July Multiple Books Review: Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

9. Prodigy (Legend #2)

Author: Marie Lu

Published: January 29th 2013

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 356 pages

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

Deskynowsky's Review:

*Sobbing in the middle of the night*

What have you done to me, Marie Lu...

I can't take this.... that ending is toooooo mucccch to bear.......

Overall, this sequel is amazing! I LOVE THE TWISTS! The unexpected turn out of events that actually changed everything about The Republic...

Day and June are just the most amazing characters ever! I love them emotionally and how they grow so much in this sequel.. Their relationship is just so believable, I just can feel that they are made for each other... I don't know what will happen in Champion, it literally gives me a nausea.. I even took a long break while reading this book coz I was just scared to know what will happen to them.. and *BAM!*, there's the surprise, *SOBBING harder here* (I don't even have the energy to put a gif to express my feeling - I don't even think a gif can express what I feel after that ending...*

July Multiple Books Review: 6. Paper Towns by John Green

6. Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Published: September 22nd 2009

Publisher: Speak

Pages: 305 pages

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Deskynowsky's Review:

okay, I like this book obviously..

It is an amazing story filled with mysteries, puzzles/riddles, and adventures..

hmm, I am not so sure if this book gives me feels like other two John Green's books (looking for Alaska and TFIOS) do.. but this book does bring out my curiosity.. I think it is a very good read and very interesting one.. I like it in a way that it's an awesome YA adventure and mystery book.. I really love parts where John Green put some poetry references in it.. really nice touch..

What I like the best from this book is the conversation between Margo and Quentin, Quentin and his bestfriends, Quentin and his parents, Quentin and other students.. It's just obvious that I like Quentin as a character.. Tho I also have to say that Margo is definitely very unique and the way she's thinking no matter how odd that is, I somehow can understand and relate to it xp

I think that'd be all for now.. :)

July Multiple Books Review: 5. Faking It (Losing It #2) by Cora Carmack

5. Faking It (Losing It #2)

Author: Cora Carmack

Published: June 4th 2013

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 352 pages

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Mackenzie "Max" Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

The hot new, New Adult title from New York Times bestselling author ofLosing It, Cora Carmack.

Deskynowsky's Review:

Haha.. I tend to give all books that I read in one day which completely enchanted me from the beginning to the end and also that made me doesn't want to stop reading it, freaking 5 stars or maybe 4.5 stars..

Okay so I read Losing It in January 2013, and I didn't like it, I thought I gave it 2 stars or 1.5 stars? I forgot, the story for me was kinda meh and I don't like the girl also pretty much very typical.. Well the whole thing is just booorrinng..

BUT THE SEQUEL!!!!! Oh my goodness.. It's just as awesome as cherry candy and strawberry pie with awesome icing of rainbow chocolates and ferrero roche ice cream (okay, I don't know what I am writing abt)..

Obviously I AM IN LOVE with this story! I love the girl and the boy! Their issues are definitely more intriguing and significant.. Their relationship is sooooo touching, toes-curling-worth, rolling back and forth on the bed worth, swoon worth, fangirl worth, and other love sick puppy symptoms worth!!!

Faking It is a whole different story than Losing It, it's about Cade (if U have read Losing It, he is the male best friend of Bliss who was in love with Bliss and then get dumped for a hot british teacher) who happened to meet with this awesome fearless rocker badass tattooed girl named Max (or Mackenzie) that at first they were faking the relationship for the sake of Max's super conservative all happy parents which happened in super random universe, they came to Philly unannounced and Max was with her super irresponsible and brainless boyfriend who is everything that her parents hate.. Sooooo in a very limited time she just spotted Cade (they were at a coffee shop) who happened sitting alone with a book and also has this good boy vibe neon pointed at him. So she came to him with the proposal to be her faked boyfriend, andddddd BAM! There, I just could not stop reading the rest of the story..

Thank God I decided to buy the ebook and read it, I wasn't sure at first, but the synopsis was just tooooooo good, it just sounds like awesome opposite attract love story that I really like.. And I DO LIKE IT A LIL BIT TOO MUCH..

Okay there.. Haha.. I am happy :D 

July Multiple Books Review: 4. Gravity (The Taking #1) by Melissa West

4. Gravity (The Taking #1)

Author: Melissa West

Published: December 18th 2012

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 284 pages

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

Deskynowsky's Review:

Haha.. So I started reading this on a very peaceful Sunday morning and finished reading it in the afternoon. Well, it is pretty good and addictive ;)

To generally describe pretty much a mixture of Legend and Cinder (without retelling the classic tale and no cyborgs, just alien, pretty good looking alien in my wildest imagination)..

