Review of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Rating: 5 stars
Received: bought
Genres & themes: YA, contemporary, romance, humor, family, friendship, death, life, diseases, dreams.

BLURB: 

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.



REVIEW:

First of all, I didn’t cry. I know many of you did, and I can understand why, I really can. But, the thing is… this book has a balanced atmosphere. It’s both sad and full of life. During my reading, I concentrated on the joyful parts and the humour. Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel crushed by the ‘cancer’ part.

The number of times I laugh out loud or giggled are uncountable.

Of course, there were some times when I felt my eyes burn because what happens in this book is not fair. Then again, is life ALWAYS fair with any of us? Hint: no.

Hazel is such an honest main character. At first, I thought it was impossible she had cancer. Sometimes, I even forgot she had cancer! She accepts it and I began to accept it as well. I rarely read books with diseases or heavy subjects in fact, so loving this book wasn’t in my pre-read expectations.

BUT, I DID.

OH, I DID.

Will I re-read this book?

YES, YES AND YES.

I’m not the queen of re-readings, I know a queen of re-reading and it’s definitely not me. I’m way too excited about new books released or ones I’m dying to read but haven’t to take the time re-reading books. In fact, I think I only re-read 12 books in my entire life. And that was when I was younger and didn’t know about Goodreads, hehe.

I know though that, when I’m going to re-read The Fault in Our Stars, I’ll appreciate it even more than I did now, and that I’ll fall in love even harder with Augustus and feel an even greater connection to Hazel.

The originality of this book is beyond amazing. I kept thinking how did John Green manage to invent all of that? He’s a fantastic author with an impressive writing style and choice of words. I’m so eager to read his other novels, in occurrence Looking for Alaska of which I heard only great things and that has a big amount of raving reviews.

The kind of family Hazel has is adorable and full of love. I felt so happy for her to be in such a comfortable and loving one. I rarely saw a similar family in real life but I’m sure it exists so, yes, this story was also a believable one. Even, the ‘author’ inside it felt real.

What I also enjoyed were the multiple settings and the perfect pacing. The story is not only happening during a short (or long) period of time which aloud me to really see every character’s personality and the kind of relationship they have toward one another.

As a conclusion to this 100 180th review of The Fault in Our Stars on Goodreads, I recommend you this novel with all my heart. I hope you’ll love it as much as I did and find it inspiring and beautiful as well.


What did you think of this book yourself? :)

Review of Croak by Gina Damico

 Croak by Gina Damico

Rating: 2 stars
Received: borrowed
Genres & themes: YA, death, friendship, urban fantasy, mystery.

SYNOPSIS: 
Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for justice - or is it vengeance? - whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

REVIEW:   

I thought this book was so boring that, for the first time in my entire life, I feel asleep while reading a book. I never slept in class or in a plane but succeeded to fall asleep while reading Croak. There are first times for everything, right? Still, I feel pretty lazy in a way and somehow…surprised. Guess this book can be surprising in a certain way.

I had multiple problems with it. First, I didn’t dislike the principal characters but they weren’t how I thought they would be. Lex is supposed to be wild and all but I didn’t feel it. I mean, she says some not very nice things to people but we can see, from the beginning of the story, that she has a heart and that she’s not that bad. She cares about not hurting her sister and putting in danger her new friends, uncle and the community in general. And, of course, she changes throughout the entire story which isn’t bad itself but there wasn’t that much to change apart from her attitude and maybe some other small things. I had in mind that she was going to be similar to Meda from Cracked.

Driggs didn’t impress me. He’s one of the principal characters but, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind him not being one. I have no connection or any normal positive feelings to have for a masculine character towards him. Now what really confused me is the big amount of secondary characters. It reminded me of the book  Nightshade. The problem is that the author presents them when we first meet those characters but then, if I forget who one of those  really are and what purpose that character has, I’m done. I may never know her/his ‘title’ again, if I can’t deduct by myself and what connection she/him has with the others.

The romance…was not very present. There is this kind of love/hate relationship and, even if I usually love those, this one was the usual kind:

Girl meets boy.

Boy wants nothing to do with girl.

Girl wants to ‘kill’ boy.

Girl and boy partner for ‘work.’

Girl and boy learn to know each other.

And you know the rest; girl and boy begin to like one another. It wasn’t exciting because, as I said earlier, Driggs is too immature for his age and he didn’t quite have a ‘charm’ or fun sense of humour that made me like him or ‘fall for him.’ One character I enjoyed reading about though is Uncle Mort because he’s fun and I would love to meet him in real life to see how he truly looks like and, maybe, be charmed by his personality.

The writing wasn’t bad, pleasant enough actually so that’s why I can’t bring myself to give it only one star. I remember reading a book with a story different but with a similar subject and that’s the the Madison Avery Trilogy by Kim Harrion and, even if that story is slow-paced with long chapters, I appreciated the characters and the story more. It was pretty original in fact. So, if you want to read this kind of story, I would recommend Kim Harrison’s trilogy for YA instead of this Croak one. 

