'I'll Give You the Sun' by Jandy Nelson

Amazon / Goodreads

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell 

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Spoilers Ahead

This story was...passionate. It was a wild ride, throwing you into the story. You drown in it, drinking in its majesty. You enjoy it. You adore it. 

It's a roller coaster. It was a ride you hop on to. It had the ups and downs.

The characters were amazing. They were deep and amazingly made. They had backstory and personality. The characters were three dimensional.  I loved this. It was amazing.

I loved Noah. He was amazing. He was my favorite character in this story. Noah was an artist. An amazing one. He had the personality similar to some artists. Broken. Omniscient. All seeing. I liked that. I liked Noah. He had depth. A backstory. Seeing a traitorous mom with a sculptor. Not getting into his dream school. He went through so much pain and agony. I couldn't stand seeing his heartbroken when Brian left after kissing him. Gosh. That's rude. (I truly didn't like Brian. Or Oscar.) 

Not that I didn't like Jude. She was good too. I thought she was interesting. She had the potential to be amazing. I just didn't like the romance thing. Sure, Noah had that too. But his heartbreak was shattering. It was hard to read. My heart broke with him. Betrayal. 

Jude was interesting as well. She had formed a bond with our resident sculptor and Oscar. I liked that. And her revelations were amazing. I liked that. She became someone else. And realized things. I wanted that from Noah. That would have made Noah the best. (I would adore him more.) 

Oscar was interesting. I liked him better than Brian. Brian seemed like an ass. He kept denying that Noah liked him. Oscar was a beautiful soul. He had terrible things happen to him. How he changed and slowly opened up to Jude was interesting. I wanted more about him. His mother. His drinking. The drugs. The way he got into modeling. 

The two perspectives was amazing. I had to keep reading to get back to Brian and Noah. It was interesting. I got to a part where I demanded, out loud, to have more Noah. I couldn't stand how the story was divided. I couldn't. 

I wanted to know more. The dual perspectives made the story go on. And on. You wondered what happened next. 

And switching between the two ages? Wow. It made things a bit hard to keep up with, but I adored it. You needed to know about the past and the present. And what you learn from Noah affects what happens in Jude's time. 

I also disliked the romance. I mean...it's adorable, but I still feel like it wasn't the best. There could have been improvements. I didn't really like that the twins seemed so invested when the lover didn't. (Especially Brian.) 

I liked how the relationships affected the characters. Man. I loved it. The characters changed because of their lover. They became new people. They returned to their better selves.

Love affected all the characters. The twins' mother. The sculptor. They affected people in good and bad ways. It made Brian a bit obnoxious. (You can tell that I didn't like him. At all.) 

The writing style wasn't the best. I didn't really like it. It seemed...bumbling. And confusing. I didn't really like how Jude described things.

I remember this:

'I barfed green barf...'

I didn't need to know that. Definitely. I didn't want to read that. And the way he describe colors...no. I couldn't stand it. It was hard to read.

Weather:

Cloudy with a 10% chance of rain

4/5

The Mara Dyer Trilogy By Michelle Hodkin

The Mara Dyer Trilogy 

Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Amazon / Goodreads / Click HERE for the review

Mara Dyer believes life can't 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 strangely unharmed. 
There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. 
She's wrong.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Amazon / Goodreads / Click HERE for the review

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

The Retribution of Mara Dyer

Amazon / Goodreads 

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived.

This is the story of Mara Dyer.And you.

You: 

You walk into the crumbling facility. 

It was a stupid dare. Just a stupid dare.

'Go and stay in the old Horizons building. It's not too hard for you, right?' Ellis's sickening voice fills your mind.

You squeeze your eyes shut, reminiscing about your pleas. 'No,' you cried. 'I don't want to. You can't make me.' Your fear was palpable, and Ellis knew it. He knew exactly how to push your buttons.

You stride through the myriad of decrepit halls with your flashlight's beam flickering. You bite your lower lip, eyeing the structural support nearest to you with fear. 

"Go on. Keep going. We need to find a safe room to sleep in," Hana calls from behind you. She agreed to come with you after you begged Ellis for a companion. Ellis let Hans come, knowing you two were an inseparable duo of fire and ice. Water and earth. Stone and diamond.

'How cruel...' you thought miserably. 'The two of us suffering when she did nothing.' 

You turn the corner, almost smashing into a doorway as you drown in your thoughts. Hana gasps from behind you, spotting the doorway before she even turns.

"Look! What is that?" she cries. "How is it standing?" 

You offer only a weak shrug as you place your hand on the rusted handle. Your stormy eyes widen as the door creaks open, the handle dissolving into a fine powder beneath your fingers.

"Whoa," you whisper.

"Let's go explore," Hana crows, pushing past you and barging in.

You smile weakly as you follow, aiming the flickering beam of your flashlight into the room spread out before you.