I have a feeling that a fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout will enjoy this series so much.. Tho I haven't really read any of her book yet (but I did read few chapters of Obsidian, sadly I didn't really continue reading it, maybe later.)

Soooo I like the characters! The heroine is a very strong individual (physically and emotionally), other characters are also very interesting and well developed..

And the story line is basically like other ordinary love ya dystopian-sci fi story from two different sides with fangirling dramas and really good world building and story plot that have successfully made me addicted and could not put the book down! No pause here..

So in summary, I enjoyed this book so much!

July Multiple Books Review: 3. The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

3. The Ocean at The End of The Lane

Author: Neil Gaiman

Published: June 18th 2013

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 181 pages

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac - as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly's wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark, from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman. 

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.

His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

Deskynowsky's Review:

Supposed to be bright solid 10 stars!

AMAZING!

MAGICAL!

DIFFERENT!

I just literally lost words on how to describe this masterpiece! This book is on the top of my most fave book of all time!

The writing is über-beautiful, the storyline made my heart pounding faster and faster everytime I turned the page, the characters are so alive and so magically-written.. Everything about this book is so elegant and for me hard to define, it is just what it is.. A Masterpiece by a genius writer, Mr. Neil Gaiman..

It got me to think about life in general (as an adult).. Haha..

If you want to read smth quick and magical, just buy and read this freakin superb masterpiece.. It is definitely a must have on your shelf! ;D

July Multiple Books Review: 2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney

2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Third Wheel (Book #7)

Author: Jeff Kinney

Published: November 13th 2012

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 224 pages

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Love is in the air - but what does that mean for Greg Heffley?

A Valentine's Day dance at Greg's middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he's worried he'll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn't have any prospects either, but that's a small consolation.

An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who's going to be lucky in love.

Deskynowsky's Review:

Well, I've been following this series, and I love and enjoy it so much.

Forever funny, hilarious, and entertaining! Love this series! Appropriate for all ages tho I personally think children under 9 years old need to be supervised by their parents when reading this, haha to be able to see which behavior is OK and which is NOT.. Haha..

Book Review (a slightly out of ordinary one): The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Spoilers Free!

Year Published: 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 448 pages
Rating: 

Thanks NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with the eBook :)

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since yesterday (15 Feb 2013), I am officially an emotional-wrecked! Thanks to a certain vampire tv series and its angst/tragic/beautiful ship that is my current ultimate OTP. YES! I am talking about you, #TVD S04E14!



And today, I finished reading this book (16 Feb 2013), and it just adds more emotional battle in my heart and soul..



I don't expect that I can be more emotionally-exhausted-and-drained after yesterday.. But it seems it's very much possible..

coz now I am just full of feels and emotions.. and I just don't know what to do..



Okay, so let's talk about this book..

WHAT WITH ALL OF THESE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS??? You guys ruin my life.. huhu (not that I am complaining thou..).. But still... what you guys have done to me?!

Nastya and Josh..... what I can say about them... I feel for these two so much.. Two people who were coming from two different worlds and have their own messed up lives with terrible histories.. They were facing their own demon and isolated from people around them.. Then it was like fate and destiny had their own plan to have these two met and saved each other..

This book has a very beautiful story line, amazing writing, and great character developments..

Like seriously, I don't know what to write, coz I just feel so much when I read this book.. It was like I could feel what these characters feel.. 

I love how are these characters were written.. especially for Nastya and Josh as the female and male leads in this book. How their characters were shaped from their painful pasts that had caused them to be socially isolated and misunderstood. Although, they were still very much admirable! How strong they were in facing uncertainties in life and how they fought and saved each other.. it was really beautiful and heartfelt.. It just seemed like they were different, but actually they were the same..I could also kinda relate to other characters in the book who were pretty awesome as well.

Then the story line.... I enjoyed the SL so much.. It was great and captivating! love how the writing kinda make the story easy to digest, but still without losing its charms and purpose..

I put this book in the category of New-Adult book.. This one works for me like charm! I love it! definitely goes to my favorite books category..