BOOK TOUR: Review + Giveaway of Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon

 Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon

Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Received: book tour
Genres & themes: YA, dragons, shapeshifters, friendship, family, drama, magic, teen romance, boarding school.

SYNOPSIS:

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone you can't have.

REVIEW:

Going Down in Flames was a pretty surprising read and I enjoyed it more than I expected. I’m usually not that into shapeshifters, as I said in my review of Dead Witch Walking, but I never read a book with dragons before, of what I recall, and I thought it’d be interesting to try one.

And it truly was!

Review of Cracked (AKA new favorite book of 2014) by Eliza Crewe

 Cracked by Eliza Crewe

Received: bought
Rating: 5 ENTIRELY DESERVED AND BRIGHT STARS 
Genres & themes: YA, demons, action, humour, fantasy, friendship, family, ghosts, urban fantasy.

BLURB:

Meet Meda. She eats people.Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.

Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.

REVIEW:

I’m going to be VERY honest with you guys:

I want to eat this book. Nom nom.

I want to devour every word and every chapter slowly and taste its flavours because, if it’s as amazing as the reading was, it may be even better than pizza. Or sushi. Or ice cream… Nom nom.

Yes, believe it or not, it’s the truth.

Cracked is the most entertaining book I’ve read so far in 2014. Even funnier than Rebel Belle which I didn’t think possible because that book is so much fun!

Cracked is the kind of book you don’t want to let go because there is always something interesting and surprising in it and it has a hold on you. There were so many things I was hoping to do yesterday, such as watching Once Upon A Time, Hit The Floor or clean dishes. Oh, and I was looking forward to seeing this movie called How to Train Your Dragon 2 at the cinema. But no, Eliza Crewe had to write a fantastic novel to keep me off doing all those enjoyable things I planned to. Did you hear that? It’s called being sarcastic. I’m warning you, if you want to read this book and like it (or love it!), you better get used to it. *winks*

Meda, can I kiss you? Maybe shouldn’t have said that publicly, sigh. I feel so connected to that character. It’s not because I have the same personality as her, no, but mostly because she’s so… real. She is honest with us readers even if, yeah, sometimes you may thing she isn’t. Again, she’s really sarcastic. And I loved that so much about her. It’s pretty rare that I actually laugh out loud while reading a book but Cracked simply succeeded to make me giggle and smile and bite my nails because, yes, it is not only rainbows and sunshine. Let's not forget that there are demons envolved so don't expect this to be to die for funny.

The story, wow. The story is unpredictable and, again, WOW. When I started reading this book, I was expecting it to be good because of the rave reviews and the hype, but I’m always a bit suspicious when I see a lot of 5 stars. I’m not the kind to give 5 stars all the time and very easily so I’m as surprised as maybe you are. There are so many twists and, yes, secrets but it was actually interesting and I always wondered if the characters would or not discover the truth. Either way, I was excited and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next!

There is some romance but not in fact including the main character a lot. My GR friends know that I could read a book only if there is a little romance in it. In Cracked, there was some indeed and just the perfect amount to keep me hooked. Plus, I just love love/hate relationships. Don’t you?

I love/adore this book so much that (yes I know I already have it in digital copy duh but…) I ordered Cracked in paperback so I could eat it…I mean…read it, of course.

Highly recommended series.

 

Review of Boundless by Cynthia Hand

 Review of Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Rating: 4 stars
Received: borrowed
Genres & themes: YA, angels, romance, family, friendship, death.

BLURB:

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

REVIEW:

What a conclusion to this Unearthly trilogy! Must say Cynthia Hand is clever, as I was more than impressed with the plot twists she created. There was always something in every one of her books that completely surprised me and that I was not expecting. Why it is such a great thing is that, in YA series, it can be hard sometimes to not predict the events and endings since a lot has been done already. Angels are actually a very popular subject that many authors already exploited. The fact that the author succeeded to stand out means that, not only does she have talent, but she also put some visible time and effort in this final book. I was not disappointed.

I’d suggest for you to read the novella named Radiant before reading Boundless and after reading Hallowed because there are many references to it. I haven’t in fact read it myself but wished I did. Everything would have been clearer and, when I was surprised to discover a new angel character, I shouldn’t have since he technically is presented in that novella  with an alternative point of view of Clara and Angela.

The Unearthly series is a GEM in its category. If you haven’t started it already, get to it soon, I politely say.

Clara is such an endearing character. She’s the kind of main character that you can truly connect with and maybe even imagine yourself at her place by moments. It’s even easier to do so since this series is narrated in a first person point of view. Sure, she can be sarcastic, impulsive, careless and reckless but that’s just human behaviour. No one is perfect. Overall, I think you’ll like her and want to now more about her. Personally, I would have loved to have her as part in my life, maybe as a friend.

