On the Jellicoe Road review

Goodreads summary: Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham 17, finally confronts her past. Hannah, the closest adult she has to family, disappears. Jonah Griggs, moody stares and all, is back in town. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

My thoughts: It seemed like a gift and a curse to choose Jellicoe Road after one of the longest book slumps of my life. A gift because it practically yanked me out of my bookless world. A curse because it left me with a book hangover, which in the past has led me to... a book slump.

I was so confused initially: by the sections in italics, the hermit, the cadets, and boys in trees in dreams. It was to the point that I wondered if I should stop reading. That was an option for me because I was tired of books that were just OK or just good. And I couldn't see a book that I barely understood being great. But after the melodramatic version of myself calmed down and pressed on, it became blatantly obvious how beautiful and powerful this piece of writing truly was.

Taylor is this girl with a chip on her shoulder, but to understand where she comes from and what she's gone through, it's a wonder she's done so well. But she has help throughout the story, as she finds out more about the past (hers and others), from friends who aren't "supposed" to be friends. And as their lives begin to tangle into each other's, the sections in italics make more sense. And the idea of friends being your family (or at least a part of it) becomes a deep, recurring theme.

It's amazing how the book that started off slow for me swept me away with its characters, writing, and plot.

Characters: I respect the hec out of Jonah Griggs. I want to date Chaz Santangelo. I want to be best friends with Raffaela. And I want to love Taylor until the pain stops.

Writing: I'm not really a fan of re-reading something (unless it's The Phantom Tollbooth or Shadow of the Fox) but there were so many fantastic passages that I'd be willing to re-read this.

Plot: What seemed annoying at first was a pretty brilliant way to tell a story. As a future screenwriter (hopefully), it definitely encouraged me to "step my game up" as far as storytelling goes.

It's an amazing thing to go from being mildly interested in a story to having to hold back tears during the last few chapters. There is no doubt as to why it won the Printz award, or why there's supposed to be a movie version coming out. The only thing I could hope for after was that I'd find another book that could move me... My review of Eleanor & Park should be up next week.

The Sky is Everywhere review

Goodreads summary: Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

 My Thoughts: This is another book I can't believe took me so long to read. It's sad yet hopeful and realistic in a way I didn't expect. Realistic in a way that caused me to think about the people that have died in my life. And not like a family member who's much older than me, but a friend or a fellow student. It seemed impossible because they were my age. They were my friends but they died and the world kept spinning. Oddly enough, the indescribable feelings I felt in those difficult times seemed a bit more easy to describe (and accept) thanks to this book. 

And what makes The Sky Is Everywhere stand out is that not only does Lennie have to live past her sister's death, but she also has to deal with her weirdly-but-perfectly timed "awakening." She's finally leaving the comfort of her sister's shadow and coming more into her own. But of course, what is living and growing without making mistakes and/or being unsure of yourself?

And let me tell you, Jandy Nelson can write. It's in a way that makes sadness seem poetic but still very real. Especially when Lennie leaves her notes all over town. And if the captivating story or the gorgeous writing wasn't enough, there are these amazing and very descriptive characters:

- A giant hulk of a man for an uncle
- A beautiful guy with full lashes who can bat his way in or out of anything
- A mother/grandmother who's the best "florist" in town

It's just the perfect mixture of complex issues and normal situations that has me adding this to my list of favorite contemporary novels.

Raven Boys review

Goodreads: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.
  
My thoughts: The kind of authors I enjoy are ones that either stick to similar themes but have a creative way of telling them or have drastically different stories with some familiar thread running through them. Maggie represents the latter, and after reading and loving Scorpio Races, I couldn’t wait to see what new adventure she would design. And this one a very different, filled with lay lines, sacrifices, and nature settings that have a fondness for Latin.

            Raven Boys almost seems to start with an ending (a good way to start if you do it right, according to my cinema teacher). Blue knows that if she kisses her true love, that person will die. But she and we don’t know who and when. And you think it will go one way as characters are introduced (mainly Gansey), but it doesn’t. As things continue to be revealed, there are some secrets that have been "hidden," out in the open the whole time.  And there are some things that you wouldn’t expect until it actually happens.

