Its easy to get sucked into the trivial lives of the protagonists in some of our favourite books "love interest #2 is ignoring me"..."My best friend h8es me bc he loves me :(". And although these self indulgent unrealistic situations can be a good source of entertainment, we all know that reading and writing can be much more than a source of entertainment. For one party, it can be the outlet. For the other, a source of inspiration.
A perfect example of this is author Christa Mayaliwa's He Never Left Me: My First Testimony.
Synopsis: He Never Left Me is the story of Christa Mayaliwa's battle with systemic arthritis (adult's Still's disease) as a child, its relapse when she turned sixteen, and her father's abandonment of their family in the midst of their emotional and financial struggles. More than that, it is a story of the goodness of God. Despite life's billows, Christa's God has been able to carry her through it all. This story is for those who are affected with a chronic illness aside from arthritis, parents with children who are in a similar state, those who want to be inspired, Christians, ministers, and doctors. This is Christa's testimony.
He Never Left Me is an emotional and honest story about the struggles Christa has had to live through, and how she has overcome them. You do not have to be religious in any way to identify with her story and feel the full spectrum of emotions you might experience while reading He Never Left Me.
He Never Left Me: My Testimony can be locally (Ottawa) purchased at the SalemStorehouse in Nepean (1558 Merivale Rd) and checked out through any Ottawa Public Library Branch
Over a month after it's release, and a few weeks after I finished reading it, its time to talk about Allegiant. The following will be a no-spoiler review but I will include a final paragraph about my thoughts on everything that went down, which will be filled with spoilers. I'll warn you about that. Otherwise, please try and spoiler alert if you comment!
Insurgent was a very big let down. I loved Divergent so much, but Insurgent was basically a new setting. The Dauntless training, that was so fun to read about, was not only over but the fraction system was also messed up. My mind blends what happened in Insurgent with what happened in Allegiant because it was most of the same stuff. Drifting from place to place, Tris and Tobias fighting, people dying (the second book did not have as many pertinent deaths, if you ask me). I found myself reading the final 100 pages of Allegiant asking myself when the action was going to start and what was it that caused such an uproar in the Divergent fandom.
Ha.
Ha ha.
Ha ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
The meat of the story was rather dry, but the final 100 pages were where things finally stared to get interesting. People were confronted. Plans were made. We were going somewhere. You've heard about it by now, people have been going crazy about the conclusion. Before I get to that part of the review, I have a few bones to pick.
For starters, many people were annoyed with Tobias. The emotional trauma of his childhood still plays a huge role in the story, if not even bigger. His character is more vulnerable, much more vulnerable and yes sometimes extremely frustrating! I wouldn't go as far to say that this ruined Tobias for me, as it did for so many, because I don't think that would be fair. We saw Tobias in only good light in the previous books, his character was viewed through the eyes of Tris' adoration. In Allegiant, we see Tobias not only through Tris' more grown up eyes but also read through Tobias' thoughts. I do wish Veronica Roth didn't accord Tobias' childhood such a huge role in determining his actions, I didn't feel it was completely necessary. In terms of the story, my thoughts are this:
Veronica Roth took a huge risk but it completely paid off! She stayed true to her characters, whether or not they diverged from who they really were at some point in the story. They came back. Her decisions are what redeemed the whole series for me. Her decision allowed me to go from "This series is a let down, don't bother reading anything after the first book" to "Just read it" as I thrust the book into open hands. It sucks that its the beginning and end to the story that really made it and everything leading up to it was basically filler, but I'll say it was worth it. I'll say this series is worth reading. I still managed to take something from these books, morally, ethically, and emotionally which is why I'd go as far to say that I liked these books way better than The Hunger Games (I haven't read HG in a while but I stand by it!).
Decide whether or not you liked what Veronica Roth did after you read the story, because it is worth it. Trust me!
