Book Review (SPOILERS FREE!): Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles Series #1)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

SPOILERS FREE!

Year Published: 2012
Publisher: Puffin
Pages: 390
Rating: 

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizenwith a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

me after reading Cinder:

I can't properly function right now............. I just need to read the sequel at this second!....... (T^T)

Btw..... it's.....

SOLID FIVE GOLD STARS! (and maybe more.........)!

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK! This book has exceeded my expectation!

At first, I was kinda reluctant to read this book.. It was just because it's a retelling story of Cinderella with Cyborgs in it.. and it did not sound appealing to me.. and oh dear God, how happy I am to be proven soooo wrong........ I thank everyone who kept forcing me to read this book.. I need to have a group hug..

This book goes easily directly to my all time fave books! This book is so amazing! ultra-awesome! It's Dystopian! It's Post-apocalyptic! It's Sci-Fi!

I love the story-line! Probably one of the best story-lines I ever read.. It has the right pace, right amount of action, mysteries, conspiracies, and romance, and importantly, great story development. What I like the most from Cinder was that although you can guess a certain thing, but it still can surprise and shock you, thanks to the great timing of revealing that thing..

One other thing that I really love is its originality. Despite of being a retelling book of Cinderella story, it still owned its story-line. It's original and unique. Totally no-where near Cinderella story.. xp

The characters......................... AMAZING Characterization of these awesome fictional characters, whether they are the antagonists or the protagonists.. You just can not help to get drawn with so much feelings to these characters.. Love how Marissa wrote these characters <3 I love Cinder and Kai chemistry, I just love these two characters a lot.. then there is also Dr. Erland, not so much of him, but he is one interesting character.. then Queen Levana, Adri, and Pearl, I hate these three characters with all my being.. haha..

I wonder what had Marissa Meyer been thinking when she wrote this book, how she got the idea.. Because I am still mesmerized by the world setting of this book.. and the story line... and Thank God, I already pre-ordered Scarlett, the sequel of Cinder.. Can't wait to read it.. The ending of this book was quite a cliffhanger!

If you haven't read this book, I strongly urge you to go to a bookstore or open any of book-shopping online website and get this book! It's really a great read! <3

January 2013 Wrap Up!!!

Hiya, so these were the books that I read in January 2013.. There were books that I didn't post any reviews, because maybe I want to review it soon I finish reading all the series or I really didn't like it (*cough* Losing It *cough*).. As for Beautiful Creatures, that was different story.. it was just because the movie is coming out this Feb ;)

It turned out that my January TBR list was kinda a failed-attempt.. I didn't read any classics or modern classics.. xp soooooo here they are....

LATE What's New #6 (Book Haul) post: December 2012 (Birthday/Christmas/New Year) and January 2013!

Sorry for the late post.. so I put my December 2012 and January 2013 book hauls in one post..

I have mentioned on my previous post that lots of things happened in December. I have my birthday then we also have Christmas and New Year which mean many big sales happening at my favorite bookstores here in Jakarta. I got myself some pretty awesome books during the sales and I also tried for the first time this great website that sells second hand books for a good cause (check better world books  out)! I bought two books from that website and they had arrived safely! Also I got discount coupons from book depository, so I used it as well and got pretty decent prices for books that I want. Also, Periplus is one of our local bookstores that sells imported books here in Jakarta and they have this new service called Periplus Online which just basically you buy books online, but they had big sales in December 2012 so I ordered some awesome books with unbelievably great deals! and if you visited their stores back than in December 2012, they also had major sales going on. Not to mention at Books&Beyond, they have 20% discount for all-items. Kinokuniya is probably the only bookstore here in Jakarta that rarely gives any discounts and their books is very expensive compare to the other two (Periplus and Books&Beyond), but I got one discounted book (and it was the only one copy left) there. So I guess I was pretty lucky.

Okay, let's roll!

