Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Note: I received this book for free from Goodreads first reads.
Summary: (from goodreads) Campbell Cooper has never been in love. And if the doctors are right, she'll never have the chance. So when she's told she needs a miracle, her family moves 1,500 miles north to Promise, Maine--a place where amazing, unexplainable events are said to occur--like it or not. And when a mysterious envelope arrives, containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies, she finally learns to believe--in love, in herself, and maybe even in miracles, as improbable as they may seem.
Review: I was really excited when I found out I had won a copy of this book, and was even more excited when it finally arrived in my mailbox. I have been wanting to read this for a while and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts about this book into words. It was a really thoughtful book about hope, love and miracles. Promise was such a great setting. It was so vivid and imaginative it started to seem like a real place. I also really enjoyed the Disney aspect that was added in,  the capital of love and miracles.  This book made me cry in some parts and laughing in others. This deep and thoughtful story was told in a lighthearted way which made all the more of a great read. my favorite part of the book though, was Cam. She started out as such a cynical character, but as the story went on she changed so much. I feel like got to know her so well in only a few hundred pages. She was one of the most real and relate able characters I have come across in a long time. I absolutely loved this book. I hope there is more to come from Wendy Wunder.

Monday, July 23, 2012

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Summary:(from goodreads) Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.There is.She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.She’s wrong.

Review: I didn't know much about this book going into it and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the mysterious elements of this book.  There were a lot of plot twists that kept the story interesting. Although, I had put some peices of the puzzle together long before Mara did, it was still exciting to slowly have some questions answered. The cliffhanger ending made me really excited to find out what happens next. I really liked Mara and Noah. Some of the dialogue between them is hilarious. Mara has a lot of issues after the accident and she is a very real character. I did think she was kind of whiny, especially toward the end. Noah was just adorable and awesome. I hope there is alot more of him in the next book. i also hope that Jamie makes another appearance. This book had me hooked until I was finished. The only thing that started to get annoying was that Noah slowly started to replace Mara's parents. They were spending more and more time together and her parents worried about her less and less. But overall, this book was awesome and i can't wait for the sequel.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Lies by Michael Grant


 

This review may contain spoilers of previous books in the series.
Summary:(from goodreads) It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness--or so they thought. As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?
Review: This is the third book in the Gone series and I really liked this one. This was a really good continuation of the series. The first part of the book was mostly character driven issues and problems I really felt bad for Sam in this book. I couldn't help but cheer him on. A lot of the characters are dealing with emotional problems in the early parts of this book. What I really liked about this book was that some of the mysteries behind the fayz are being unravelled.  Of course, you are really left with more questions than answers, which is just one of the reasons I am excited to read the next book. The action that happens towards the end of this book is completely crazy. The only part I didn't like was the plotline invloving the island. I don't really get why that was inportant to the overall, story, I guess I will just had to keep reading to find out.  I can't imagine where the story is going to go next, but i can't wait to find out.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr



