{Review} Reboot by Amy Tintera

Reboot
by Amy Tintera
Series: Reboot #1
Pages: 365
Release Date: May 7, 2013
by HarperTeen

Goodreads / Purchase

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.
The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

Gosh, it’s so hard to start reviews sometimes.  I just don’t know what to say!  So I’ll just jump right in.  The idea for Reboots was really great, and I feel like Tintera finished off the great idea with a great love story, story line, and writing.  The romance and action swirled together perfectly, but to be honest the book seemed kind of pointless.  I would have liked a bit more world building and explanation about the relationship between Reboots and humans.  This book was kind of like Divergent for me, in that it was kind of pointless, and most of the book was focused on romance and training or initiation.  I did enjoy the story and the action and romance, and the ending especially, but the middle was just kind of a fill-in.  There weren’t any major twists and the story was just simple.  But enjoyable.

Even with the simple story, these characters were FREAKING AWESOME!  I loved Wren’s character.  She was so messed up, and I loved how Callum, the love interest, came in and changed her.  The romance was so well done, and it was so cute and beautifully built and grown.  I TOTALLY SHIP THEM!  Ship name: Wrallum.  Oh yeah!  Callum was a great love interest because he is the kind of guy that I like.  He was funny, cute, had a ton of personality, he was easygoing, but also very passionate about his beliefs, and very nice.  I loved Wren’s character because of how much she grew over the course of the story and developed and became more HUMAN.  [SPOILER: That was her problem for most of the book: she felt like she was too far gone and not human.  It was so heartbreaking to see her so sad over not being able to cry, but I loved how Callum came in and took care of her. ] This romance was just all-around perfect.

This is by no means a bad book.  It’s actually very enjoyable! I kind of loved it because of the romance mostly, but the story and ending is also very good, so I would definitely recommend picking this book up!

4 pink flowers

{Review} The End Games by T. Michael Martin

The End Games
by T. Michael Martin
Series: The End Games #1
Pages: 369
Release Date:  May 7, 2013
by HarperCollins

Goodreads / Purchase

It happened on Halloween. The world ended. And a dangerous Game brought it back to life. Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks. In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good But The Game is changing. The Bellows are evolving. The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules. And the brothers will never be the same.
T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.

Wow.  Wow wow wow.  This book was something.  Haha.  Definitely not what I was expecting.  It’s so hard to describe it, but I’m gonna try.  It was dark.  It was dark humorous.  And it was scary.  Freaking scary.  I don’t usually read books by guys, and even fewer with male protagonists written by a guy, so this one was very different from what I usually read.  For one, the whole feel of the book is different.  It’s so hard to explain, but the writing and characters and humor are just so different from books written by women.  I absolutely loved the idea for this book, and I loved the story line, and I loved the creepiness, and the writing.  This book was addictive.  There were a few slow places, but right after it picked up again.  And gosh, once it got intense, it was almost dangerous intense.  As in, if you were walking around the city reading this book and you had to cross a street and there was a car coming towards you you wouldn’t look up from this book because it was so gripping and you would get hit by a car dangerous.  Yeah.  I’m gushing right now, I know, but it’s just so hard to write a review for this book.  Ugh.  The world building was great, and the twists were great!  I loved how Martin went above and beyond what authors usually do and just made this a phenomenal book.  AND THAT ENDING!  OH MY GOD! I nearly had a heartattack.  I’m only 15, and my heart nearly stopped.  “My heart stopped” (quote from Ceaser Flickerman.  If you don’t know who that is, I can’t help you).  That ending wrapped up the book so well but at the same time set up for a second book perfectly.  AND MAN WAS IT CRAZY! 

These characters are great.  If you’re gonna have a great book, you need great characters with a ton of personality.  I give you: Michael.  This guy is awesome.  AWESOME!  His sense of humor is great to read, but he’s also very strong, brave, and messed up.  He has issues, he has responsibilities, and he’s struggling.  But he has to stay strong for Patrick, his little brother.  Patrick’s nickname is Bub.  *I only mention this because my dad calls me Bub lol.*  OK BACK TO THE REVIEW!  Patrick was a very good addition to the cast, because he’s only 5, but man does he have issues.  He made the story so exciting and very crazy haha.

I’m going to have a huge book hangover after this book.  I won’t be able to read a book for forever because I’ll still be stuck in this amazing book.  Wow.  Wow.

By the way (and I thought this was really cool) this book reminded me so much of Zombieland.

