Divergent is a fantastic book about a 16 year old girl named Beatrice who lives in a society where there are 5 factions, groups of people who believe in upholding and strengthening one certain asset of their personality. The Candor are honest, Dauntless are brave, Abnegation are selfless, Amity are peaceful, and Erudite are intelligent. Now Beatrice gets to choose to devote herself to one of those factions for life. Which one will she choose? She thinks this is an easy question until she discovers something shocking about herself that she must hide from everyone. Will her secret be safe, or will she suffer the consequences? This was an amazing book. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone.
Reviewer Grade: 8
June Iparis is a prodigy trying to avenge her brother. Day is a criminal trying to save his family from the plague. Their paths cross when Day accidentally ends up killing a member of her family - and she decides to track him down. Legend is an exciting thrill-ride you won't be able to put down! Every chapter ends with a crazy new plot twist. June and Day are likable protagonists you'll be rooting for the whole time. I highly recommend this
book for the thrilling adventure and amazing writing.
Reviewer Grade: 9
Bella, a regular girl from Phoenix, decides to live with her dad in Forks, WA for the rest of high-school while her mom and step- dad travel for her step- dad's job. When Bella starts to settle down in Forks a strange boy named Edward catches her attention. Who is Edward? And why does he act so strange around Bella? I'd rate this book a 5 out of 1 to 5 because it was romantic, dramatic, and had some action. I could relate to Bella because we both are terrible at sports.
Reviewer Grade: 8
A plague ripples throughout the cities, fatal to anyone who has caught it for too long. No one wonders where they come from; the bigger issue is the war. A new recruit, top in her class, is too blind to notice. A boy, Day, is on the run, he’s resourceful, cunning. The two are unlucky enough to cross paths on a dangerous adventure. I give this a 5/5, it is an emotional roller-coaster all the way.
Reviewer Grade: 7
Hideous Love is a verse novel about the life of Mary Shelley, the woman who wrote the iconic Frankenstein. Mary Shelley ran away with her lover, Percy Shelley and traveled around Europe, getting inspiration from the scenic surroundings for her writing.
Mary Shelley had led a very interesting life full of tragedy and drama and with award-winning Stephanie Hemphill writing it, it'll be great, right?
Ha... no. All I got was disappointment and dissatisfaction.
Reading Hideous Love was a chore. I kept on thinking it would get better, but it didn't happen.
The poems were choppy and I feel like Stephanie Hemphill just tried to make her sentences as short as possible, put them in a pile, and called it poetry.
Horrible Love didn't even scratch the surface of the emotions Mary Shelley must have felt, I couldn't relate to her at all; it was hard not to skim through the poems. I can't help but think that Hemphill didn't even try putting any structure or effort in her novel. A few poems in Hideous Love were written fairly well, but that meager amount can't make up for all of the rest of those tedious and boring poems.The verse novel was mostly about Mary Shelley worrying about the faithfulness of her husband and her actual writing was just tacked on there like an afterthought.
I don't recommend this to anyone, and Hideous Love is possibly the worst book I have ever had the misfortune of reading. The Wikipedia article on Mary Shelley was more interesting and gave more information.
Reviewer's Grade: 8
Breaking Dawn is the fourth and last book in the Twilight Saga. This book is about Bella, a normal girl, who is worried about her wedding with her soon to be husband Edward, a vampire. Though all of Bella's worrying is for nothing, their honeymoon was nothing short of a disaster. Their love story continues, who will survive? Out of 1(bad) - 5(awesome) I would rate this book a 5 because I love the romance and action in this book and it has a ton of detail, so I can picture everything that happens. I read this book because I loved the previous books in the series.
Reviewer Grade: 8
This book was amazing. At the beginning, it begins slow. The first couple of chapters focus on Haven and her "condition". These chapters give you an emotional connection to the characters, and bits of how each person views life. From the religious grandmother to the gay best friend you feel for Haven. She's been longing for this boy, Ethan, since she was nine. The only person who never thought she was crazy was her father, but he's gone now, and Beau of course. But when she finally finds out what she needs to do too find Ethan, and learn more about her life, you'll go through a confusing emotional roller coaster with her. I picked this book because the slogan under the title (What if love refused to die?) interested me. This book surprised me in so many ways, it threw in many clues of these surprises, but with all that's going on you won't notice what's really going on. The book is a big puzzle, and you have to put the piece together, until it all comes together.
Reviewer Grade: 10
When Hazel attends a cancer patient support group, she expects to be bored out of her mind. She doesn't need this support group; the only reason she even bothers to go is to please her mother. But when she meets a boy named Augustus Waters, her entire life changes. She learns what it is to fall in love and what it means to be alive.
This book was alright. It didn't end the way it made people believe that it would, which was cool. Life is a precious thing and people don't cherish it enough. Also, people always view people with cancer as "sick" and sometimes forget that they are human and have lives and hopes and dreams just like the rest of us. Overall, I liked it.
Reviewer Grade: 12
After Bella marries the love of her life, Edward, she's happier than she's ever been before. She can't wait to one day become a vampire and spend the rest of eternity with him. During their honeymoon, everything changes. Bella finds herself pregnant with a half-vampire, half-human child, but her pregnancy doesn't go without complications. The fetus develops at an alarming speed and keeping it may very well end Bella's life.
I liked this book. I thought that it was a good place to end the series; everything was tied up nicely, from the threat of the Volturi in New Moon to the future of Bella and Edward's child.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Once again, Bella has found herself in the center of a dangerous battle between vampires. James' mate, Victoria, is on a murderous rampage; she's determined to get her revenge on Edward for killing her love.
Meanwhile, Bella is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Vampires and Werewolves are natural enemies, but can they ever get over their differences? Bella's life may depend on it.
This book was alright. There was a lot of tension due to the love triangle, but it wasn't too bad. I liked it overall.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Bella's love for Edward is stronger than ever. As she turns 18, she panics, realizing that she's older than Edward ever will be. She never wants to lose him, but each day is a step closer to them being torn apart due to her own mortality. When she goes to a birthday celebration thrown for her by the Cullens, her world turns upside down. It turns out that mortality never was the problem; she has much less time with Edward than she ever dared to expect.
I wasn't huge on this book. I found it to be quite boring. A lot of it was spent on Bella being sad and trying to figure out how to get through life without Edward. While it has it's moments, the dullness of the rest of the book overshadows them. Overall, I think it's an okay book, just not my favorite.
Reviewer Grade: 12
When Bella moves to Forks, she figures she'll be miserable. She expects it, even. But when she meets a mysterious boy, she finds herself intrigued. She knows that there's something unusual about him and she's determined to find out what it is. Too bad his secret is dangerous and may cost her her life.
I liked this book. There wasn't a lot of action until the end, but it wasn't boring. The time that it took for them to become close didn't feel too rushed or too dragged out. It was just right.
Reviewer Grade: 12
With Valentine defeated and Clary's mother finally awake, things seem to be finally working out. Sadly, nothing's ever as it seems. Jace has been having nightmares where he hurts Clary, and it's put a strain on their relationship. Meanwhile, somebody is out to get Simon, but his mark protects him. Sinister forces are lurking, and it's only a matter of time before the world comes crashing down around them again.
This book was okay. I didn't find myself as drawn to it as I was to the first three. Honestly, it felt like a filler book that was just there to get the series moving along. While it was necessary, it was also boring. It took a while for the action to actually kick off.
Reviewer Grade:12
To revive her mother, Clary must travel to the City of Glass to find the warlock who brewed the potion that put her mother to sleep. When she misses the portal there, she decides to find a way there herself, even though that means breaking the law, which is punishable by death.
Things are finally coming to an end as Valentine uses all of his power to destroy the shadowhunters. Fighting alongside the downworlders may be the only way to save them all, but can the shadowhunters let go of their prejudice against them enough to accept their help? The fate of the world depends on it.
This series has not disappointed me. It was fun to watch as Clary grew as a character and learned to handle herself. While love can be powerful, it can also be dangerous, and this book just goes to prove it.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Clary may have succeeded in rescuing her mother, but things will never go back to normal for her. Her mother is in a magically induced coma, and nobody knows how to wake her up. Her father is an evil sociopath who wants to cleanse the world of demons, downworlders, and anyone who gets in his way. Her brother is under suspicion by the Clave, who thinks that he's a spy. Sadly, though, her family troubles are the least of her worries.
Somebody has been murdering downworlder children. On top of that, the second mortal instrument, the soul-sword, has been stolen. Nobody knows why, but one thing's for certain - whoever it is that's doing this must be stopped.