My spoiler-y thoughts:
Ok. Let's work our way through the book. I had a feeling near the end of Allegiant at what kind of society we were looking it. My thoughts were confirmed after the first few pages of Allegiant and I was very disappointed. I wasn't ecstatic about The Village-type story. Been there done that. The biological warfare didn't attract me much either, though I liked looking at the way she related the story to real life. The prejudice and privilege themes were obvious, but not in your face. Tobias and Tris' relationship was finally back at a better place and my little shipper heart was so happy. But Roth was a bit too around the bush. Their physical attraction to each other was intensifying throughout the series, as expected and finally, they had sex. Apparently. I wasn't sure, I just thought they were making out. Try again, Roth. Alas, I wanted to know about the crazy ending. My initial reaction to the kill off was shock. I couldn't believe she had done that! I've never read a book where the protagonist was killed off! I had to make sure that she wasn't about to come back from the dead later on, since she'd done that quite a few times. After all she had been through, this is how she would go down. I mean, was Veronica Roth taking cues from John Green's Peter Van Houten? So yeah, I thought it was so unnecessary and I was extremely angry. Tobias' reaction however, was beautifully executed. Yeah, ok, I had tears in my eyes. And when he wanted to drink that memory serum, I wanted him to do it! I wanted him to spare himself of the pain of losing her. Even if I couldn't, he could! But Christina's arrival did put things into perspective for me, and I healed with him. Ha. SO lame. The more we said goodbye to her, the more it hurt. The zip-lining scene was so well thought out. So beautifully written, and yesssss there were tears again!
As a reader, I hated Veronica Roth for not giving Tris and Tobias the happy ending they deserved after so long. I wanted them to live happily ever after, eternally devoted to each other. But of course, young adult novels never leave young adult hearts in one piece. I was angry at the book because I cared about these characters, something Roth had succeeded in doing. I think it would have been better for me to put the book down between the 2 years later mark as I wouldn't have had such a knee-jerk reaction.
As a reviewer, as someone on the outside:I get what Veronica Roth did with this book and I applaud her for making such a big decision. Tris' character is strong and remains a memory in my mind to be brave and to be strong and I like that. Though I can't say I'll be re-reading Allegiant anytime soon.
Spoiler break over.
For those of you who haven't decided to pick up Divergent, I suggest doing so as soon as possible, spoilers will be everywhere with time. Whether or not you end up liking the sequels to Divergent, I'm sure that Divergent itself will be enough to compensate. I wish there were more than three books, as it seems like such a short series, but I'm...satisfied. I would have enjoyed more time with the fractions, and learning much more about them. But the story was satisfying.
To those of you who have read the book, how have you been coping? Reviewing Allegiant, was my first step in my 12-step program to heal from Allegiant, tweet me @MoodyLions and hashtag #12StepsAllegiant!
If I haven't convinced you enough to read Divergent, here is the trailer which is....aahahahahahahhah!!!!!!!!!!
So I guess my opinions on this book are slightly skewed and the reason they are is completely my fault.
Let me explain.
When I first saw this book at my local Chapters, I thought it was creepy and after looking through the pages a bit and reading like half the summary, this is what I concluded. MPHFPC is probably about this kid who goes to an abandoned orphanage and discovers letters or a book of pictures which documents the torture of these children with peculiar abilities. And y'know, he investigates. It sounded really cool in my head.
Which is why, once I was offered to review the newly released paperback version of this novel I said YEEs!>!?!???. The many acclamations by John Green also helped, because...y'know. John Green.
So thinking I knew what this book was about, I began my journey five minutes after finishing Project Cain and was ready to be creeped out. Man, was I wrong about pretty much...everything.
So what's this book really about?
After an unfortunate event, Jacob feels its necessary to visit a remote island near Wales where he discovers the abandoned ruins of MPHFPC.
So maybe it wasn't completely my fault, the summary offered by the publisher is slightly misleading. To set you straight, there are mentions of time travel, secret societies and yes, romance *sigh*. Three years ago, this would have probably been the Hunger Games of my life. Because although the story is a bit childish, make no mistake: the writing is excellent, the story is creative, and the inclusion of pictures makes the novel that much more magical. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. It is not nearly as disturbing or creepy as you'd think but it is exceptional. Perhaps it isn't the type of book I can relate to at this time of my life which is probably why I felt so disconnected. Not to say that John Green was wrong, he just wasn't speaking to me.
BUT, I do admit that the romance in the book did indeed creep me out, and felt slightly unnecessary.
