Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

   I HAVE A CURSE.   
I HAVE A GIFT.
   I'M A MONSTER.   
I'M MORE THAN HUMAN.
   MY TOUCH IS LETHAL.   
MY TOUCH IS POWER.
   I AM THEIR WEAPON.   
I WILL FIGHT BACK.

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time - and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.
In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a riveting dystopian world, a thrilling superhero story, and an unforgettable heroine.

MY REVIEW

I picked up this book because I got to read a piece of the first chapter, which I have put down below in the EXCERPT section, and I liked the character and the way that she described things, the way that she saw the world.
Man, was I in for a good one.
Not only is this book gripping (it had me reading pages while I waited for food, when I had free time, right before bed, etc.), but the romance scenes actually made me blush.
That's right, I said blush.
The moment that I stepped into Juliette's world, I was hooked. Juliette was such a likable character, she didn't want anyone to touch her because of what it did to them, no matter how she herself felt while being touched. She made a line in the sand, and she fought tooth and nail for that rule to be kept.
And the other main character, the boy she finds herself stuck in a cell with, is actually a great compliment to Juliette, and has a couple of surprises that I wasn't ready for. Not going to tell you what the surprises were because... Well, you know. But in the end he really does care for Juliette, no matter how messed up she was inside. It was cute. It was very easy to fall in love with the characters. And the plot kept my head spinning, wondering what was going to happen next.
I know you're probably asking yourself: What could possibly happen in a little cell between two people who've never met? Actually, a lot. In the cell, you find out more about each of the characters, why they are in the cell in the first place.
Also, I've never seen a writer who uses the book as a literal journal, with lines crossed out like this, but that is what this author does. And when she does, you can get little glimpses of what Juliette is really thinking, despite how she acts. This especially happens when her and her cellmate meet, there's a lot of confessions real thought put in the book. It's certainly a lot more interesting saying "I wanted to trust him I didn't trust him." than "I wanted to trust him, but I didn't." You know?
All in all, if you're in the mood for a book that will keep you up in the night, with characters that are as interesting as they are lovable, and with a fun writing style, then this book is the one for you.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"My eyes open to 2 eyes 2 lips 2 ears 2 eyebrows.
I stifle a scream my urgency to run the crippling horror gripping my limbs.
"You're a b-b-b-b--"
"And you're a girl." He cocks an eyebrow. He leans away from my face. He grins but he's not smiling and I want to cry, my eyes desperate, terrified, darting toward the door I'd tried to open so many times I'd lost count. They locked me in with a boy. A boy.
Dear God.
They're trying to kill me.
They've done it on purpose.
To torture me, to torment me, to keep me from sleeping through the night ever again. His arms are tatted up, half sleeves up to his elbows. His eyebrow is missing a ring they must've confiscated. Dark blue eyes dark brown hair sharp jawline strong lean frame. Gorgeous Dangerous. Terrifying. Horrible.
He laughs and I fall off my bed and scuttle into the corner.
He sizes up the meager pillow on the spare bed they shoved into the empty space this morning, the skimpy mattress and threadbare blanket hardly big enough to support his upper half. He glances at my bed. Glances at his bed.
Shoves them both together with one hand. Uses his foot to push the two metal frames to his side of the room. Stretches out across the two mattresses, grabbing my pillow to fluff up under his neck. I've begun to shake.
I bite my lip and try to bury myself in the dark corner.
He's stolen my bed my blanket my pillow.
I will have nothing but the floor.
I will never fight back because I'm too petrified too paralyzed too paranoid.
"So you're - what? Insane? Is that why you're here?"
I'm not insane.
He props himself up enough to see my face. He laughs again. "I'm not going to hurt you."
I want to believe him I don't believe him.
"What's your name?" he asks.
None of your business. What's your name?
I hear his irritated exhalation of breath. I hear him turn over on the bed that used to be half mine. I stay awake all night. My knees curled up to my chin, my arms wrapped tight around my small frame, my long brown hair the only curtain between us.
I will not sleep.
I cannot sleep.
I cannot hear those screams again."

pages 3-4

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Listen to this song that really captures the feeling of loneliness that Juliette wrestles with in the book!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

MARE BARROW'S WORLD IS DIVIDED BY BLOOD - 
those with red and those with silver. Mare and her family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural abilities make them nearly gods. Mare steals what she can to help her family survive, but when her best friend is conscripted into the army she gambles everything to win his freedom. A twist of fate leads her to the royal palace itself, where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers a power of her own - an ability she didn't know she had. Except... her blood is Red.
To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks her new position to aid the Scarlet Guard - the leaders of a Red rebellion. Her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, putting prince against prince - and Mare against her own heart.
From debut author Victoria Aveyard comes a lush, vivid fantasy series where loyalty and desire can tear you apart and the only certainty is betrayal.