"What's this?" you murmur as Hana plants her butt on the rickety, metal table.

"Looks like some examination room," she replied, patting the metal next to her. "Sit. We can stay here." 

You shake your head, your fingers running over the edge of a outdated computer screen. Your finger skims over a button, starting the monitor.

It hums to life, making Hana yelp and making you jump in pure shock.

How could it still work?

A female with eyes filled with sadness appears on the screen. She is wearing a thin, floral sundress with her shoulders bare and exposed.

"This is the story of Mara Dyer," the girl on the screen says, her voice warbling and sweet. "Prepare yourself for a ride."

Mara: 

I honestly don't know what to say about this series. I really don't. It's complicated and convoluted. 

If asked to describe this trilogy, I wouldn't know what to say. It's a wild ride. Action. Drama. Romance. Fiction of the magical sort. 

But I know one thing.

This series, in one word, is intriguing.

It's like a drug. Pulling you in then spitting you out. It's a wild ride. 

You:

You watch as she explains in her sickly sweet voice about what you'll hear.

"Her story? Who is this? We should go," Hana murmurs. She jumps down from the table. It collapses after she releases her weight. She gasps as it clatters to the ground.

Taking a step towards the door, she holds out her tanned hand. "Come on." 

Those two words make you glance up from the scree as the girl continues her mad ramblings. Your eyes fill with longing.

"I can't," you reply. "I want to hear her story."

Hana just groans. "I'm leaving. You'll have to leave soon enough. I'll wait for you by the dock," she says before dropping her hand and promptly leaving.

Your eyes return to the screen. 

Mara:

Mara's change is amazing. She becomes someone else entirely. If you read the first book and then the last, you wouldn't be able to recognize her. 
You see her transform into a new person. She is no longer afraid. I feel like...she was afraid in the beginning. Of what happened. Of what she feels and sees and hears. I feel like the PTSD took a toll on her. I feel like that made her more human.
Because, the power to kill makes her superhuman.
Mara is a good character. She has backstory. She has depth. I feel like she really surprised me. I didn't expect Mara to be this girl. Broken. Torn. Confused. Angry. Powerful. I didn't expect the last word. I really didn't.
But wow. That was amazing. How she grew into her power. How she transformed. Not that I particularly enjoy reading people kill and mutilate...
But wow.
Talking about characters...

I love the character Jamie. He was hilarious without trying. He made jokes. He was the best. I love when he just blurted out jokes. He kept people calm. He kept people laughing. In situations as dire as Mara dying, he tries to help. He cracks jokes to keep the mood elevated. I would love to have Jamie as a friend. Mara's lucky to have him. 

You: 

The girl on the scene finishes speaking about these...people. She talked about a boy with the power of heal. A girl with the power to read minds.
You shake your head. 'This is impossible,' you think. You feel the need to leave, to join Hana.
But you can't stop watching.
You look at the watch clasped around your wrist.
You have time. Right? 

Mara:

The realistic elements drew me in. Definitely. I, unlike some, enjoy the realistic elements. The real world problems. The cutting. The self harm. The suicide. The psychological problems.
Call me what you want. They just interest me.
These things aren't typically written about. They're avoided unless you dive into the dark side of the contemporary young adult world. I don't typically read those books. And these things are things that are near and dear to my heart.
I like reading them. And how these people are helped. A hospital? A psych ward? It changes from book to book. It's fascinating really. These people aren't the crazy ones really. They might seem that way.
Cutting your arm open might seem crazy to you. But that's their release. That's how they feel. It's wrong to say that. And I don't condone it. But that's how those people go through life. They wake up every day hoping to die. Hoping to find something to help them.
I love how this book weaves these elements in. Side-effects of the disease but not truly involved. Mara has to seek help. Not herself but in general. She has to do drastic things. She feels things. Sees things. Illusions painted in her mind.
That's what I like about realistic elements. They show the world, a world of ignorant people, the truth.

You:

You look at your fingers, wiggling them slightly. You've been standing here for a while. You purse your lips, glancing around the room to find a chair.
"If you're looking for something to sit on, go down the hall. Turn left. You'll find a room with plush chairs. I'm not sure what condition they are in...but still. You can't be standing throughout the story. Sit. Sit," the girl says.
You gulp nervously. How did she know? You slowly slip out of the room into the darkened hall with your beam of light guiding your way.
With a plush chair in your arms, you walk back, dragging the wooden chair behind you.
It scrapes against the floor.
"You're back? Good. Let's continue..."

Mara: 

The action and the drama. 

Wow. Just wow. 

The action in the third book made me jittery. I want to know more. I want to see more. I want Mara to do more. I don't enjoy reading about people killing. I truly don't. The authors sometimes go into gory details that make me...sick.