I suppose it's all to say that, I am not the target audience for MPHFPC, but I can appreciate what it has to offer: genius, creativity, exceptional writing, and a lovely series for a young audience.
When offered to review this novel by Simon&Schuester, I read the plot and thought that it sounded quite juvenile, however I then read the whole summary and there was a name drop: Jeffrey Dahmer's.
That's when it got spicy.
So basically, this novel covers the story of 16 year olf Jeff who discovers he was constrructed in a laboratory seven years ago as part of a top secret government project named Project Cain. Also, he was constructed by the DNA of serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. Oh and there are a bunch more clones running around...and they don't just have Jeff Dahmer's DNA to work with. So...yeah.
Some people may find this story slightly sickening but I thought it was great, it's a story. Not only that but from an outsider's point of view, it seemed to me like the author payed great attention respecting the victims of these murderers, which is something you tend to forget when reading fiction. There's also a large discussion on conspiracies and Lord knows conspiracies fuel my imagination! God, I love a good conspiracy, its a good adrenaline rush.
Here are the two main reasons I enjoyed this novel much more than I probably should have
a) The story is twisted. This is a story about teenagers with an urge to kill, and not just kill peacefully. They want blood and at times, much much worse. If you don't have an a) tolerance or b) interest for any of those things, this will not be the book for you. However, being a big fan of Battle Royale and having the Hunger Games as one of the first books I reviewed for this blog, I really don't have a problem with that type of story. In fact, it's kind of my favourite breed. Sorry, not sorry.
b) I find it incredibly fascinating to learn about serial killers and their motives. Not to glamorize them, but to understand their psyche, much like this novel succeeded in doing. There were mini biographies for each killer mentioned which helped you understand various characters. After some time, I was able to recognize which killer manifested into which character. Educational? Yes. Fascinating? Even more.
ok, so what did I actually think about this book? IT WAS FLIPPING GOOD OK. Being completely honest, I have only read a handful of books this year (tsk tsk tsk) and I struggled to read many of them. But reading Project Cain brought me back to my prime reading time in grade ten and nine when I had all the time in the world. I would read in the bus, in class, and before going to bed (THIS IS A MISTAKE I DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL). This book was exactly what a YA novel should be. Gripping, fast paced, creative, engaging. My only bone to pick with this book would probably be that I felt the author took the easy way out at some points. Specifically, when dealing with the deaths of characters. It might be my new found love for Game Of Thrones, but I believe that there must come a time when an author should drop the axe once a character has outlived their believable lifeline. I feel like it is juvenile not to, which brings me back to the beginning of this post. But I will say this, this story is not for children (my 9th grade self just stuck her tongue out at me...she would have adored this book), it is much much darker than you think it is.
Interestingly enough, there is also a "mature" version of this book that you can pick up although I'm not sure whether or not the outcome would be the same.
If you find yourself agreeing with my points a) and b), you should definitely pick up a copy of Project Cain.
Note: After some GoodReads exploring, I've noticed some controversy surrounding Geoffrey Girard and a reply he made to a blogger who reviewed his novel. Not to get in the middle of things, but I read the post and I read his reply and I didn't see the big deal? Obviously, I wash't targeted so my opinion isn't actually valid but this is my blog and I felt like throwing my two cents in (DUH).
New
characters were introduced, old characters were reintroduced, present
characters developed, and some characters left the story all together. Love blossomed as it wilted and an epic story was concluded.
Finally, a book review!
Clockwork Prince basically crushed my heart into teeny tiny pieces, so naturally, while waiting for Clockwork Princess to hit bookshelves, I've been gluing those pieces back together. But when I finally got my hands on Clockwork Princess I had just finished gluing those pieces back together and I wasn't completely sure if my heart was ready to witness the conclusion to Will, Tessa & Jem's compelling story.
Clockwork Prince left things quite...chaotic (to say the least). There was the master love triangle of ALL love triangles, heartbreak, a pregnancy, heartbreak, a long lost sibling, heartbreak, and many secrets were revealed. It was tough. And of course Clockwork Princess did not take long to address each one of these storylines.