There is still a love triangle in Boundless as in the other books. It’s still blurred but things are surely different. Clara feels the pressure to choose Christian since it is part of her mission when she, herself, actually doesn’t know if he IS her soul mate and the one she’s supposed to be with. The only thing she knows is that she still cares for Tucker (which we will still se in this book) but she can’t be with him in order to keep him save. Boy I was eager to know who would conquer her heart by the end of the story.

A problem I had is with Angela. You all know how bossy and how very self-confident she his. Well…I wished to slap her at least like…during my whole reading. Ugh, Angela, could you just stop thinking and listen to someone else for once? Unwanted things happened to you and maybe, maybe, if you had listened to Clara, at least, it would/could have been better. Angela and Clara are ‘friends’ but, to me, it’s like the only reason they are close is because of the whole angel situation which keeps bringing them together. Not a true friendship. Clara is caring but Angela is too independent also to fully let Clara in her life and open up.

I loved the writing and the atmosphere, a nice one, a good contrast since a lot of events are happening in Boundless and they can get overwhelming. It’s fast-paced and I, without lying, always wanted to know what was going to happen and how. The setting is also interesting since it takes mostly place on the Stanford University grounds. It was fun to meet new characters which brought a breath of fresh air in this book. Overall, it’s a must read and a series to not only pass by but to actually read. I believe it enjoyable for adults also since it is a charming, entertaining and, yes, also sad story.

Review of Fire by Kristin Cashore

 Fire by Kristin Cashore

Rating: 2 stars (4.11 on Goodreads)
Genres & themes: Young Adult, fantasy, adventure, family, friendship, magic.
Received: borrowed

Synopsis:

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.

This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

Review:

Yes, 2 stars (one star for ''I didn't like it'' and another star because it was truly well-written.)

First of all, you shall know that I really really enjoyed the first book in this series, Graceling. I adored it actually. I thought I was discovering another great author knowing how to write great fantasy/adventure books.

Kristin Cashore got on my nerves.

She played with them.
She played with me.
She played with my emotions.

Ok, first of all, we have a dark and intense prologue of 16 pages. The number of pages is not important but sure is a lot more than usual books I read. So, in that prologue, we meet two characters, one of them being a boy who really got my attention. Leck (not called like that at that moment.) Anyway, so Leck is able to control minds as Fire. I thought ''oh my my, what a great love story that'll make. They'll meet and fall in love with each other because probably they won't be able to control each others minds and they'll be relieved.''

Like hell.

I don't even know if they finally met. (Ok, I do because I read some last pages but, while I was reading, I did not know.)  All I know is that I wanted Fire and Leck to meet and fall in love. Because duh, doesn't Leck redeeming himelf, because of Fire, seem exciting? For me, it did. But, that's not what happened.

Oh la la, I just have so much anger in me right now. Must say that it sure doesn't happen often because of a book. At least, it'll be a memorable one for a special reason. *Sigh.*

I didn't have a direct problem with Fire. She was nice enough, for a fantasy/adventure book MC. I liked when she got all angry and on defense but she mostly was calm and one-dimensional, as many other characters. I didn't know that much about her. I knew things only when the narrator told us memories of her and her father (which is a badass!) Shame shame shame because she could've been such an interesting character.

Damn.

Fire and Archer have a ''relation'' at the beginning of the story of what I understand. But, seriously, I have no idea what kind of relation it was. It was much of:

''Would you marry me, Fire, if I slept in no one's bed but yours?''
He knew the answer to that, but it didn't hurt to remind him. ''No, and I should find my bed quite cramped.''

Oooook.

Also, in this book, there was a war setting. I hate war settings. I don't like when a book gets that serious. The only books I tolerated (and REALLY enjoyed) with war settings were Captive Prince: Volume One and Captive Prince: Volume Two and probably Captive Prince: Volume Three, but it hasn't been realeased yet so I haven't read it. I must admit that I'm a bit scared I won't love Days of Blood & Starlight, because of that.

The writing was splendid (due the 2rd star as I said.) I wansn't expecting and I didn't get less. The pacing was SLOW. So SLOW. Not much was actually hapenning up to where I got (and DNFed.) That's kind of why I DNFed this book (along with the fact that Fire and Leck weren't already a couple as I was hoping for.) The author created a good world building with many descriptions. In one page, there was usually 1 small (very small) dialogue and the rest were descriptions. A lot of them. Most were boring.

I bet this book would've been so much better and I may've liked it more if it was directed to adults. More interesting, exciting and yes, some sex scenes would've been welcomed as in my opinion. 

That's it. I could say more, but I feel calmer now.


Recommendation:
 
Technically, I wouldn't recommend this companion novel. I didn't like it and I wouldn't probably read Bitterblue. Maybe I'll finish this book if I ever feel like to but that could also never happen and I won't be sad. Yes, technically I wouldn't recommend this book but, since I saw that I'm in the minority here, why would you not read it because of what I said about it? Maybe what I was expecting isn't what you want in a fantasy/adventure book. So, go ahead, see for yourself. Maybe you're going to really like it.