

She meets Striker, an exile, on a desert-like planet. Together, they find the missing piece to an alien ship that can take them to a different planet, and, of course, they fall in love along the way.

The plot for this book was really good, but it was kind of familiar: the female lives in a utopian future and doesn't like her future being chosen for her. It was kind of sad that I could guess that part of the plot, but it was overrided by the fact that it wasn't really close to anything else that I'd read. I love how there's supposed to be this ultimate planet that they have to get to. There was just so much other stuff in the book that I loved that I'm not even about to try to start a whole list :)

The characters were pretty cool. I liked Striker the best. He was trying to take care of Aries from the beginning, even before he could see her. His going back to save her (twice at that) was really an act of caring and nice-ness (and later love). But you get the point, right? :D

LOL. Loved this book! End of story. Just go buy it already:)

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 4
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and three-fourths :)

Guest Review #6 - Leanne

It's been quite a while since my bestie Leanne was on here, but here she is!! She's prepared a review for us today; enjoy!
____________________________________________________

Wow. This book was AMAZING. I have never read anything like it, or similar. The story line was very put together and one of a kind. The world Lauren DeStefano created is amazing, but she didn't really connect the current world to the one she created. The cover art is beautiful and it really pertains to the story. Rhine is so relatable; nobody wants to be a caged bird, or with someone you dont love. I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more from her.

**I have read MANY bad reviews on Goodreads about how bad of a book it was because of the situation, blah blah, but it's a YA book, so I don't really mind that this world is so diffrent and not scientifically possible.

Definitely 4 pins.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent (Divergent, #1)
By Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 2011
487 pages, hardcover
Date Finished: 15/6/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Futuristic, Action, Romance

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.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "There is one mirror in my house."
~Last Line: "I suppose the now, I must become more than either."

Review: I heard so many good things about this book in the one month before I started reading it. I wasn't surprised that it was amazing! Every book this week was the same exact way. :)

The main character, BEatrice, grew up learning to be selfless. But she's nowhere near having a selfless character. When it comes time to choose which divisioin she wants to live in for the rest of her life, it comes down to Abnegation (the selfless center she grew up in) and Dauntless (the home of truly brave people). Things officially become hard for her the moment she makes her choice. Dauntless.

The characters in Divergent were absolutely marvelous. Beatrice, who changes her name to Tris, always knew what she wanted and worked hard to get it. Tris's eventually boyfriend, Four, is pretty cool, too. He cares so much for Tris and is always there to help her when she needs it. You're probably wondering why his name is "Four" of allt hings; that's not actually his real name, only a nickname. Discovering his true identity was something I was not expecting.

Overall, this book really is amazing. If you haven't had a chance to read it, hopefully you'll win the giveaway so that you can! :D

Quotes from the book:

"Four [this is a person] leaving makes me nervous. Leaving us with Eric is like hiring a babysitter who spends his time sharpening knives."

"Christina tucks her hair behind her ears. . . . She cracks another knuckle. She looks nervous, and no wonder -- who wouldn't be nervous after watching Will collapse like a rag doll?"

"No one who would want to hurt Peter has the authority to, and no one who has the authority to punish him would want to."

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither (Chemical Garden trilogy, #1)

By Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011

358 pages, hardcover

Date Finished: 27/5/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Romance, Futuristic

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "I wait."
~Last Line: "This time, I don't know where the light will guide us."

Review: Lauren DeStefano's debut novel was ahmazing! It kept me coming back for more; I couldn't put it down long enough to do anything other than text, which, for me, is saying something!

The main character, Rhine is introduced to us in the back of a van. She's been kidnapped, and in the end is one of the lucky ones. While every girl is nearing their time for death, Rhine and two others are lucky enough to prolong it.

Everything that happened in Wither held my attention and kept me reading for hours at a time. One of my favorite characters in this book was Jenna. She was always so secretive about certain things, but she sincerely cared about her sister wives and what happened to them. Life isn't exactly a fairy tale for Jenna close to the end of the book, but c'est la vie, I guess.

This book . . . wow. There really aren't words. I just wish that I could babble on and on about everything that took place in it. But that would sort of ruin the book for others, so I'll refrain myself :). I'm definitely anxious for the release of Fever next year!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (the Hunger Games, #2)
By Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2009
391 pages, Hardcover
Date Finished: 9/17/2010
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Adventure, Action, Futuristic

~First Line of Book: "I clasp the flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air."
~Last Line of Book: " 'Katniss, there is no District Twelve.' "

Review: Catching Fire was/ is an amazing sequel to The Hunger Games! There was more action, adventure, and romance -- with more than just Peeta (nothing sexual, parents!). Katniss is devestated that she must return to the arena for th e Quarter Quell (aka, the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games), but she has no choice. Can she start a true rebellion against the Capitol?

Awesome book! Anyone who doesn't read this series, is truly missing out on some ah-mazing books! Recommended to everyone who can get their hands on it! :D

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

"I act delighted, but I have zero interest in these Capitol people. They are only distractions from the food."

"I'm filled with awe, as I always am, as I watch her transform from a woman who calls me to kill a spider to a woman immune to fear."

"Finnick recites a poem he wrote to his one true love in the Capitol, and about a hundred people faint because they're sure he means them."

"I bet only a handful of the victors can swim. And there was no pool in the Training Center, no chance to learn. Either you came in a swimmer or you'd better be a really fast learner."

"Like everything here, the water's on the warm side, but this is no time to be picky."

"Our jumpsuits are no help at all. We may as well be dressed in tissue paper, for all the protection they give."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver (the Giver, #1)
By Lois Lowry
Pulisher: Bantam Books, 1999
180 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 9/11/2010
Genres: Futuristic, Young Adult, Adventure, Coming of Age (sort of), Modern Classic

~First Line of Book: "It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened."
~Last Line of Book: "But perhaps it was only an echo."

Review: This was a great book to reread. It's futurisitic, in a place that's secluded and stricter than any place on present-day Earth. There is no color (everything is like a tan, emotionless shade), and at the Ceremony of Twelve, each person is given an Assignment, which is basically their job for the rest of their life. The main character, Jonas, gets a very important Assignment: the Assignment of Receiver. It's very difficult, and he's the only capabel person for the job right now; the last capable, 10 years before, had resulted in a failure. Jonas's life is changed forever....

This is a wondeful book! It was first recomended to me by a teacher, and is now one of my all-time favorites. I recommend this novel to everyone :).

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

"Now there were three Assignments gone, none of them ones that Jonas would have liked -- not that he could have been a Birthmother, anyway, he realized with amusement."

"Jonas reached the opposite side of the river, stopped briefly, and looked back. The community where his entire life had been lived lay behind him now, sleeping. At dawn, the orderly, disciplined life he had always known would continue again, without him."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly