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!)

{A Blast from the Past} The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Today's review is on:

THE SUMMARY

Vladimir Tod

NORMAL EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENT?

OR POWERFUL VAMPIRE?

Junior high really stinks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: His mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers and no one to teach him, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs.When a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he realizes he has a much bigger problem: He's being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in - fast! This first book in this ghoulishly funny series leads readers on a nail-biting adventure that is filled with dark characters and mystical glyphs, secret identities and hidden agendas, unearthly powers and teenage angst.

MY REVIEW
I started these books when I was in middle school myself, so reading this one was truly a blast from the past. I loved coming back to the world of Vladimir Tod, a character that I understand now more than 5 years ago. The constant vampire jokes and references made me laugh, and the serious moments filled me with dread.
The characters Otis Otis scared me once again as I was swept into the mind of a young male vampire. Unlike the Twilight saga, love isn't the focus. He has a crush on a girl named Meredith, yes, but Vlad focuses more on the vampire world and his parents. Just like Vlad, you learn things about his parents, their pasts, and also about vampires and how they are.
I am also sympathetic toward Vlad because of the bullying that he receives in the book. I'm sure that many of us know how it is to be in that situation.
Basically, this book is a rollercoaster ride of emotion that I would recommend to anyone. I've really loved re-reading this book. :)

A LITTLE EXCERPT
He was spooning a big, sweet glob of half-frozen blood into his mouth when the doorbell rang. With a hurried swallow, he dropped the empty container into the biohazard box beneath the sink and popped the plastic fangs over his shrinking canines. With careful steps, he snuck over to the wall just to the right of the archway and peeked over at the front door, where his aunt was greeting Henry with a hug.
Vlad jumped out from behind the separating wall and held his cheap cape out with both arms. "I vant to suck your blood!"
Henry doubled over, roaring with laughter. When he straightened he slapped Vlad on the shoulder. "That's a sweet costume. Check me out. You'll just die." Henry placed his fists on his hips in a pseudo-Superman pose, and when he turned his head, Vlad's jaw dropped at the sight of two small holes on Henry's neck.
"No way." He stepped closer to inspect Henry's bite marks. They were flawless. Vlad had only seen one actual vampire bite on a human before, and Henry's handiwork was very close to the real thing. "What did you use?"
"Silly Putty and raspberry jam."
"Seedless?"
"Well, duh. Can't have seeds in my wound. Might get infected."

See you next Saturday!
~Sea-Solo out! :)

To learn more about Vladimir Tod, go here:
http://www.vladtod.com/

Fated by Alyson Noël

Today's review is on:

THE SUMMARY

Daire Santos is just an ordinary girl, traveling around the world with her mother, a movie makeup artist. All of the sudden, something happens. Daire can see things that other people can't and one time, these visions cause her to hurt someone: her newest boyfriend.
After months of medication and psycho analysis, Daire's mother is about to give up. A call comes from Daire's grandmother, a woman that she has never met, promising to be able to help Daire control her gift. After living in her grandmother's small town in New Mexico for a while, she finds a boy that she had dreams about was real. Now all she has to figure out is whether he is a friend or a foe.

MY REVIEW
I first picked up this book because of the author, Alyson Noël. I have read the Immortal series by her, and I loved the way that she wrote the love story (that my tomboy side cringes at) that I came to accept. I knew her style and wanted more of it. When I read the back, however, I became interested in the Native American aspect of it. I'm part Native American, and that side of my heritage has always interested me. So off I went into another adventure, narrated by a character that shocked me with every new chapter. The things that she could do!
My interest in this book wasn't in vain; I truly enjoyed it from front to back! Noël was once again the master of my imagination, taking it to Enchantment, New Mexico and away from my comfortable bed (where I do most of my reading). The only thing that I didn't like about this book was.. nothing. I've got nothing.
The visions were some of the best parts of the book! You never knew whether or not they were real, or if they were just a warning of what was to come. I enjoyed the crows as well. I've always liked crows, ever since I was a little kid. I used to talk to them, in fact. Still do, actually...

JUST A LITTLE EXCERPT
He doesn't see what I see.
Doesn't see the way everything stops.
Doesn't see the way the atmosphere changes - growing shimmery, hazy, like peering through carnival glass.
Doesn't see the way the glowing ones appear - hovering along the perimeter.
Doesn't see the way they beckon to me - beg me to join them.
Only I can see that.
Even after repeatedly blinking, trying to return the scene to normal, it's no use. Not only are they still there, but now they've brought friends.
Crows.
Thousands and thousands of crows that fill up the square.
They land on the drummer, the transvestite belly dancer - soaring and swooping and settling wherever they please - turning the once-vibrant square into a field of dark beady eyes that relentlessly watch me.
The glowing people creep forward - arms outstretched, fingers grasping - stomping the crows to a mess of black, bloodied bits.
And there's nothing I can do to stop their progression - nothing I can do to convince time to march forward again.
So I do the only thing I can -
I run.