I got this ebook for review, and I most certain will love to buy a copy of this.. It was just such a beautiful read.. and wish I can hug the writer.... *sending Katja Millay a virtual hugs..*


This was (and still is) my favorite lines from the book:
"Maybe one day you'll come back, Maybe you never will and that'll suck, but you can't keep doing this. The blame and the self-loathing and the bullshit. I can't watch that. It makes me hate you for hating yourself. I don't want to lose you. But I'd rather lose you if it means you'll be happy. I think if you come back with me today, you'll never be okay. And I'll never be okay if you aren't. I need to know that there's away for people like us to end up okay. I need to know that there even is such a thing as okay, or maybe not just okay, maybe even good, and it's out there and we just haven't found it yet. There's got to be a happier ending than this here. There's got to be a better story. Because we deserve one. You deserve one. Even if it doesn't end with you coming back to me."

Maybe my only problem was just, I continued reading this book till finish after I watched a very emotional scene on TVD 4x14, especially Klaroline scenes.. and I just could not help to have Feels-Attack.. coz Nastya and Josh kinda remind me of Klaus and Caroline.. (in their own very way..)

And suddenly I think of this..... O(T^T)O



Sorry for this slightly weird review.. At the moment I am just having so much emotions going on for these four characters.. so it was kinda mixed and I just can not help myself to feel it that way.. hiks.. fictional characters you are going to be the death of me..



*Gifs are not mine, they are belonged to their respectful owners who are very awesome people! ;*

Book Review: Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Publisher: Merit Press
Date Published: 18 December 2012
Rating: 

Thank you, Merit Press for a copy of this ;)

No one understood teen angst like the Bard, as authors Askew and Helmes prove with a hilarious twist on The Tempest

Working off her debt to society (not to mention her father), former prep princess Miranda Prospero now wears the crown of a spinning frankfurter at her job making Hot Dog Kabobs at a Minneapolis mall. When a city-stopping blizzard strands Miranda and the mall workers with the oddest of the die-hard shoppers, she decides to wreak vengeance on the social-climbing clique who froze her out. The townies and the preps line up for battle with whatever merchandise comes to hand, while a rent-a-cop searches for what may be an armed robber. Accidentally (and literally) stuck to Caleb, a rough-cut boy with a heart of gold who would have been beneath her notice just a month before, Miranda learns more about the human heart and human nature in one night than in all of the rest of her life.

About the Authors:

Kim Askew, co-author of Tempestuous: A Twisted Lit Novel, whose work has appeared in Elle and other magazines, is a content manager for the Webby-winning teen site www.FashionClub.com, for which she has covered the Teen Choice and MTV awards. Follow Kim on Twitter. 

Amy Helmes, co-author of Tempestuous: A Twisted Lit Novel, is co-author of Boys of a Feather: A Field Guide to American Males and is also a weekly contributor to The Rundown, a free daily e-mail service that keeps subscribers informed on what's new and cool in LA. Follow Amy on Twitter.

Both Kim and Amy think Shakespeare understood the young's true love and pain like no other, from Hamlet's sorry stepdad to Juliet's trauma drama, hence this literate farce, based on "The Tempest."

My Review:

I LOVE IT! Yaaaaaaahhhhooooooooooo!!!

Okay, I definitely heart this book..

Like seriously I love the simple story-line, I love the characters, I love the writing! 

The story line was simple, it was story about a girl who was punished by being employed at a Hot Dog Kebab counter at a food court mall. Then suddenly there was a lock-down at the mall because of bad snow-storm. And people were trapped inside the mall had to stay there until the next morning.. But for an overnight lock-down at a mall, surely lots of things happened there.. hehe.. what I meant by that was many fun things happened! ;)

*cute-typical-teen-romance (checked)

*crime mystery but not scary (checked)

*a bit of Lord of the Flies by William Golding (or not) ( even if it was, definitely without the killing, no one dead in this book, also it just happened and ended in a flash, coz there was so much fun going on in there)

*(evil or not so evil) clique-clash (checked)

*cute-fun-fresh-and-intelligent-banters (checked), I always love intelligent banters between characters whether it's in books, movies, or tv shows.. 

*teen-moral-messages (checked)

love the fast-paced story without any unnecessary things added to it. But maybe it was just too quick, because I really like it and wished there was more to it, but overall I am quite satisfied :)

the characters! BIG LOVE for all of them! hehe.. the relationship between Miranda and Caleb definitely reminded me so much of Dan and Blair (from Gossip Girl TV show-S3-S4-S5, the most beautiful, believable, and intelligent OTP ever!).. I just love the characters in this book, it showed how unique and lovable they were.. and Miranda, I love her development as a person.. *fictional hugs to awesome fictional character*

and the writing! It was just soooooo clever and not too teen-ish (if that even a proper english word). What can I say, I just love the writing, I mean it was really great, different (compare to other typical high school romance cute teen story books), interesting and intelligent. <3 <3 <3

Will definitely buy this book to support the author (will wait for the paperback version to come out!)