5 pink flowers

{Review} The Elite by Kiera Cass

First off, I would just like to mention that I've decided to change my review style a bit.  I think that now (when I feel like it) I will actually be discussing the book instead of just giving a vague review.  So there will be spoilers.  But I think that by discussing the book I can actually give you guys a better review, and for those of you who have read the books that I review you can talk about it with me too.  And don't worry you guys that haven't read the books I'll be reviewing.  I will clearly mark off where there are spoilers, set the spoiler text to white so there is NO chance you will read anything by accident, and if you want to read the spoiler you just have to highlight where the text is so you can see it!
I'm trying to make my blog more open to my followers so you guys will feel like you maybe know me a bit better and won't hesitate to leave your thoughts about a book (whether you agree with my opinion or not) so we can discuss it. :)

Ok now on with the review!! :)

The Elite
by Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #2
Pages: 323
Release Date: April 23, 2013
by HarperTeen

Goodreads / Purchase

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selece Selection.
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea. America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

This book is, by no means, a great work of literature that will forever be remembered.  But it IS a perfect summer read because it’s light, fluffy, but interesting at the same time.  I really enjoyed this story.  The writing was kind of meh in the beginning but then I started to really like it.  Sometimes the descriptions or events weren’t written very well, but I’ll cut Kiera Cass a bit of slack.  There was a ton of conflict and drama in this book and I couldn’t help but be completely riveted by it, even though I am STRONGLY Team Maxon (I despise Aspen).  I liked the twists and turns, and the staging, for the most part, even though there was one really bad event that was staged.  But, ignoring that, I thought the story line was really good.  [SPOILER: Also some of America’s decisions were really stupid (like the big one at the end where she proposes to eliminate the casts, which, honestly, I thought was a good idea) and then acts surprised when exactly what she wnted to happen happens.  Also I found it kind of annoying that every time America opened that diary and read it just HAPPENED to be something that helped the story line and the staging.]  To add to that, some of the things in this book weren’t exactly consistent.  Let me get this straight: America lives in a futuristic, dystopian world that has a king, queen, prince/princess, and you have to wear ball gowns and be eloquent…yet you have DJs.  I found that absolutely hilarious, but very interesting and cool at the same time because you don’t see that combination very often.  Or ever.  I absolutely LOVED the ending and how everything was cleared up love-triangle wise, and I have very high expectations for the final book.

[MINOR SPOILERS IN THIS SECTION: One thing that I noticed and felt like I had to mention was the similarity of this book to The Hunger Games.  You guys are probably thinking, “What the hell are you talking about?!  The Hunger Games is about 24 kids fighting to the death, and this book is about 35 girls trying to win a prince’s heart.”  But let me explain.

First off, both books are dystopians, and there is a love triangle.  There is a competition where people are eliminated (yes, in this book they’re just sent home, not killed).  But then you get more in depth.  In both books there is an uprising, and also there are Casts, otherwise known as Districts in The Hunger Games.  Then you have the Selected, otherwise known as Tributes (even though the methods for picking are different if I remember correctly).  Then you have the love triangle.  In The Selection, you have Maxon and Aspen.  In The Hunger Games, you have Peeta and Gale.  Maxon is basically Peeta, and Aspen is basically Gale.

Maxon and Peeta are both pampered, aren’t used to hard work, and have a better standing in society.  I also found both very weak and sometimes annoying (Peeta for all the Hunge Games books, but Maxon only for The Selection.  Also, Katniss didn’t really notice Peeta until the Hunger Games, just like America didn’t really notice Maxon until the Selection.

Aspen and Gale are both hard working, tough, and lower-standing people who Katniss/America knew before she/she went into the Hunger Games/Selection.

And then, for the grand finale (and I literally laughed at this one) there is a part of the world in The Elite that is called Panama, not at all to be confused with The Hunger Games setting, Panem.  Spelled differently, but pronounced basically the same way (minus the “aa” sound at the end).  I thought that was hilarious. ]

Now we get to the characters.  First off, let me just set the record straight.  I am 100000000% Team Maxon for life!  I hate Aspen with a passion (seriously, the dude’s a jerk) and I honestly don’t know why there is even any question which one America should pick.  But anyway.  [SPOILER: I don’t think there’s really going to be a love triangle with America, Maxon, and Aspen in the third book because the ending of this book kind of hinted that America was going to fight for Maxon.  So I’m guessing there’s going to be a love triangle between Maxon, America, Kriss, and possibly Celeste.  Interesting. ]  Just like in The Selection, I really liked America.  Usually that doesn’t really happen for me in love triangles, but I really liked her strength, spunk, and attitude.  [SPOILER: Plus, anytime I can feel myself kind of starting to dislike her I just think back to how she kneed Maxon in the groin in the first book and I love her again lol.  I like Maxon, I just think it was hilarious that she did that and Maxon still loves her. ]  I also like Maxon.  What should their ship name be?  Hmmm…maybe Amaxon.  Yes, I like that very much lol.  Anyway, Maxon really grew on me in this book.  I remember thinking he was weak and all in the first book, but after the ending of this book I really respected him and thought he was a strong character.  [SPOILER: Even though it really annoyed me that he was running around making out with all the other girls when he loved America.  And I know he had an excuse, but it was a really shitty one. ]  Should I even waste my time talking about Aspen?  After what he did to America in the first book I’ve despised him, and I have no intention of changing my mind.  I SHIP AMAXON FOREVER AND EVER!