But the action in this book. The fighting. The scalpel-turned-weapon. Mara is a natural fighter it seems. (Not that I would have guessed...) 
The drama too. Man. It was edge-of-your-seat. You wanted to know more. I could barely stop reading the third book. I blazed through it, reading page after page. I want to know. You always do. As a reader, there's a curiosity that you don't necessarily have for other things. 
You want to know what happens next. Does Mara live? Does she find Lukumi? Where is Noah? (All questions from book three.) You can't help asking. You can't. And you want to know. You have to read to know. And knowing is everything with this book. Who knows what determines what power they might hold over the other characters. (Ehem. David Shaw. Ehem.) 

You: 

You sigh softly. The girl has stopped to take a sip of water, her eyes blinking slowly. She watches you as if she was a live stream. You sigh again as she places the bottle of Aquafina on a table next to her armchair.

"Where was it?" she asks softly. You know it's a rhetorical question as she furrows her brow, trying to remember her place. "Ah. I finished telling you about the drama that came. But I didn't say anything about the romance. No?" She smiles. "Ah. A whirlwind romance  it was..."

Mara:

I didn't like the romance. 
But...in general...I don't like romance.
You might know that depending on how many of my reviews you read. (Not being insulting. Just mentioning a common dislike.)
The romance...I didn't like it. I didn't see the purpose until the last  book. (And man...what a purpose!) I do think Noah and Mara had chemistry. I feel like that wasn't enough for me, though. They like each other because...archetypes? Hm? I'm confused. Why is that the reason? Noah is attracted to her because they were 'made' that way. To be opposites?
I feel like this relationship could be better. This seemed a bit general of a relationship. A typical young adult relationship. They like each other. They fall in love. Gifts gifts gifts. Kiss kiss kiss. Sex. Life-threatening decision. Wait! What? I'm sorry, but making Noah choose is annoying. The typical and a bit cliche 'who are you willing to kill?' scenario. I'm not a big fan. Really. 
I feel like these two need to develop more on their own. Mara's a good character. But Noah? What's he got? Good looks? Dark past? Realistic problems? Yeah. I know the realistic problems is a character boost, but I feel like he's...too...mysterious. I would prefer to know the answers to my questions. (Hint hint, Noah Shaw.) 

You: 

You frown slightly, remembering your past relationship with mysterious bad boy Kent. He wasn't the best boyfriend nor was he the worst. He bought you gifts. He took you to the movies.

But it was all fake for Kent to get to Hana. (And that didn't work.) 

You twirl a strand of your hair around your index finger.

"Hm...bored now? Sorry. The romance...I get swept away. I apologize," the girl says softly. She gives you a weak smile; you offer only a shrug. "Well," she begins again, patting her cheeks lightly, "I'm going to tell you how this ends." 

Mara: 

The ending for the entire series isn't great. I felt like it was too...happy for Mara. I expected her to die. Or Noah to die. Or for both to die. I'm not sure I like this happy ending. I feel like there is something sinister lurking behind it. I feel like this isn't the ending she deserves. 
Not to be rude or anything...
I feel like this could have been better. But I also feel like we need more on Lukumi. I hope there's another series to follow-up with the fabulous doctor. (Sarcasm.)
Overall...this wasn't a bad series. I will not say I loved it. I will not say it's my favorite. It was okay. There were a lot of things I really liked. Really truly liked. But, at the same time, I didn't adore it.

You:

"No. That can't be the ending," you cry. You jump up from the plush chair. "No. She doesn't...doesn't deserve the happily ever after!"
"And...happily ever after. The end."
The girl smiles coyly on the screen.
"What do you think?" She pauses. "Ah. Me too. I liked it. I did. I liked telling it to you." She winks and gets up from her chair. She smooths out her sundress, patting her thighs gently. "Let me tell you think," she says as she runs her fingers through her knotted and tangled hair. "She got her happy ending because someone else didn't. Equal, you see?" The girl smiles. "But you might not get a happy ending." 

Your eyes close. Your chest rises with each breath.
A crash rings in your ears. You hiss in surprise. 

"Hana? Are you there?" you whisper. "Hana?"
You feel a gust of wind on your neck. You stiffen in fear, your hands balling into fists.
"Who's there? Tell me!" you cry in fright.
"She's one of us," the girl on the screen says calmly, smiling. "Join us." 
The power cuts out, darkening the screen to nothingness.
Your eyes flash open. Heavy pants escape your lips, leaving you dizzy and confused. "W-What's going o-on?" you stammer, choking on your words. 
A shadowy figure appears in the reflection of the screen. An outstretched hand. A kind smile.
You whirl around, your eyes wide with surprise.
The person just smiles at you, placing a gloved finger over its plump lips.
"Come with me. You'll be with your friends. You don't belong here," it says.
You reluctantly place your shaking hand in its larger one. It clutches your hand, the skin around its eyes wrinkling.
"You're one of us. Mara."

Special Report: 'Red'

Red

JB Wise

The Hooded Girl

Red has done well, given the cards she’s been dealt. She has been dead for hundreds of years, stuck in the Halfway as a Mountain Vila-a creature that can turn into a wolf on a whim. She’s kept herself a secret from the outside world, staying safe and abiding by the curse’s rules. She has done everything she was asked to do. But destiny has decided it isn’t enough. 

The Vicious Wolf 

Felan is tired of his duties and of the games the Vila’s play. Being second in command of the Guard, he has earned a vacation. Still, he is required to take his leave deep in the hills of Washington, where his only heir resides. The coincidences come together just as everything else falls apart. Now Felan must remember who he is, if he plans to protect the ones he loves.

The Hunter

Jac is ready. He’s been ready since before he died and nothing is going to stand in his way. War is unavoidable and Red will be his. 

Red is a debut novel in the paranormal fiction genre. It is approx. 60k words and follows the short story, The Beginning

This book wasn't bad. I didn't really like how it started. I can see a good friend of mine liking it. I'm typically a bird girl, though. Ravens and crows. The carrion birds. I'm not a big wolf girl. 

Reid's feisty spirit is amazing. I love how she doesn't back down. She takes problems at face value. She doesn't let things get to her until she breaks. (I can relate. I'm not bad with taking punches, figuratively, but I can break.) She is an admirable character. She loves her family. And wants their protection. She wants the best for them. And she wants the best for her friends too like Rarity. (What's up with Rawr? Is that some pet name?) She is true to her colors. Red. A fiery color. Spirited. She definitely fills that name. I'm not sure she fills the Little Red Hiding Hood character. She doesn't seem too innocent to be the girl in the red hood. 

I like Felan's backstory. Not the guy himself, though. He is an old guy. Really. It seems like he's from the Medieval Ages. I like the knights and princesses of that time period. Not a big historical fan but I do house a corner of my heart for the medieval times. It's an interesting time period. War and feuds. Servants and coconuts to mimic horses. (Monty Python!) But on to Felan. He had a terrible past. Losing his love and dying for her. Showing not only his caring but his bravery. I felt like that made me feel for him more. I didn't like him a lot when I met him. He was annoying and plain out rude to Red. (Seriously. Why? I don't get that. Even after it was explained.) Felan seems more human after revealing his backstory. It was weird, though. It wasn't when he revealed it to Red. It was earlier in the story. 

I didn't really like the world. It was a bit confusing at times. It felt like it was hard to understand who was who. The Vila are girls. The Guards and Trackers are guys. What do the guys do? Other than haunt poor girls who just want to be normal and alive. I feel like the way they factored in Heaven and Hell is too complex. The Pit? I feel like that's Tartarus not Hell. (Or what I am assuming is Hell. Not that I'm religious. I don't know these things.) I needed more. I wanted to know more about the world. About the curse. I wanted to see it happen to Red to prove its worth. That was only a dog killed. That could have been a coincidence. I wanted proof. I don't know why. Call me a bit sadistic if you want. I just feel like there wasn't enough proof. Maybe Angelina was the proof. Perhaps. 

I also felt like the fairy tale wasn't necessarily worked in. It seemed like the only similar elements were the wolves, Grandmere, and her hair. I felt like that wasn't enough. Where is the cape? And Grandmere was barely mentioned. I only know of her because of the prologue I read. There wasn't enough elements to convince me that it was a Red Riding Hood retelling. I know it is. And the similar components are enough to hint at it. But I wanted more. And I feel like retellings are becoming too common. It has to take a lot more to impress me now. (I blame 'The Lunar Chronicles'.) 

And I didn't like how the story was formatted. The speech was another line. It was odd. And it was hard to read. I felt like it was a bit bumbling too. It was odd since the story didn't always say who said what. I had to assume. It was confusing. I prefer the typically style of formatting. This was harder to read. Not entirely a turn off. More of an annoyance. 

Weather:

Sunny with a 25% chance of rain and light fog

3/5

January 12, 2015: 'The Walled City'

Welcome to Book City

Date: January 12, 2015

Spoilers Ahead

Headline

The Walled City

Ryan Graudin

730. That's how many days I've been trapped.
18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out.

DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible....

JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister....

MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window.....

In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.

City Calendar:

This is what happened during the week.