I got Beauty Queens and The Gargoyle at Better World Books, those are two of my very first time bought second hand books. I am happy with their conditions and the service of better world books.

Most of the books above were on sales or discounted except for Days of Blood and Starlight (T.T), I bought that coz it was just pretty and the only one left..

Bought Bloodline, The Golden Lily, an Abundance of Katherine, Paper Towns, and This is Not a Test at Periplus Online Bookshop. They were on sales at the time. 

The Art of Fielding was probably the only book I got on sale at Kinokuniya. And it was the only copy left, so had to buy it.

not so sure about Wither and the rest of the series. But it was on sale, so I decided to give it a try..

and for my birthday, I got:

and

So now I have two copies of The Passage by Justin Cronin. Someone knew very well how much I love to fangirl over Joseph Morgan. And he loves this book and talked about it on his Twitter. So I probably will do a giveaway on my other copy of The Passage or just give it to my friend - haven't decided it yet.

and Caster Chronicles boxset in hardbacks is just AMAZING! one of those unbelievably gorgeous book covers! Love it! I finished reading the first book, see my review about it (click here)!

Alright then, I guess those are all the books I got in the past two months (I have problem on controling my impulse of buying books). Now I just need to read them all! 

Books mentioned on pictures:

- Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

- White Cat by Holly Black

- Red Glove by Holly Black

- Gravity by Melissa West

- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

- The Princess Bride by William Goldman

- Shiver Trilogy: Shiver, Linger, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

- Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

- World War Z by Max Brooks

- The Shining by Stephen King

- The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

- Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

- Slammed by Colleen Hoover

- Book of Thief by Markus Zusak

- Wither by Lauren DeStefano

- The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

- This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

- Paper Towns by John Green

- An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

- The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

- Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

- The Caster Chronicles Boxset: Beautiful Creatures, B. Darkness, B. Chaos, and B. Redemption) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

- The Passage by Justin Cronin

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

buy the book:
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Spoilers Free!

Publisher: Little Brown
Year Published: 2009
Pages: 563


There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

I still can't get over the ending. This book was a roller-coaster journey. Full of twists and mind-boggling moments. Definitely my favorite!

First let me tell you about the cover. I am rarely talking about the cover, thou it's essential and one of those things that lure us to read a book, but it's never really a big of a deal for me. But all covers in the Caster Chronicles series are just amazing! They are GORGEOUS! Elegant, simple and enchanting! very delicious on the eyes! (haha, if that even a right english sentence). Oh well, as long as the message is clear, I LOVE the covers!

Alright, everything that makes a book very enjoyable to read, for me, you can get it from this book. The story is unique and original! Love the idea! I adore the idea! as for the story-flow, I found the first 100 pages of the book was a bit slow. But since then it was really picking up big time! My favorite would be the last 200ish pages towards the end.. Everything went crazy! SO GOOD!

Characters! very unique perspective! This is one of many books out-there that written from male-POV. But I like the fact that Ethan is just a mortal with no (actual supernatural/paranormal) power, just a plain good teenage boy. If it's a typical YA book, the person-POV of the book got to be someone with the power or the designated hero (Thou Ethan is kinda a hero in a way too). If this book was told from Lena POV, I don't think it would be as exciting as it is. I Love Ethan Wate, the lead male character of the book. He is just ordinary and smart, love that he stands to what he believes. I also love Macon Ravenwood, Lena's uncle and Link, Ethan's bestfriend. Lena is okay for me. Other characters, the Gatlin folks and all caster-clan (whether they're light or dark) members are really intriguing and interesting. Those characters annoyed me, intrigued me, and made me laugh. Love how the author wrote and developed their characters and all of their aspects..

Other thing that made me so excited to read the book is because this book is made into a movie! It will hit the theatre in February 2013. I believe it will be in the first week of Feb.. oh well, just check out the awesome movie trailer! Yes, are you excited?????! I know I am xp

Trailer #1

Trailer #2

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