Seriously, the endings of these books are killing me.  Both have been huge cliffhangers, but I think The Selection’s ending was more killer that this one.  This one made me really happy because I like the direction I would imagine it’s going.  GO AMAXON!

4 pink flowers

What did you guys think of this book?  Leave your thoughts in a comment and we'll have a discussion! :)

{Review} Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
by Louise Rennison
Series: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #1
Pages: 247
Release Date: April 13, 2000
by HarperTeen

Goodreads / Purchase

There are six things very wrong with my life:

1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years.

2. It is on my nose

3. I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.

4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her bunch of sadistic teachers.

5. I am very ugly and need to go into an ugly home.

6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.

In this wildly funny journal of a year in the life of Georgia Nicolson, British author Louise Rennison has perfectly captured the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager. In the spirit of Bridget Jones's Diary, this fresh, irreverent, and simply hilarious book will leave you laughing out loud. As Georgia would say, it's "Fabbity fab fab!"

Oh my gosh, what a laugh!  Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much when I’m a book.  This book was absolutely and awesomely outrageous.  The things that happened to this poor girl were just hysterical, and the things she did were just crazy.  She was absolutely nuts!  The writing wasn’t that superb, and the story line was choppy, but the author was writing from the perspective of an absolutely insane, British, teenaged girl, so that’s to be expected.  I absolutely loved reading about all the trouble that Georgia got herself and her friends into, and it was a great laugh!

How many of you have seen the movie Hanna?  Anyone?  Well, I have, and I absolutely love it!  It’s about this really kick-ass girl who sets out to kill her mother’s murderer.  But there is a girl character in the movie (gah, I can’t remember her name) who is 14, British, and absolutely crazy, and the whole time I was reading this book I was thinking, “Georgia is just like this girl”.  Seriously though, if Georgia was a real girl, we would be best friends.  Her sarcastic and easy narration was so fascinating, and there is really never a dull moment with her.  And she definitely loves a laugh!  She was definitely a unique character, and I really can’t wait to see what trouble she gets herself into next!

For some Americans, the use of British terms in this book might throw you off a bit, but it was so awesome for me because I lived in Scotland for 10 months, and all these terms and things I remember, and it was like jumping back into the past.  Only I never met anyone there who was as crazy as Georgia Nicolson.

4 pink flowers

Favorite Quotes Ah la Georgia:

“I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.”

~Page 3

“I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.”

~Page 4

“Looking through the old family albums.  I’m not really surprised I’m ugly.  The photos of dad as a child are tarrying.  His nose is huge – it takes up half of his face.  In fact, he is literally just a nose with legs and arms attached.”

~Page 17

“He says, ‘Look Georgia, you’re a young woman now [what was I before? a young horse?] and I don’t think there should be any more secrets in our house…”

~Page 115

Review: A Beautiful Dark

A Beautiful Dark
by Jocelyn Davies
Series: A Beautiful Dark #1
Release Date: September 27, 2012
HarperTeen

Goodreads / Purchase

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine."A Beautiful Dark" is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

I will admit that the only reason I bought this book is because I adore this cover.  I mean, look at it.  It's spectacular.  Unfortunately, what's between the covers isn't as good.

To be honest, for half of the book I felt like I was reading a chic lit book.  It was all social, school, drama, all that, and the Skye making a spark of electricity here and there.  It wasn't really paranormal until the last 100 hundred pages.  And for the other 200 there was absolutely nothing going on: no action, no building, only going to school and sneaking peaks over shoulders to look at the new boys.  That was it.  There was good writing, but not really a story line.  And I mean that literally: this book was pointless until the last 100 pages.  Although I did enjoy the ending, I wish the whole book had been like it.

Usually when an author has a male character that is confidant and kind of full of himself, I love him because the author also writes him as sexy.  In this book, Asher was that guy.  Only I didn't like him.  At all.  Davies didn't take the time to develop him AT ALL.  He wasn't sexy, he wasn't kick-ass, just stuck up and annoying.  Really the only thing I liked about him was the fact that he was on the rebels' side.
The other boy in Skye's life is Devin.  I didn't like him either.  Although he was kind of nice in the beginning, he slowly turned into a jerk and he wasn't sexy at all.  And I hated the side he was on.
I didn't really like Skye either.  She wasn't particularly kick-ass or strong.
To be honest, Cassie was my favorite character, and that's because she actually had personality.  I've noticed that none of the characters are very developed.  They're just kind of there.

I will read the second book but I def won't buy it.

2 pink flowers