MY REVIEW

As you can imagine, when describing this book to others, you sort of have a hard time doing so. There are just too many elements to this story, just enough plot twists in it that sometimes you just end up saying "You just have to read it and figure it out." I figured out a way to describe this book in the simplest way possible, however. I describe it as a mix between Cinderella and X-Men. Now this isn't a perfect description because the people with powers aren't in hiding, but rule the entire government, and Mare's family doesn't hate her, only wish that she would find another way to make money other than stealing, but it allows for the person that you are talking to to get the basics of the story to ask more questions.

This is the cover of the next book in this series. Can't wait to read it! :)

Now that I've gone through the very basics of the story, let's talk about it. Despite my anti-romantic tendencies, the romance in this book didn't bother me at all. When Mare and a stranger met while she was stealing from him, at first glance I shipped them. (Meaning: to endorse a romantic relationship, for those of you less internet-savvy.) I sort of guessed who he was in the beginning, but I'm not going to tell you so that you can figure it out... ;)

This is a map of the kingdom where this story takes place. As you can see, it is set in a futuristic North America.

The whole point of this book, in my eyes, is that while Mare is in the palace, you and her get to discover who she can trust, and who she really can't. I had sort of figured out the main betrayal in the beginning, but I stayed around to see what that person would do. This is the mark of really good writing, because if you couldn't piece together the pieces on your own, or if the person (let's say) who committed the murder was nowhere on the suspect list in the first place, that would just make the reader really frustrated with you as a writer. A good writer, however, leaves little clues for both you, the reader, to figure out along with the character.

"Their blood is a threat, a warning, a promise. We are not the same and never will be."

Another thing - in front of the millions of cameras, in front of the Reds and all of the Silvers, Mare has to hide who she really is so that she isn't killed. A Red has never been seen with any kind of power, so the King and Queen force her to act as a Silver should. Her normal, comfortable clothes are replaced with silk and jewels, her conversation turned polite. Her skin is painted white to hide her Red identity, her hair pulled into fancy up-dos instead of just hanging around her face. A lot of us don't think about just how much work actually goes into being a royal, but this book makes it very clear that it is no walk in the park. Not even being born into it makes it easy.

"I see a world on the edge of a blade. Without balance, it will fall."

Now, there is a little love triangle (or at some point, a love square, where Mare has to pick between three guys), but it didn't bother me as much as it did in books like Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The romance in this book isn't the main focus. Like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Mare is mostly just focused on surviving, or saving other Reds from the Silvers, which makes her a lot more interesting.

"I'm an accident. I'm a lie. And my life depends on maintaining the illusion."

Along with that, there is a resistance group who call themselves the Scarlet Guard, who are the first to try and fight back for the Red's enslavement to the uncaring Silvers. No one has ever done this before because the Silvers are terrifying. What hope would any of us have against someone with superhuman strength, or who can control the elements that are around you? Knowing all of that, they still fight back, and that makes them suicidal or brave, depending on your mindset. There is a secret, however, that could tip the balance in their favor, but you'll have to read the book to figure that out...

"Spoilers"

All in all, this book is amazing. There are plot twists that you will never see coming, characters that you will instantly distrust, fall in love with, and hate. There are quotes in this book that are really powerful, but I'm afraid that giving them to you would lead to spoilers, and we can't have that.

The question is this: When you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, between saving the helpless and silent, or saving yourself, would you rise, red as the dawn?

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"All I see is purple as I fall, the lightning shield rising up to meet me. It hisses with electricity, singeing the air. I barely have time to understand, but I know the veined purple glass will cook me alive, electrocuting me in my red uniform. I bet the Silvers will only care about waiting for someone to clean me off.
My head bangs against the shield, and I see stars. No, not stars. Sparks. The shield does its job, lighting me up with bolts of electricity. My uniform burns, scorched and smoking, and I expect to see my skin do the same. My corpse will smell wonderful. But, somehow, I don't feel a thing. I must be in so much pain that I cannot feel it.
But - I can feel it. I feel the heat of the sparks, running up and down my body, setting every nerve on fire. It isn't a bad feeling though. In fact I feel, well, alive. Like I've been living my whole life blind and now I've opened my eyes. Something moves beneath my skin, but it's not the sparks. I look at my hands, my arms, marveling at the lightning as it glides over me. Cloth burns away, charred black by the heat, but my skin doesn't change. The shield keeps trying to kill me, but it can't.
Everything is wrong.
I am alive."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Watch the music video for a song that was based off of this book!:

Listen to two songs that Victoria Aveyard say remind her most of Mare!:

Take this quiz by team Epic Reads to see what power you would have! (If you were a Silver)

Listen to Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen playlist from Spotify!
(She also has one for Glass Sword, the next book!)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

IF YOU AIN'T SCARED, YOU AIN'T HUMAN
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers - boys whose memories are also gone.
NICE TO MEET YA, SHANK. WELCOME TO THE GLADE.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out - and no one's ever made it through alive.
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever.
And the message she delivers is terrifying.
REMEMBER. SURVIVE. RUN.