See you in the next one!
~Sea-Solo out!

Currently reading:

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Today's review is on:

The back reads:

Ever since their mother's death, siblings Carter and Sadie have been near-strangers. While Sadie's lived with their grandparents in London, Carter has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane.

Then one night they are reunited when their father takes them to the British Museum, hoping at last to set things right. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking, and the worst of them - Set - is after the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings must embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and its link to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs...

If you like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, you need to pick this one up! It has all the witty humor of Rick Riordan along with Egyptian gods and goddesses and it's respectable monsters. Just like Percy Jackson, these siblings have powers that they never could've dreamed of, and an amazing amount of royalty in their blood to boot. Along with the siblings, you discover their abilities, their strengths, their weaknesses. All wrapped up in one hell of a story line.

What I liked most about this book is that it was dictation from a taping that the author found (or so we're told). That just makes it even easier to believe that what is happening really happened. It skips between Carter and Sadie telling their story so far, which really makes it a fun book to read. Carter speaks in an American accent, and Sadie in an English accent, so you can pretty easily tell by the spelling of certain words who is talking into the mic. (Mum, for example, is used by Sadie and Mom by Carter.)

My favorite part:

"You're forgetting something, Horus told me.

A little busy here! I thought back.

You might think it's easy steering a magic boat through the sky. You'd be wrong. I didn't have Amos's animated coat, so I stood in the back trying to shift the tiller myself, which was like stirring cement. I couldn't see where I was going. We kept tilting back and forth while Sadie did her best to keep an unconscious Zia from flopping over the side.

It's my birthday, Horus insisted. Wish me happy birthday!

"Happy birthday!" I yelled. "Now, shut up!" "

Well, that's all for now, folks!

See you in the next one!

~Sea-Solo out!

Currently reading:

 

More Egyptian stuff:



Learn more about the Kane Chronicles!:

http://www.kanechronicles.co.uk/site/author.php

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Today's review is on:

The back reads:

When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd markings. This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons - and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line. It's also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like Clary? And how did she suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

I got introduced to this series when I went to the movie theatre to watch a movie (duh, jeez I can be so obvious!) and the City of Bones trailer played across the screen. So I'm like: "Hey, that looks pretty cool, I'm gonna need to read that." Went to the book store, picked it up, and I woke up a week later when I had finished the last page. Yeah, that's right, it's that good.

I seriously thought that Clary was going crazy for a couple pages. Seriously, you should check it out.

Whale, I was going to explain a lot of things about the love triangle in this book but...

Soooo... Let's just say there is one and get on with it...

The battles were pretty epic, all full of action and stuff. Clary really grows as a character while her mom is missing. She turns from a normal mundane into a fighting sort-of Shadowhunter, and in a way, you (as the reader) do too.

In conclusion, this book was really great and I would definitely recommend it.

My favorite part:

" 'No way are we bringing her to the Institute,' said Isabelle. 'She's a mundie'

'Or is she?' said Jace softly. His quiet tone was worse than Isabelle's snapping or Alec's anger. 'Have you had dealings with demons, little girl? Walked with warlocks, talked with the Night Children? Have you-'

'My name is not little girl,' Clary interrupted. 'And I have no idea what you're talking about.' Don't you? said a voice in the back of her head. You saw that boy vanish into thin air. Jace isn't crazy - you just wish he was. 'I don't believe in - in demons, or whatever you-'

'Clary?' It was Sam's voice. She whirled around. He was standing by the storage room door. One of the burly bouncers who'd been stamping hands at the front door was next to him. 'Are you okay?' He peered at her through the gloom. 'Why are you in here by yourself? What happened to the guys - you know, the ones with knives?'

Clary stared at him, then looked behind her, where Jace, Isabelle, and Alec stood, Jace still in his bloody shirt with the knife in his hand. He grinned at her and dropped a half-apologetic, half-mocking shrug. Clearly he wasn't surprised that neither Simon nor the bouncer could see them."

Well, that's all for this book! I'll see you in the next one!

~Sea-Solo out!

Other Mortal Instruments things:

WATCH THE MOVIE TRAILER!:

A song from the soundtrack (It's pretty much the book in song form):