       Raven Boys initially seems like a romance. But once you get to know all the characters and see the complexity of their fate, it is shown that there is more to this story. Not just with Blue and “the boys,” but also with her mother and her psychic friends.

     The one thing I didn’ t like was how things got wrapped up. I know this book has to help setup the series, but after building and developing the story, it seemed to end too soon.  Not in the sense that I needed more pages, just that something seemed missing. Other than that, it was a good story that has set me on my own quest to learn more about a certain welsh king. At least until the next book comes out.

Adaptation review

Description: Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now.

Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are stranded.

Reese and her debate team partner and longtime crush David are in Arizona when it happens. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On their drive home to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway at night in the middle of Nevada, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won’t tell them what happened, where they are—or how they’ve been miraculously healed.

Things become even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an entirely new direction—and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has worked for decades to keep secret.

My thoughts: It wasn’t until I started reading this that I realized this was my first book I’ve reviewed that dealt with area 51 related controversies/we are not alone related topics. Which excited me.

In Adaptation we have a big problem that has to do with birds. Then we have a seemingly small problem (but it’s actually pretty big too) involving Reese and David. As you continue to read, assumptions and theories of what happened to them are proven (or disproved). 

And although there were parts of this story where I needed to really suspend disbelief, there were various aspects of it that seemed hauntingly real. Like the birds. The birds freaked me out because it reminded me of how it felt when that was actually happening in real life. And I was almost as freaked out during the occurrences in the book as when it was really happening.

It’s not that Adaptation is scary, like Halloween movie scary (actually some of those are just funny). But some passages did make me feel uneasy.  For instance, I could relate to a lot of Reese's inner dialogue right after she starts discovering things (she's not supposed to) because I know what it feels like to be watched but not know who is actually watching me. It’s freaky! But these are the kind of books I like to read in October. Plus I was sick (still am) while reading this; so it reminded me of when I’d be in bed with a box of tissues, chicken noddle soup, and goldfish watching the X-files. Good times (except for the sick part).

As for the rest of the story, it was an easy read with an interesting plot. I just feel like I really didn’t get to know the characters that well. In fact, even though a lot happens in the story, it felt like it was just touching the surface as far as what was in this peculiar world. Which is why I’m hoping we’ll get to know everyone/thing better in the sequel.

My only real issue that kept bugging me was that Adaptation ended in a way that had me wondering where book two would start.  I think it’s a pacing issue. It felt like I was being led to expect more, then dropped at a not quit random but not quite expected place. Other than that one issue, the book was very entertaining. And I’ll definitely read the next book when it comes out… Now all I need to do is find some episodes of X-files online.

What are you reading on Mondays?

Book(s) read last week:
Adaptation by Malinda Lo

Currently reading:
 I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Upcoming read(s)
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

In My Mailbox 84

I've heard good things about both books. Hopefully I'll get to them both this week!

Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read Since I Started Blogging

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 This list isn't in any particular order:

1.     Wicked lovely

This is still my favorite series I've read since I started blogging. It's dark and twisted. And I love how intricate the story is between each book.

2.     John Green books

Paper Towns is my favorite book ever! And The Fault In Our Stars and Looking for Alaska made me cry. I just love all things John Green.

3.     The Summer I Turned Pretty series

This feels like a simple story. But as I'm learning in my screenwriting class, have a simple plot and complex characters.

4.     The Ghosts of Ashbury High

This is one of the first books that stood out as different to me. I'm astounded, because I still haven't read anything like it. 

5.     The Hundred Thousands

I don't really read adult books, so I was very unsure about this book. But then I basically inhaled the book, it definitely helped me be open to reading other genres.

6.     Allison Hewitt Is Trapped

People say this book confused them but I LOVE it. So much happens! And whether good or bad things were happening in a particular scene, it was all wrapped in mixture of comedy and action.

7.     Daughter of Smoke and Bone

The writing is sooooo beautiful, and the story is mysterious and entrancing.

8.     Under the Never Sky

This book basically had all the plot devices that I love in this genre. And the writer used them all very well.

9.     The Scorpio Races

THIS is the book I'd been waiting for from Maggie Stiefvater! It was harsh and real. I just couldn't put the book down.

10.  The Song of Achilles

Read my review!