I loved this book. To be honest, I haven't been this enticed by a book series in ages. I've always been a fan of things involving the supernatural, so this book is perfect for me. Also, the "forbidden love" aspect isn't bad. After the reveal in the previous book, it's been played out well. I like how the author handled it.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Clary Fray is an ordinary girl with an ordinary life. When she goes out to a club, the last thing she expects is to witness a murder, let alone one that only she can see. The next day, her mother disappears and she finds herself thrust into a world that she didn't even know existed. Now, she must find a way to save her mother without jeopardising the fate of the world as well.
I really enjoyed this book. It has the perfect mix of action, romance, and suspense. I found myself completely absorbed in it from start to finish.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Set in the 1930’s and 40’s, Janie is a woman who just wants love. She was raised by her grandmother, but the two did not agree on what Janie’s perfect life should be like. Janie’s grandmother sets Janie up with a man who will take care of her. This is just the beginning, though. As Janie meets more people, she becomes a different person herself. Eventually, she meets Tea Cake, a mere boy to her womanness that swoons her with the love that she’s been searching for all along. Be prepared, though for the teary ending that was bound to happen from the beginning.
Reviewer Grade: 12
If you are looking for a fantasy novel to swift you away into a new and complex world, this is the book for you. This is the first book to the sequel trilogy of the Mortal Instruments series, which you must read before this, if you wish it to make any sense.
Emma Carstairs' parents were murdered by Sebastian Morganstern. Or else that's what the Clave has declared. She, however, is not convinced that is the whole story. When murders similar to her parents erupt in the city, her and her friends, Julian and Cristina, are desperate to find the truth. Finding Emma's true parents murderer is not the only thing at stake. Julian's older brother, Mark, was captured by the Wild Hunt years ago. They are a group of Faeries that took Mark in, seeing that he is half Fae. Now, someone is murdering the Fae, and they have offered to give Mark back, in exchange for Julian and Emma bringing them the murderer. They have two weeks, to not only find the murderer, but to also convince Mark to stay with them.
These are not their only worries though. Emma and Julian are parabatia, meaning they are connected in the deepest kind of friendship possible. However, it is forbidden for parabatia to fall in romantic relationships. This is a problem for Julian and Emma, seeing that they might not be able to contain their love for much longer. The repercussions for their love includes banishing them from ever seeing their family again, which means everything for Julian and his seven brothers and sisters.
I have read all other books written by Cassandra Clare, and I did not believe this was the best of them. I did think that Julian and Emma's love was a bit too overpowering, and made the action and rest of the book seem like sides to the main dish. I would have preferred more action and battles, rather then deep conversations about infatuation with one another.
She was able to surprise me at the end, with multiple plot twists and action. Not everything was easy to guess, and it made for good brain exercise. I am looking forward to the rest of the series, which should come out sometime in 2017.
Reviewer Grade: 9
Me Before You is a tragically beautiful story about life and peoples will to live in it. After you read this it is impossible to look at life the same as you did before.
Louisa Clark has just lost her job of six years and is desperate to find a new one. She is even desperate enough to work for the Traynor's, a wealthy family whose son, Will, was paralyzed in an motorbike accident two years in advance. She is hired as Will's caretaker, but soon learns that caring for him is easier said then done. Despite his efforts to make her quit, and their constant bickering, she soon grows to like him as they grow closer as companions. When she overhears an argument between his sister and mother, her job, and life, will never be the same.
Seldom books have the power to make me cry, but this book left me bawling (I suggest you stock up on chocolates and tissues in advance). The further you read into the book the more you understand Will's
requests. It leaves you with a different outlook on life, and on love. Moyes does a wonderful job on never letting us really know what to expect. Even though parts of the storyline were slow, and some characters hard to relate to, the books dynamic and plot made up for it.
This book first caught my eye when I saw the new trailer for the movie adaption. The trailer looked so interesting I had to put the book on hold immediately. I am glad I picked up this book, and am looking forward to the movie coming out in June. I highly suggest it for anyone looking for a quick read.
Reviewer Grade: 9
Actual Rating: 4.5
When I first saw the cover and title of this book, I was intrigued. The title of this novel does not reveal much about what the plot was all "about". The main character of the book, Janie, is a woman of mixed race who is trying to find her happiness, which she believes is love. Hurston writes this novel in a way that the readers too, can feel what Janie is feeling, and see what Janie is seeing. Even though this book was written in the 1930's, the topics that pop up are still relevant today, including Feminism. This book may have been predictable at certain times, it was surprising as well. I have never read a novel like this one before. I encourage others to read this book, so they too can experience the journey of Janie's coming of age.
Reviewer Grade: 11