Jin runs from Kuen with his good boots. Dai sees her running. Mei Yee's friend at her brothel Sing is forced to take heroin. Dai finds Jin. He asks her to do a drug run for Longwai. Mei Yee sleeps with Ambassador Osamu. Jin and Dai make the run. Dai finds out about Mei Yee's window. He makes a deal with Mei Yee to tell her information and get information in return. Kuen takes Jin's tarp. Dai protects Jin. He takes her to his apartment, but Jin flees. Mei Yee gets a serving job to get information. Jin is attacked by Kuen. She kills him. Dai finds Jin and takes her to his family's home outside Hak Nam. The ambassador hurts Mei Yee. Dai and Jin tell each other the truth: Jin being female and Dai revealing how he lost his brother. Dai leaves Jin to rest and goes to see Mei Yee. Mei Yee tells him the plan to get the ledger by using her friends. Mei Yee shows the shell Dai have her to her friends. Yin Yu tells Longwai. Mei Yee is forced into a room with Sing. Dai is almost forced to give Mei Yee heroin. Osamu appears and takes Mei Yee away. Dai is shot. Jin is cornered by Kuen's gang. Jin and Mei Yee reunite. Jin and Mei Yee plan to rescue Dai. Dai escapes. Jin goes in as a girl to the brother Longwai runs. Jin gets the ledger. Dai is safe. Dai takes the girls to his house after they are taken out. A foundation is built for the people in Hak Nam. Dai takes Jin and Mei Yee to the sea.

And that's what happened this week. 

Personal Ads:

Jin Ling.

Female pretending to be a male. Looking for her older sister. Runner. Quick. Clever.

Dai.

Rich boy. Likes Mei Yee. Wants to leave the Walled City. 

Mei Yee.

Prostitute to Ambassador Osamu. Sister to Jin. Likes Dai. Wants to be free. 

Opinions:

I feel like many could like this. It had action and just enough of romance. A sisterly bond even. I just didn't like it. There were things that I couldn't shake. I could have liked it with different characters and relationships between them...but it wasn't what I love in books. It was an okay book, though.

I liked the setting. I have had vacations in Hong Kong. I know of Kowloon the place Hak Nam is based off of. I've been there. Probably. I can't remember. I've eaten the cha tsu bao. I've eaten that a lot. I'm Chinese American. I've eaten dim sum before. So I loved that this was based off of Asia. Specifically Hong Kong. I like that place. Subway system. Cable cars. I have good memories of Hong Kong. I remembered some when I read this book. Even if it's not specifically based in Hong Kong. It's a great setting. Drawing you in with the dirty alleys and cluttered housing. It reminds me of Hong Kong. The way the author described it wasn't the best. I would have loved to know more about the housing. More about the smells and sights on the street. But it's perfectly fine the way she did it.

 

The characters were okay. I liked Jin better than Dai. Jin was brave. She was caring. She loved her sister and wanted to find her again. And admirable mission though hardly easy to accomplish. I liked how she grew into not trusting into trusting Dai. He, after all, isn't easy to like. (I mean...I didn't like him.) I would love to read more about Jin. I felt like she was kinda...a background character. Sure, she had her moments when she was essential to the plot, but she would fade. I feel like this book isn't even when distributing main character status. I definitely wanted more Jin. More of her backstory and whatnot. She was an amazing character. 

I also liked Mei Yee's change. She was a shy girl in the beginning. Submissive, even, if you want to call her that. (I wouldn't. I feel terrible as a person calling someone submissive. But if you're into that...) She changed into a heroine. I really liked that. I'm not a big fan of 'weaker' female character. I am, while hating being female, a feminist in a way. (Sure. I act innocent. Act.) I like how she gained her independence without Dai helping her. Mei Yee was growing into a great character. Until Dai came, and her heart went a-thump-a-thump. Good female characters being ruined by boys just drives me crazy. I'm sorry, but that will get me on my soapbox. (If I even have one.) I liked how she was going. 

I didn't like the plot. I really didn't. To me, there wasn't much going on for most of the book. It was kinda boring and dull. I didn't really like it. I needed more action. I needed more drama. I felt like it was lacking. I wanted knife fighting scenes. I wanted the attack scenes with Kuen do be more action. More almost-deaths. I like those things. Those things are my favorite type of action scenes. 

And, somehow, the three perspective threw me off. I felt like the the story wasn't evenly divided for each of the characters. I felt like Jin should have been represented more. It seemed like she was ignored for the romance brewing between Dai and Mei Yee. I wanted more about her. I felt like there was not enough of her. Dai and Mei Yee had interesting perspectives. I wanted to know more about them as well. It's hard to juggle many perspectives without having someone ignored. I felt like the romance was consuming the story. 

The romance wasn't very good as well. It wasn't based off of anything. It was physical attraction. Dai wanted something from Mei Yee. I felt like that was just plain wrong. They fell in...love or whatnot for absolutely no reason. I'm not sure I liked it. There wasn't chemistry. They barely talked. It felt like a Romeo and Juliet situation. It didn't mean much. There wasn't too much happening. They barely know each other. I wanted something else. A better relationship. Dai and Mei Yee were perfectly fine without being in a relationship. Sure, that pulls things along with the ledger finding. That isn't too much that needs to happen, though. I know it jumpstarts things. I know that. But the romance isn't a very good one.