Reading the book was effortless. If there were ever a moment you questioned Cassandra Clare's writing abilities, CP2 must have caused you to shut your mouth and deport yourself back to your underground cave.Clare definitely played on words, shooting my anxiety levels through the roof. I honestly did forget that I was reading a book, the streets of London came to life with energy and vibrancy! It was detailed and beautiful.
People are always shocked to hear that I prefer this series to The Mortal Instruments, but its true. I feel a deeper connection to the characters and am much more entranced by the plot. What can I say, The London Institute owns my heart!
Clockwork Princess' plot did not have an easy set up to conclude the series. There were 2 instances where I had tears in my eyes based on the range of emotions I was put through as a reader. Whether or not you are ready to say goodbye, you are forced to do so for some characters. It looked to me as if Miss Clare had constructed a labyrinth with not much wiggle room, and that the only way to leave said labyrinth was to burn the whole thing down. Yet, miraculously, she managed to exit the labyrinth without doing so. A few paths were cut down, some leaved were frayed, but the labyrinth stayed intact. Does the labyrinth represent the stories, the characters or the reader's sanity..? Not sure.
Read these books.
(Can we just talk about the fact that Jem's name is Jem Carstairs. Car Stairs. CAR. STAIRS. Beep beep vrrom vrrom - climb up. This fact perplexed me hahaha)
Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.
But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.
So let me give you a play by play of my reactions while reading Invisible Sisters
"Okay..."
"Good imagery"
"That's a really good line!" *doggy ears the page*
"Exceptional writing, this is gonna be good!"
"Nnnnnnuuh I don't wanna go to bed, one more chapter"
"Where is this going?"
"I don't get it"
"I bet you..."
"Yup..."
"She did it."
"Well that was obvious"
"What the hell!"
"Wait"
"What"
"Ok."
And that is pretty much what I was thinking as I read the book. As you may have deduced from my play by play above, the best part of the novel was the beginning. It was filled with fulfilling writing, beautiful lines and very much potential to be the next great YA book. But as the novel progressed, the plot didn't. I understood that Nova Ren Suma was taking her time to give the reader a clear view of Ruby, even though no one had a clear view of her. Ruby was the character who was always blurring, lurking in a shadow but always in the spotlight. I loved that! But my fondness for Ruby's character soon faded after the half way turn of the novel. And although I ended up hating Ruby near the end of the novel, she still remained my favourite character, and in this book it's most likely either Chloe or Ruby.
It took too long for anything to actually happen, and once something did happen...it wasn't that great. Imaginary Girls had so much potential to be a great story, but the end was predictable. Something I would imagine happening at the season finale of Ghost Whisperer or some other paranormal related show. It just didn't cut it for me. Imaginary Girls...had a forgettable plot and quite a few plot holes. I kept asking myself, "Why doesn't Chloe just ask Ruby to tell her?" which probably would have saved quite a few chapters.
The solved mystery wasn't actually completely explained, which I didn't mind but once again it brought me back to the fact that it just wasn't worth the wait.
The few reviews of Imaginary Girls that I did read were either "hate it" or "bash it". Although I won't bash it, I wasn't exactly amazed with it. With Imaginary Girls, Nova Ren Suma has proved she has excellent writing qualities and has much success ahead of her.
Haunting, creepy, beautiful, but predictable, Imaginary Girls did in fact leave an impression. Her name is Ruby. And Ruby gets the silver.
The debut novel from "American Pie" series screenwriter David H. Steinberg. It's the last weekend before high school graduation, and as they prepare to go their separate ways, four life-long friends spend a wild and raucous night in New York City that forces them to face their fear of growing up... and growing apart.
West Hartford, Connecticut. Growing up in the suburbs is a mind-numbingly boring experience for most teenagers, and high school seniors Dylan, Noah, Pike, and Walker are no exception. They spend their days testing how fast they can drive on the local residential streets, bribing homeless dudes to buy them beer, and attending crappy house parties. So when Dylan proposes that they spend their last weekend of high school in New York City attending an underground rave, the guys are ready to make some serious memories. In New York, though, the guys have run-ins with a drug dealer with a penchant for fire extinguishers, a Chinese restaurant owner with a score to settle, an Albanian street gang, con men, hookers, performance artists, and a gaggle of hot, degenerate, rich girls. Over the course of one incredible night, their outrageous journey gives the guys a bonding experience they'll never forget, as they learn that part of growing up means they're going to have to face their futures on their own.