MY REVIEW

I've got to be honest, I went into this book with A LOT of skepticism. I'd heard about The Maze Runner from some of my friends, but I didn't think it was all that interesting, or that I would even be interested...
I've never been so wrong.
True, I didn't like the book in the beginning (it was a little slow to start), but as soon as Thomas entered the Maze the first time, I knew I was hooked. I was hooked BAD. What started as "Oh, I'm just going to read this so that I will know if I want to see the movie" quickly turned to "I NEED THE SECOND BOOK."
The Grievers were the thing that shocked and interested me the most about the Maze. I've got this thing about monsters and bad guys, and these ones were good! I'm dead positive that I would be like everyone's favorite character, Chuck, and I would just avoid the Maze and Grievers altogether. NO WAY I would go inside that thing without an extreme need to.

A glimpse of a Griever... wicked little fella!

Not only that, but the book was filled with (what I consider) clever curse words, and clever names for things in general. Poo is klunk, the sleeping/farming/eating area is the Glade, and shuck is commonly used to describe someone (Ex: you shuck-face!). The characters were well-written, they had some dark pasts and you could tell (even if they sometimes didn't know it themselves). Added to that is the mystery of the Maze and the boys that live in it. Why these boys? Why the maze? Who made all of this? Who would be sick enough to do this? The questions, I'm pleased to say, are mostly answered with only a couple left unanswered to continue the story. (Oh how I love the complexity of series plot lines!)
All in all, I liked this book very much, and I cannot wait to see the movie that comes out today (September 19th)!

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air.
Metal ground against metal; a lurching shudder shook the floor beneath him. He fell down at the movement and shuffled backward on his hands and feet, drops of sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air. His back struck a hard metal wall; he slid along it until he hit the corner of the room. Sinking to the floor, he pulled his legs up tight against his body, hoping his eyes would soon adjust to the darkness.
With another jolt, the room jerked upward like an old lift in a mine shaft.
Harsh sounds of chains and pulleys, like the workings of an ancient steel factory, echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls with a hollow, tinny whine. The lightless elevator swayed back and forth as it ascended, turning the boy's stomach sour with nausea; a smell like burnt oil invaded his senses, making him feel worse. He wanted to cry, but no tears came; he could only sit there, alone, waiting.
My name is Thomas, he thought.
That... that was the only thing he could remember about his life."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Watch the official trailer for the movie that just came out! :)

Visit The Maze Runner website to get some WICKED goodies!:
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/mazerunner/index.php

{A Blast from the Past} Divergent by Veronica Roth

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

ONE CHOICE
Decides your friends
ONE CHOICE
Defines your beliefs
ONE CHOICE
Determines your loyalties-
forever
ONE CHOICE
CAN TRANSFORM YOU

MY REVIEW

I was first introduced to this book by my sophomore English teacher, who also happens to have a book blog (http://apocalypsereads.blogspot.com/), and her opening line for this book was: "I like this book more than The Hunger Games." What you don't know is up until that moment all of us at the book club at my High School thought that she was a hard-core Katniss fan, so of course measures were taken and thermometers checked. After reading this book for the second time, I have to agree.
Let me explain:
What we have here is a story about a girl who goes up against everything that she believes of her society, and unlocks the power and strength that is hidden within herself. There is a love story, but it is not a love triangle (Can I get a hallelujah?), and still is as complicated as one. Although The Hunger Games is good, and I am still an avid Katniss fan (up until the last book that is), Tris has taken her rightful place as one of my favorite female characters of all time.
This book will take you on a wild ride from cover to cover, and the adrenaline that you will experience from it is no laughing matter. Every moment is a danger to Tris and the society that she lives in, every pause in the writing is heavy with the words of a fantastic author.
The scene is a futuristic Chicago, in which there are five different factions: Amity the peaceful (red or yellow), Abnegation the selfless (grey), Candor the honest (black and white), Erudite the intelligent (blue), and Dauntless the brave (black). When you reach age sixteen, you take an aptitude test to determine which faction you would be most suited to. Divergents are people who fit into more than one faction, and are therefore uncontrollable.
If you are caught as a Divergent, you will be killed.
Not giving away any spoilers, Tris is a girl who has to try to fit in and hide who she really is. Kind of like a Disney princess we all know and love...

Sorry, but I just had to put Frozen in here SOMEWHERE...

And a lot of us can relate to that, because all of us have times in our lives where we pretend to be someone else and hide all that makes us US. Unlike Elsa, though, the revealing of one's self could put you in the bottom of a chasm with a bullet in your head. (Violence, much?)
I love the Divergent trilogy, and I suspect that if you like Dystopias, you will too.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

My family might be able to help me make my choice, if I could talk about my aptitude test results. But I can't. Tori's warning whispers in my memory every time my resolve to keep my mouth shut falters.
Caleb and I climb the stairs and, at the top, when we divide to go to our separate bedrooms, he stops me with a hand on my shoulder.
"Beatrice," he says, looking sternly into my eyes. "We should think of our family." There is an edge to his voice. "But. But we must also think of ourselves."
For a moment I stare at him. I have never seen him think of himself, never heard him insist on anything but selflessness.
I am so startled by his comment that I just say what I am supposed to say: "The tests don't have to change our choices."
He smiles a little. "Don't they, though?"

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Watch the Divergent movie trailer!

And here's a clip from the movie.