While there were some good things, they weren't very strong good points. I felt...disappointed in this book almost. I wanted more. I expected a lot. I expected action and a little bit of romance. (While we got just a tad more than I wanted.) I know a lot of people might like this book. I know that. 

Weather:

Sunny with a 50% chance of rain

3/5

Special Report: 'The Night Circus'

The Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called "Le Cirque des Reves," and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway--a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per-formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

If you saw my Tweets, I was gushing about the quality of this book. 

I adored the mystical world with its illusions. It lured you in like a fisherman with his bait. You couldn't help but fall in love. A magical circus. Mysterious and mystical. Tents popping up left and right. You, as the reader, know about the challenge. But, as a guest to the circus, you don't know. You want to visit the mystical Labyrinth. You want to explore the Ice Garden and touch its frozen foliage. You want to explore. You want chocolate rats and what might be churros. (How they described it seemed that way.) The world isn't forced upon you. You get bits and pieces but not entire details. You read and figure things out. The tent that Widget set up. The illusionist. The fortune teller. You fall in love with the mystery. Like the guests, you want to know the how. How does Celia perform illusions? How does the clock work? How do the ice sculptures never melt? You have questions and no answers. You get to make them up. You get to describe another world that is full of whimsy and magic. 

I really liked how we got more perspectives on the circus. We have the clockmaker who becomes a reveur. (I hope I spelled that correctly.) You get Bailey's part of the story and then Celia and Marco's. You get many perspectives on the circus and the happenings within it. You get to see how the clockmaker adores it. And you see Bailey's interest, which is plain as day. You can see how amazing the circus is without that being plainly stated. Having more than one perspective shows how everyone else deals with the challenge between the two. 

And the circus attractions and employees? Amazing. They're different. Sure, acrobats and a fortune teller. But the booths the challengers create? Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I want to dive in. I want to go. (I even emailed the email on the past page of the story and asked about it coming to my state. I wish it came.) I can't imagine too many people not going. It's beautiful. Illusive. Mysterious. I want to go! 

I adore Celia. She's a haunted soul. She is one of those characters I absolutely like because of her past. She is abused and hurt. She's pushed down and forced to make herself heal. She is a character with a terrible past. She had to heal somehow. And she did. She didn't need love, but she got it anyways. And it helped get even though she was already pretty fine. I seem to like those better. A lot. They're really interesting. They do things differently. Her challenge has been haunting her from childhood. She knew about it, but she didn't know her opponent. She had to fight back without knowing the face of her challenger. 

But I have some...complaints.

The plot seems...like it's not there. There doesn't seem to be much action. There isn't much happening for the beginning until they enter the circus. Even then, it's not exciting. It's only the challenge. That's it. And they don't encounter each other. We get Bailey's perspective and the clockmaker's, but I'm not sure that's much of anything. We only get to anything when the two challengers meet. I feel like that is wrong to hold off the action/drama. Nothing seems to happen. But the allure of the virus is great on its own. I mean...it's magical still. But a bit dull.

And the romance. I don't see where it forms? Attraction to the enemy? I'm not sure. I don't see it. Sure, there's a minimal amount of chemistry. I see that they have something. I can't see why. Or how it formed. They were away from each other until a few chapters before they met. Did they like the other's new tent and that formed something? I'm not sure. It seemed odd to me to have that as a basis for a relationship. Admittedly, they go to extremes for love. A typical Romeo and Juliet but not as drastic as killing themselves. But they do something similar. They could have kept playing things out until they died of old age. Why did they have to stop? Really? They didn't have the end the challenge for a long time. 

I do love this book. Or really like. I highly recommend it for those who love fantasy and romance. It's a bit historical, but time period and the characters' age don't really matter. But still. A great book.

Weather:

Sunny with a few scattered showers 

4.5/5

Special Report: 'Parched'

A themed tour with Prism Book Tours.

Parched

by Georgia Clark
YA Romantic Sci-Fi
Hardcover, 312 Pages
March 14th 2014 by Holiday House

Robots, renewable resources, and romance get tangled together in this thrilling futuristic adventure novel about a utopian city struggling to keep its peace.

"Bold futurist adventure with unusual romance, riveting action and ominous ecological red flags." ?Kirkus Reviews

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Indie Bound

Review:  

I'm quite impressed by this book. At first, it seemed dull and boring, but it steadily gained steam. I was suddenly spending my last hours awake reading it.

I do like the action. It was fast-paced and exciting. It kept you going. You felt like the ending was piled with action. It seemed a bit much for it to be heaped on top of you. I do think it was good overall. The action was edge-of-your-seat. You wanted to know what happened. You were clinging to the characters. The action kept the story going. It made the plot. 

The technology is also amazing. It's fantastic. And inventive. A scratch? Awesome. It would be fantastic to have that. Being able to cut it and give it to people? Sharing documents would be so easy. I also liked the technology related to Hunter. He was connected to the technology in ways you couldn't imagine. You gotta love this. I admit the buzzard and floaters are confusing. What are they exactly? I'm guessing hovercars. But it's hard to tell without the descriptions we need. The descriptions were lacking a bit. But it was nice. Some of the technology is fantastic. It's creative and innovative. 