(Parental advisory: This book contains strong language, drinking, drugs, and sexual situations, all involving teens.)------>; Well I mean, that's sort of to be expected.
Within the first few pages of the book, I wasn't very invested with the characters, I could barely remember their names. But with the progression of the novel, I quickly learned that each character had their own place in the story. Dylan, the leader of the pack and owner of the Cube, Noah, the most-of-the-time voice of reason and Dylan's second hand, Pike, the horny stoner (with a heart), and finally Walker, the nerdy virgin. I grew to like these guys more and more as they fought to arrive to their destination of NYC.
Of course I could see the resemblances between the American Pie movies and the book because they both have those embarrassing-but-almost-too-unbelievable-but-I-mean-I-guess-I-could-see-that-happening-in-a-movie-or-something- situations that the guys get stuck in. At some points, the book was a bit too predictable. I could tell when that first punch would be thrown, when the cell phone would be forgotten, etc. But I liked it.
As I continued reading the novel and the boys continued discussing their futures it evoked a feeling of nostalgia. I am yet to graduate (about a year left) but I understood what the guys were going through, and the importance of creating memories that would stay with us forever. The fear that came along with graduation and the probability of losing most of your friends to the fact that you don't go to the same school anymore. I got it! And that made me love the story that much more, even though I am a straight edge 16 year old girl, I was still able to relate to these 4 guys on the cusped of manhood.
I would mostly recommend this novel to guys, since they would probably appreciate it the most, but I loved the book to be honest! Last Stop This Town may have had a few unbelievable situations and a some typical events but it still had that witty coming of age narrator that all teen readers seek to find.
Gold for Last Stop This Town by David H. Steinberg!
Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love-again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.
Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.
Ripple was cute. I liked it. It's a typical YA novel, but a little bit better. It isn't memorable, but I enjoyed my time reading it. Mandy Hubbard has a simple writing style, no dilly dallying on details, it was straight to the point (which I appreciated). I did enjoy the characters, but nothing stuck out to me. I didn't connect with any of them. I liked the story, the characters, the twist. I liked the book. But like I said, it isn't memorable, I won't remember it in the long run of all the amazing books I've read. But I would remember it if I'd been asked about a simple, YA romance/fantasy novel. Ripple might jump out a bit, in that case.
Anyways, I liked Ripple. It was a good read, something a little lighter than all those other crazy books I've been reading lately. I'll give Ripple by Mandy Hubbard the Gold Moody Seal of Approval
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces - to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Mia''s story will stay with you for a long, long time.
This is one of those books. It isn't the kind you store in the back of your bookcase because you feel it's an immature YA novel. It is the exact opposite. It's the kind of book you leave on the coffee table or in the prime spot of your bookcase. Mia's life has made a complete 180 in the span of 24hrs, and nothing will ever be the same. At this point, she has to make the biggest decision of her life. Bravery versus giving up. You witness Mia find out her life has been shattered, and watch her as she tries to figure out if it's worth picking up the pieces.
This is a one of a kind YA novel, it's a tragic story filled with love, so much love, passion, and realistic characters. We go back in time, reading of Mia's past, her regrets, the people she loved and everything in between. And the people who want her to stay. It is a beautifully written captivating novel. If you have a chance, I definitely suggest you read it. It will stay with you, for a very long time. *I was listening to my iTunes on shuffle and this song came on, music is a big part of the book and I thought it had a lot in common with Mia's story.
Where She Went (possible spoilers *scroll down to safety*)
It''s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard''s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia''s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
Told from Adam''s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.
I found myself liking Where She Went just as much as I liked If I Stay, if not more. You'd think it would be a little self-righteous, a bit too typical, but no. Forman stays true to her beautiful writing, Adam's point of view is lyrical, sad, and realistic. It's a great sequel to If I Stay, with the same vibe and flow. Where She Went wasn't a let down in any way.
These two novels are beautiful, tragic, sad but still inspiring, hopeful and passionate. It's a great read that you should definitely check out. Platinum for both of the novels.