A very RE-readable book! I can just imagine myself, rereading this book for many times.. such an (extremely) enjoyable read!

Book Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

 Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Publisher: Random House UK / Vintage Books UK
Published Date: 31 January 2013
Rating:  

Thank you Random House UK and Vintage Books UK also NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book..

Spoilers FREE!

'R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins.

This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...

Wow this book surprised me!

I always love post-apocalyptic or end-of-the-world reads, definitely one of my favorite book themes (of all time).

This book was so refreshing and original. I love the concept of this book, telling the story from Zombie point of view. I never read anything like this before.. 

What I really adored was how the story was told. It had that same feelings like when I read Catcher in The Rye or Looking for Alaska. R narration of the story was so unique and details, it was trying to give understandings or answers on how Zombies see things.. I really enjoyed it (It's not like I read many Zombie POV books).. Because it was just humorous and very human in a twisted way..

And characters development, R characters was clearly developing, from a heartless zombie (but still cute) to lovable-and-human zombie. Maybe people already know that this book was about the possibility of Zombie-cure.. So it is not actually a spoiler, right.. well.. it was just totally amazing, how R started finding his humanity that was hidden deep deep down in his dead-heart.. And the girl that was the trigger of this reverse-process, Julie. I don't have a lot to say about this character. I mean Julie was Julie. She was just herself throughout the story. Their interaction was believable so I didn't really have problem with it. And I really like that M. He was R's zombie friend. Also Perry. Perry for me also played a very important role in reviving  R's humanity. In a way, it was because of Perry that R noticed Julie. And because of Perry's memories and guidances that bring human R back. So he was definitely important.

There were not so much story about R's background (or any other zombies). But there were definitely snippets of Julie and Perry background stories. It was kinda problematic and dramatic. A bit of family, personal, and love dramas.

Story plot, it followed the changes in R. The changes in R was giving a new perspective on how the story went. When he started to see and think differently, I as the reader found this really interesting, because he was just so awkward and when he started to understand things in very human way, I just could not help to like him more and more as the story progressed. There was also a bit of action toward the end, but totally not the focus of the book. So don't expect to read much about it ;)

Alright then, as you all know that this book is already made into movie and going to hit the theaters in February, so please check the trailer below ;) - I personally think it's always better to read the book first before watch the movie. If you watch the movie first, it's just going to be a major spoiler.. hehe.. enjoy!

Book Review: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Year Published: 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 307
Rating: 
Recommended music to listen while reading this book: Death Cab For Cutie - "Plans" Album.

One moment can change everything.Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him.  And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

At first, I was not so sure that I want to read this book. I randomly picked this book up and bought it at a bookstore (couple of months ago xp). It was wrapped in plastic so I could not see the inside. I totally bought it just because I love the synopsis and the tag-line on the front cover that said:

"One moment can change everything."

So when I got home and opened the plastic, I just realized that this book was not a conventional contemporary story book. It was full of verses instead of usual paragraphs and chapters. It was like a poetry book.. and I am really not into poetry.. so I was kinda let this book just looking pretty on my bookshelf until last night..

Soooooo... last night (03.01.2013), I was reorganizing my bookshelf, and I saw this book.. and just decided to read the first page.. Guess what happen........ It enchanted me and I just could not stop reading it.... I was just mesmerized by the beautiful writing and verses... It told the story waaaay better than any chapters on usual YA contemporary books I usually read.. 

What I can say, this book was just heartwarming, beautiful, lyrical, real, and touching... My emotions at the moment are just swirling in joy and happiness.. This book delivered great messages about how we see life.. and in a way, it changed me a lil bit and I just felt better in a way (this one is hard to explain) ;)

I just could not describe how beautiful and touching were those verses.. It sang the story vividly and beautifully.. This was the first time, I used a lot of sticky notes on a book..

this happened

I just have so many favorite parts/verses in the book that I felt the need to mark all of them. This is definitely the book that I need to bring with every time I go traveling or waiting at anywhere.

I love the characters.. The characters were beautifully developed and how they were complimenting each other.. and I believed them.. I believed in their stories.. I believed in their problems..

The story was progressing fluidly like a flowing river.. It lured you till the end.. and for me, it surprised me.. I didn't try to guess or predict how the story would go and just let myself went with wherever the story took me.. Oh, and I just love with how everything turned out to be.. :)

If in 2012, I had Fault in Our Stars by John Green for giving me such a nice feeling to cuddle with at night.. In 2013, I so definitely have The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder..

I really recommend this book to read by everyone.. <3