And Hunter. I like his personality before he starts loving Tess. He is curious and interested in the world. He wants to know things. He's kind. He was an AI as well. I really liked that. He isn't human, but he acts exactly like one. Of course, I guessed he was Aevum before any of the others knew. I could tell. I mean...he acts human but not enough. You could tell something was up. But he was a good character. Kind. Caring. He really did care for Tess. Why? I don't know. Tess isn't very likable. I didn't like one thing. He seemed too superhuman. He didn't act like a normal AI. Or robot. He had the strength of a million men. And special skin? Oh goodness. He's too superhuman. I didn't like that.

There is a reason why this book isn't a five out of five. While I liked it, there were things I felt like it was a bit...okay in some parts. 

I didn't like the beginning. It seemed dull and boring. There was no action I was interested in. It was boring and dull. Yay, girl runs away. (Sarcasm.) I felt like it was lacking. I wanted more. I wanted more world building as well. It seemed vague and confusing. The world was odd. What is that? What are they saying? Tess speaks in Malspeak with other characters in the beginning. What is that word? What are they saying? I'm not sure. It's not translated. We don't get too much from actions or expressions. It's all confusing. There isn't a translation page at the end. I wish I could understand! And beginning wasn't just confusing. It was a bit boring and confusing. 

And the romance. I can tell it was well-intentioned. But I don't like it. Why did it form? When? I don't see it. Hunter puts too much into the relationship. Tess doesn't even seem to flinch. She acts like a typical girl until she figures out who Hunter is. You want her to put in effort. She doesn't give anything. She really doesn't. I wanted more. I wanted her to fall for him. And she doesn't seem to. Also, what does Hunter see in Tess? Her bravery? Curiosity? It's not like those really exist. I like Hunter, but I don't like Tess. I know that thee romance is well-intentioned. Hunter saves Tess for love. You can tell that. You can tell that the author is trying. I see that. I applaud her for that. But it didn't work. I didn't see the relationship forming. Nor did I see it holding up well. It might, of course. The benefit of the doubt. But I didn't feel like it was a good romance. 

Tess. She is a bit annoying. Also, it seems impossible for her to change completely into a tough girl. She is tough in the beginning. But we don't get to see the unwritten change between Eden girl to Badlands girl. I know we see some. But I wanted more. We also don't get the Badlands adventures. We get some when she tells Hunter stories. But they aren't much. She isn't special really. Not Achilles. She's not too smart or too brave. She isn't Lana or Benji. I feel bad for comparing her to the other Kudzu, but she isn't anything special. The only thing that makes her anything special is the artilect-knowing part of her. She doesn't have too many specialties. I didn't like her personality. She was acting rude to her uncle at first. And her friend. But acting nicer to the strangers in Kudzu? And wondering why Naz is being cold? Um...well...you're a stranger. They have reasons to be distrustful. 

I feel like this book could have been better. If it had more world building, clearer details, it would have been pretty great. Overall, it was pretty good.  

Weather:

Sunny with 20% chance of rain

4/5

Georgia Clark is an Australian writer and performer based in Brooklyn. She is the author of the young adult novels SHE?S WITH THE BAND (Allen & Unwin) and sci-fi/romance PARCHED (Holiday House). Widely published online and in print. Won some awards/grants/residencies. Has a play on at the NY Fringe festival. Pretty keen on cheese plates. 

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter

Georgia is gearing up to teach a short, online writing class about writing sci-fi through a Lit Reactor course. Want to go check it out and join? Go HERE! Begins January 14th.

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January 6, 2015: 'Cruel Beauty'

Welcome to Book City

Date: January 6, 2015

Spoilers Ahead

Headline

Cruel Beauty

Rosamund Hodge

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love. 

City Calendar:

This is what happened during the week.

Nyx has a marriage ceremony to a statue that represents the Gentle Lord. She goes to his house. She falls asleep there and wakes with the Gentle Lord draped over her. She changed for dinner and leaves dinner early. The Gentle Lord during dinner asks her to call him Ignifex. His servant Shade turns into a human and shows Nyx where the Heart of Water is located. They kiss, letting Shade talk. Nyx explores the house. The next day, she sees Ignifex making a bargain with a childhood friend. She has to be held down while her friend makes the bargain. She finds the room that has her virgin knife. She falls when trying to get it. Ignifex catches her. They kiss. Nyx takes some keys from his neck. Nyx explores, finding a mini replica of Arcadia. Ignifex finds her in the room and locks her up with his dead wives. Shade finds Nyx and sets her free. Nyx finds a door and is hurt by the Children of Typhon until Ignifex finds her and rescues her. Nyx goes to the library. She finds Ignifex there. He takes her to an illusion of the outside world. She makes a deal with him to find his real name. She is shown the Heart of Fire by Shade. Shade makes her discover the truth. Ignifex saves her. He shows her the Heart of Air. The two kiss and have sex. Ignifex takes Nyx to her mother's grave. He gives her his ring which holds part of his power. She goes to see Astraia. Astraia makes her promise to kill her husband Ignifex. Nyx frees Shade. Nyx gets the Children of Typhon to attack Ignifex. She finds out the truth about Ignifex and Shade. She forgets when they join. She remembers before marrying Tom-a-Lone. She makes a deal with the Kindly Ones. She gets Ignifex and Nyx wander the world of the Children of Typhon. They leave and return to the real world. 