Summary:(from goodreads) As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.
Review: This is the second book by Sara Zarr that I have read and I really liked this one a well. I thought the plot was well paced and I really loved the flashback scenes that told a lot about Jenna and Cameron's past together. Their friendship was probably one of my favorite things about the book. Jenna and Cameron were both very complicated characters and I liked seeing how the events of one day could affect them both for so long. Jenna's internal struggle with her past self was also an interesting apect. The fact that she was trying so hard to fit in and hide her past made her a very real character. But I though all Jenna's friends were really annoying. Ethan and Katy especially seemed really shallow and was getting really annoyed at both of them. The only big thing I didn't like was the ending. I wish things could have ended differently. I also wish there had been a little more explanation for why Cameron came back. All in all, I think think fans of Sara Zarr's other books will enjoy this one as well.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Summary:(from goodreads) Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?"
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Review: This book is a really sweet contemporary romance. I like the fact that the book takes place over 24 hours which keeps things moving pretty quickly. The plot was pretty simple and predictable but I really enjoyed it. The converations between Hadley and Oliver were some of my favorite parts of the book. I really liked Hadley as a main character. She was easy to relate to and she changed alot by the end of the book. I wish more information about Oliver had been given. By the end of the book, i still felt like I barely knew anything about him. I guess this is realistic since they have only known each other for a day, but I was still left wanting more. Overall, I really liked this book though.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Summary:(from goodreads) The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.
Review: I picked up this book without knowing that much about it and I really enjoyed it. Piper is a really awesome main character. I really liked the way that she had grown by the end of the book. I haven't come across many deaf characters in ya books and it worked surpisingly well for this setting. I flew through this book pretty quickly and really liked getting to know all the characters. Finn and Ed were both super sweet and I adored both of them. I liked that Tash and Kallie both seemed to grow over the course of the book. Josh was possibly one of the most self centered characters I have ever come across, and Will had no personality at all. There is no doubt that the characters are really make this book stand out This is a book about change and friendship and family and beliveing in yourself no matter what. I really enjoyed this really cool and awesome book

Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon

Summary:(from goodreads) When Josie Jensen, an awkward 13-year-old musical prodigy, crashes headlong into new kid Samuel Yazzie, an 18-year-old Navajo boy full of anger and confusion, an unlikely friendship blooms. Josie teaches Samuel about words, music, and friendship, and along the way finds a kindred spirit. Upon graduation, Samuel abandons the sleepy, small town in search of a future and a life, leaving his young mentor behind. Many years go by, and Samuel returns to find his old friend in need of the very things she offered him years before. Their roles reversed, Samuel teaches Josie about life, love, and letting go.
Review: This is one of those books that focuses on love, hope and friendship. I loved the premise of the story and thought it played out really well. I really like the way that books and music were incorporated into this story It gave the plot and characters a lot of substance. It added a extra layer to the story and I really liked the parts of the book that led to intelligent discussions about books and music. I also love the small town setting. Levan seemed like a great place to spend time even if there's not much going on most of the time.   Josie was a really great character She was genuinely kind and sweet, but definitely had her own share of problems. I liked that this book spanned several years of her life. It really allowed her a lot of time to grow and change. I enjoyed all of the time that Josie and Samuel spent together and even though many aspects of this book were fairly predictable I still enjoyed this book quite a bit. Even though the premise is simple it is played out really well and I felt like these characters were my good friends by the end of the book. My only complaint is that the book was a little bit slow sometimes It felt like things could have been a little faster paced. Overall, this book is a good, sweet, romantic read.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Death Cure by James Dashner

This review may contain spoilers of previous books in the series.
Summary:(from goodreads) Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.Will anyone survive the Death Cure?
Review: This is the third and final book in the Maze Runner trilogy. I really liked it. it started off a little bit slow but there were a lot of surprising plot twists that kept the story going. The last few chapters really had me on the edge of my seat, and I really enjoyed that part of it. One of favorite things about this series has been the totally unique and exciting stroytelling. I am sad that this series is over but I am excited about the prequel book. The characters in this book are pretty enjoyable. Thomas and his friends were strong characters and I liked them all a lot. There is one thing that I wish didn't have to happen but overall this is a really good book. Anyone who wants to read and action packed and exciting series should definitely consider this one.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

Summary:(from goodreads) It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives. Craig’s crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he’ll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody. Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable...and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The premise was very well portrayed. This book was full of raw emotion and it made me become so attached to these characters. Craig and Lio were both extremely well written characters and I really liked both of them. The things that both of them are going through along with the sniper shootings that were happening made for a very deeply emotional journey for both characters. I liked the character development that had started to happen by the end of the book. I loved Hannah's other two books and this one definitely lived up to my expectations. The only thing that might turn some people off is that there is a lot of cussing in this book, but it honestly didn't bother me that much. Other than that small thing this book was fantastic.