And that's what happened this week.

Personal Ads:

Nyx.

Sacrifice. Sister. Daughter. Niece. Wife. Hermetic. Came to kill Ignifex to avenge her mother and save Arcadia. Least cared for daughter. Loves Ignifex. 

Ignifex/Shade.

The Gentle Lord. Demon. Protects Arcadia from the Children of Typhon. Bargain maker. Husband. Kind. Funny. Shade knows the truth but can't act. Ignifex can act but doesn't know the truth. The Last Prince. Loves Nyx. 

Opinions:

I like the retelling. The way the story of Beauty and the Beast is weaved into the story. I didn't expect the Last Prince twist. (I expected Shade and Ignifex to be the same person. It seemed to make sense because of the exact same face. The beauty isn't pure. The beast isn't always kind but typically is. The prince. (If you know the story of Beauty and the Beast, the beast is actually a prince turned beast.) This is weaved into the story. The way the author adds in these elements, without you knowing it, is amazing. It's seamless and fluid. You don't see the commonalities until you really think. 

The folklore is interesting. I liked how the Roman/Greek gods were added in. I'm a big fan of the Greek gods. (Percy Jackson, thank you.) I love the mythology. I can recognize enough myths. (The Persephone story. The Pandora one.) The mythology was weaved in. It wasn't rough but smooth. You weren't roughly jerked into these myths. You got enough of it but not overloaded with Greek/Roman mythology. We get the folklore of the area instead. Brigit. Nanny-Anna. Tom-a-Lone. We get these amazing folk stories. This book isn't exclusively one or the other. (Not that one or the other is bad or anything...) The folklore was different. But interesting all the same. It was different. I wonder if they are actual folk stories or not. 

Shade/Ignifex is an interesting character. He's complex. He has more sides to him. He's the dark and brooding Ignifex. Then a happy Shade. Then a funny, childish Ignifex. And a rough, forceful Shade. Both sides of this character has more layers. He has secrets he tries to keep. And a past. I love how he is two halves of the same whole. I love that. It is like separating the bad from the good, and vice versa. His back story is also really interesting. The last prince. The destroyer of the world. But also a silent watcher of the people. How this last prince turned into someone more dark and devious yet still caring about his people even though his people don't see it. 

The darkness in the characters' hearts is fascinating. They are both spiteful people. They aren't happy-go-lucky. (I would hate that, actually.) To me, their pain and past is what makes them lovable. Even if it seems the opposite. They have poison in their hearts. Most do. You want to see how they heal, if they ever do. You want to heal them. Not out of the challenge. Or the pity. But you want to change them, make them love and care. 

I didn't really like the ending. The ending seemed rushed. The ending seemed to rush over the truth. I wanted more back story. I wanted more of the world where Nyx is not a sacrifice. I wanted to see that. Also. When Nyx remembers Ignifex, I feel like that part was glazed over. How did she remember? Why? How did she know when to show up? It seems like perfect coincidence that Ignifex is returning from the stroll to see his subjects when Nyx is there. And I feel like the author didn't want a series, so she got the Kindly Ones killed. (Not to insult what she did write.) I didn't like that the overpowering was rushed. It should have been fleshed out and had more descriptions. 

Nor did I really the romance. While the two canceled out the poison in their hearts by being together, I don't like how the relationship formed. I will admit how I liked the two being together changed them. That's all I like really. The relationship seems to be formed over, not physical attraction, but something else. Nyx wanted to kill Ignifex, but she loved him for...what? Why did Nyx love him? His willingness to see her darkness and ignore it? Even though she threw knives his way? I'm confused. Is Ignifex one of those guys who enjoys being tortured by his loved ones? I'm not sure. Ignifex...I can't see what he sees in Nyx. Nor why Nyx fell for him. There is chemistry, though. I don't like it. It's the stereotypical heat you read about. Not gentle touches. Not cautious brushes. (Rhyming, I know.) I am a fan of cautious relationships. When the two don't throw themselves into the relationship. When they're friends first. (Or enemies. But it all depends.) 

Weather:

Sunny with a 20% chance of rain

4/5